Can AI-powered assistants take over customer services completely?

Artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistants are becoming more and more common with the growing popularity of machine learning applications. These AI assistant tools can carry out various user tasks, including handling customer services.

This means that instead of speaking to an agent or going through a lengthy FAQ page to find answers to queries, customers can just talk to an AI assistant and ask it anything they want. In effect, AI-powered virtual assistants could completely take over the role of customer service representatives. Here are reasons why customer service AI could, at some point, take over customer service completely.

1. They are already doing the job

Unlike agents who have to learn the job, AI-powered assistants are already trained since they were created to handle a specific task. In addition, they have been programmed with knowledge about different product categories and information about customers’ needs, which enhances their fluency in answering questions. As such, these virtual assistants will give fast and accurate answers to queries.

2. They can sign up subscribers faster than the agents

Traditional phone-based call centres have high costs that require agents to spend several hours on a call despite the daily number of calls. On the other hand, AI-powered virtual assistants handle many calls at once without being susceptible to human error, as is often seen in human customer service representatives.

Companies can save significant money by using AI-powered virtual assistants for customer service instead of traditional call centers, with employees taking calls manually and inputting data from callers manually without fail. The result is higher efficiency and less downtime for the business operations in terms of taking remote calls and resolving any problems before closing or during off-hours when dedicated operators are not available to handle calls.

3. Reliable service wherever customers need it

With the growing customer expectations, AI-powered assistants could be the perfect solution to improve customer services. They can provide different levels of interaction so that customers can find what they want easily.

Furthermore, these virtual assistants will be able to handle queries on multiple channels like phone calls, live chat and voice and text messages. This is especially convenient for businesses with multiple offices or service centres across the country.

4. More responsive to customers’ needs and preferences

Companies using AI for their customer service needs will often find it will be much more helpful than human agents who gets distracted easily and cannot listen carefully to the misconceptions or concerns of the caller about the service provided by the business.

When compared to traditional customer service centres, they significantly improve customer engagement by bringing in new customers faster. They do so through better service delivery while helping existing customers stay loyal to the business due to higher satisfaction and loyalty levels.

5. Personalisation is key

Unlike most human agents, AI-powered assistants can multitask, which means they can adjust their responses according to personal preferences and product categories. In addition, these AI assistants are aware of each user’s previous interactions with the company. Therefore, they can pick up on interests and provide related information accordingly.

6. They’re more effective than humans

Through AI technology, companies can make bots that provide similar services yet give better results than agents with limited resources, such as waiting periods between calls or missing information because they have forgotten what they were asked earlier. Additionally, AI-powered customer service solutions are more effective due to the ability to access the data entered by customers. Furthermore, the use of AI-powered virtual assistants can be beneficial to enterprises that have many callers and customers to serve.

7. They can increase customer satisfaction

Reconciling customer needs with the company’s goals is challenging for customer service agents. With AI-powered virtual assistants, companies can identify customer satisfaction issues and focus on methods to resolve them quickly before customers leave negative feedback or opt out of their services entirely. In addition, sending out automated messages to let customers know about any potential changes in their services will make them more likely to continue using them for other purposes and recommend their services to others.

Bottom line

AI has the potential to be a game-changer for a business’s processes and customer service strategies. The technology can help analyse customers’ needs and preferences, resulting in more accurate and personalised services. It can also guide employees to do better work. The sector has long grappled with the issue of reliability and accuracy in its services. With AI, businesses can become more efficient, determining the most effective strategies to offer customers the desired products and services.

The editorial unit