Check out this week’s Video Review with Ken
Just over a year ago, there was a celebration upon the release of ChatGPT by OpenAI. People were heralding this innovation and the way it would change the world. It was followed by a series of companies introducing their new offers powered by artificial intelligence. Some were real and ready, like QuestionPro’s QxBot. Others were not as groundbreaking as promised and really just for press releases that were piggybacking on the hype.
As the year progressed, we heard about the “concerns” of AI and the influence it could have in everything from information dissemination to eliminating jobs. Then, as usually occurs with new and advancing technologies, the next conversation was about the regulation of AI – long before we really knew what it was capable of doing. There are some that recall movies like The Matrix where the world was taken over by AI after we celebrated its arrival or where AI took over robots that were intended to help humans in the movie iRobot. While fictional, these became real concerns for those that did not understand the technology and its capabilities.
Certainly, we could see how specific tuning of AI learning engines could influence what information is communicated and how it can be leveraged in political campaigns, but closer to our world today, I think about its influence in the workforce.
I recall similar conversations just over a couple decades ago about the internet and its impact on market research and customer experience measurement. At the time, we had a very large project with a major Fortune 50 retailer that used a combination of outbound telephone interviews and inbound interactive voice response (IVR) surveys to measure transactional customer experience in the retail locations. While the IVR surveys would probably be considered the “more advanced” version of the surveys being conducted, there were two key differences between the approaches. The telephone surveys provided an opportunity for the interviewer to drill down on specific customer comments, but were more expensive. The IVR surveys, while significantly cheaper, recorded only a short response with no opportunity to probe further into the customers’ responses.
The blend of responses was ideal for the customer at this time. They generally captured a statistically reliable sample for each location, which was important as they used the customer experience scores as part of an incentive for their store managers (the merits of such an approach can be discussed separately, but for the purpose of this client, it was a requirement).
Along the way, the internet evolved quickly and became a means for companies to build scale quickly with less overhead. Companies could eliminate brick and mortar locations with many frontline employees in favor of just a couple warehouse locations and efficient shipping programs. A contact center could provide a method for online chat or email to reduce headcount sitting on telephones. Within market research, companies were threatened with the idea that online research could eliminate other research methodologies such as telephone or IVR.
Moving forward nearly two decades, a vast majority of customer experience surveys are conducted through the internet. It provides a low-cost approach to gathering even more feedback volume than would have ever been possible through telephone or IVR surveys. And while many market research agencies that focused on fieldwork are drastically smaller in size, many still exist today – that type of research was not completely eliminated. What happened was really a shift in the way the work got done. By lowering the data collection costs, companies could focus on tabulation of results (which also got easier as tools emerged on the internet). They could also focus on actions following the research and the ability to keep frontline teams informed closer to real-time. Essentially, the resources remained the same, but they were re-deployed in more meaningful ways.
With the emergence of AI, there are people worried about the future of customer service. That it will eliminate contact center jobs and further reduce human interactions. There are certainly some threats to specific roles, but I can also explain how AI can improve the customer experience. Leveraged correctly, an organization can use AI right now – no new tools, just new processes, to make experiences better.
Here is a simple example of making AI tools work for you to have better contact center agent interactions. I recently had an issue with product compatibility for something I had purchased, and wanted to return the item. The conversation with the seller’s representative became a case study for future generations, as I was told I needed to provide my own shipping label and packaging to return the product to the company – at my expense. If – after they received the product back at their warehouse – they felt a refund was warranted, I would be reimbursed for the price of the product + shipping (not my time however). If my refund was denied, I had the option to either pay for shipping to get my purchase back to me or “abandon” the purchase – in which case they would resume ownership of the product and I would not get any refund. Not an ideal set of options, and when questioned, the response was a very simple “it is our company policy”.
That response could be part of the “script” used by agents or it may have very well been a remark made by the agent as a part of deflecting any blame from that agent. There may also be very good reasons for such a policy. However, dismissing a customer with “it is our company policy” is not ideal for the customer experience. This is where tools like ChatGPT can step in and help. As I thought about what I would say if I were that agent, I had to take a long pause – and realize I might have said the same thing almost instinctively without much customer empathy. After that conversation, I decided to check with ChatGPT to see what the machines had to say. This is a transcript of my response to the question “What is a nicer way to word the phrase ‘It is our company policy’?”:
When communicating company policies, it’s important to be empathetic and understanding. Instead of saying “It is our company policy,” you could try using phrases like:
- “I understand your concern, and I’d like to help you find a solution that works for both of us. Here’s what we can do.”
- “I appreciate your feedback. Let me see if there’s anything we can do to accommodate your request.”
- “I’m sorry, but we’re unable to do that. However, let me see if there’s anything else we can do to help you.”
These phrases show that you’re willing to work with the customer and find a solution that meets their needs. Remember, customers are the lifeblood of any business, and it’s important to treat them with respect and empathy. I hope this helps! 😊
Source: Microsoft Bing Co-Pilot
Most striking to me was that the robot provided three options that might fit multiple situations and focused on “empathy” and “understanding” which agents can sometimes forget as they go through the monotonous series of repetitive complaints on a daily basis. I even had to smile as it had included a smiling emoji at the end of the response – a gentle reminder that our job in customer experience is to (hopefully) bring smiles to our customers’ faces.
Sure, the AI could eliminate a few jobs as some more routine requests become funneled into a technologically driven routine, but those that are going to survive the rumored apocalypse of customer service work are going to be those that leverage all the tools that are available to them to do a better job.
Internet surveys are the most prominent, but other surveys are still in use. QxBot does not eliminate survey writing; it helps save time. AI will not replace customer service, those that use it correctly, will make themselves more valuable. Want to save your customer service job? Use more AI.
Is there something wrong with your customer experience?
When you complete an honest assessment, the outcome can be beneficial. Particularly when it comes to your Customer Experience program.
- Take five minutes to complete an audit for your organization here.
You may discover a gap in measurement, an opportunity to improve a process, the place where an organizational shift needs to take place or an opportunity to win a greater share of your customers’ wallets.
We all want that bigger “return”. In this situation, the worst case scenario is that you’ll get some information that will help your organization since there is no cost or obligation in completing this audit.
