Finally, customer satisfaction is improving

According to Capterra, a division of Gartner, customer satisfaction scores have improved for 63% of U.S. businesses over the past two years. And there’s a reason for that. We live in an era when customers expect more, and in many cases, they get it. With multiple channels of communication, including phone, email, chat, social media and more, customers can get faster service and, in some cases, immediate responses.

I recently interviewed Burgess for Amazing Business Radioand shared some fascinating insights into the world of customer service and experiences. Here are some of the more important topics we covered in our interview:

· Technology is the reason: Burgess said: “Technology plays a big role in improving the customer experience. While you have the physical side of human support, you also have software tools and AI that help customers with smaller queries and issues.”This is becoming a huge part of the company’s strategy: getting technology to handle smaller issues so agents can support customers individually with larger, more complicated issues.

· The human element cannot be eliminated: There will be issues that require emotional connection. Empathy and care are needed to build relationships. The digital experience, even if it works, can leave the customer feeling disconnected and without an emotional connection to the company.

· Customers will wait, but not too long: Some customers call right away for help, while others try self-service first. Regardless of when the decision is to call customer service to speak with a live agent, customers will wait. According to Capterra research, customers typically wait between one and five minutes, but about a third said it can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour to speak to someone. That’s where AI comes in, taking care of smaller support issues and freeing up agents for bigger problems. The key is for customers to embrace AI for this very reason.

· More companies need to implement AI: Capterra found that just over half of U.S. businesses (53%) are now using AI-powered customer service software. But what about the other half? And what about businesses using old technology? Until there’s a tipping point where most, if not all, businesses provide a minimally acceptable level of self-service solutions, customers will worry about the experience they’ll get that day: Will it be good or bad?

· Find the balance: Burgess suggests identifying where AI and humans work best and leveraging them. Research suggests that companies and brands need to communicate with customers about AI support. The most common ways companies tell customers they’re using AI support include:

o Offering a choice between AI-powered and human-assisted interactions (47%)

o Notifying customers about the terms or conditions of service (46%)

o Providing notifications or labels during customer interactions (39%)

· Digital support with human support: If a company is promoting a self-service solution, it needs to be backed up by the ability to connect with a live agent. Burgess says, “We’re trying to speed up the process for the customer. If it’s not going smoothly, someone’s waiting.” AI and self-service solutions are great—until they stop working. Then a smooth transition to a live agent can turn a potential rant into a delight.

· Artificial intelligence will create new career paths: Burgess is optimistic about AI career opportunities. While AI will eliminate some of the reasons customers need to talk to a live agent, new careers will emerge in managing AI as part of an organization’s customer service and experience strategy. She also emphasized that human connection is important for improving relationships.

· Final comment: The final question I ask in almost every interview is for the guest to share one last bit of wisdom that the audience needs to remember. Burgess shared the perfect answer, a reminder that there are three big benefits for a company that invests in and implements AI customer service: increased productivity, reduced call volume, and, perhaps most importantly, higher customer satisfaction scores. And who doesn’t want that?