The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Customer Support

AI is transforming customer support by:

  • Providing 24/7 assistance
  • Cutting response times dramatically
  • Handling up to 80% of basic queries automatically
  • Saving businesses up to 30% on support costs

Key AI support tools:

  • Chatbots (rule-based, generative, and AI agents)
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems

Benefits:

  • Always-on support
  • Lower costs
  • Faster response times
  • More consistent service

To get started with AI support:

  1. Assess your current support needs
  2. Choose the right AI tool (e.g. Quidget for Zendesk users)
  3. Prepare your data and train the AI
  4. Test thoroughly before going live
  5. Integrate with existing platforms
  6. Train your human team
  7. Monitor performance and adjust as needed

Challenges to watch for:

  • Balancing AI and human support
  • Ensuring data security

The future of AI support includes more personalized, proactive service and improved voice recognition. The key is finding the right mix of AI efficiency and human empathy to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Types of AI Support Tools

AI is changing customer support. It gives businesses tools to make service better and faster. Let’s look at the main AI support tools and how they’re changing customer interactions.

How AI Chatbots Work

AI chatbots are now the front line of customer service. They use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand and answer customer questions in real-time.

Capital One uses NLP chatbots for basic banking questions. This cuts work for human agents and gives customers quick, accurate answers 24/7.

There are three main types of chatbots:

  1. Rule-based chatbots: Follow set rules. Good for simple tasks like FAQs.
  2. Generative AI chatbots: Smarter. They get context and make new responses. But they can sometimes be wrong.
  3. AI agents: The smartest. Trained on billions of chats. Can handle tough problems on their own.

Quidget is a good example. It’s an AI agent that can handle up to 80% of basic support questions. It works with helpdesk systems like Zendesk, learning from your info and old tickets to give good support all day, every day.

AI Language Processing

NLP is the key to these AI tools. It helps machines understand and respond to human language. NLP is important for:

  • Understanding what customers really want
  • Figuring out how customers feel
  • Talking in many languages

Gulf Bank shows how NLP can help. They used NLP for ticket management and cut their first response time from 58 minutes to under 6 minutes. This means faster, better support for their customers.

These AI tools make a big difference. Here’s what the numbers say:

  • 84% of IT leaders think AI will help them serve customers better
  • 63% of service pros say AI will help them serve customers faster
  • Chatbots can handle up to 80% of questions on their own, which could cut support costs by about 30%

As AI gets better, we’ll see even smarter tools for customer support. The trick for businesses is to pick the right AI tools that fit their customer service goals and use them well to get the most benefit.

Main Benefits of AI Support

AI is changing the game in customer support. It’s bringing big advantages for both businesses and customers. Let’s dive into why AI is becoming a must-have for modern customer service teams.

Always-On Support

AI’s biggest perk? It never sleeps. Unlike human agents, AI chatbots and virtual assistants are ready to help 24/7, 365 days a year.

This matters a lot in today’s fast-paced world. Studies show that 90% of customers want an immediate response when they need help. AI makes this happen by:

  • Answering questions instantly, anytime
  • Handling multiple customers at once
  • Giving consistent answers across time zones

Take Gulf Bank, for example. They started using AI for ticket management and cut their response time from 58 minutes to under 6 minutes. That’s a huge win for customer satisfaction and efficiency.

Lower Support Costs

AI isn’t just fast – it’s a money-saver too. By handling routine tasks, AI can cut down on human workload and slash operational costs.

Here’s a jaw-dropper: AI chatbots can handle up to 80% of all queries without human help. That leads to big savings:

  • Businesses can cut customer service costs by up to 30%
  • AI can save companies up to 2.5 billion work hours each year

Richard Branson, COO of Tangerine, puts it this way:

"The bot has allowed us to not only effectively manage the increase in chat volume, but it’s also saved us a considerable amount of money by not having to hire a lot more agents."

When AI handles the everyday stuff, human agents can focus on the tricky issues that need a personal touch. This boosts efficiency and makes support staff happier in their jobs.

Quidget for Basic Support

Quidget

When it comes to practical AI for customer support, Quidget is a standout tool. This AI agent can handle up to 80% of Tier-1 support questions, making it a real game-changer for businesses.

Quidget works its magic by:

  • Learning from your existing knowledge base and old support tickets
  • Finding and filling gaps in your support info on its own
  • Giving accurate, consistent answers around the clock

What makes Quidget special is that it keeps learning. It gets better over time based on its interactions, so your support quality keeps improving.

If you’re using popular helpdesk systems like Zendesk, Quidget fits right in. You can boost your existing support setup without starting from scratch.

When you use Quidget, you can expect:

  • Faster answers for common questions
  • Less work for human agents
  • Happier customers thanks to quick, accurate responses

Nicola Lomas, Live Chat Manager at HSS Hire, explains:

"When we have busy periods, our support volumes can rocket up to the point that our agents can’t physically handle the demand. Comm100 Chatbot is vital here as it steps in to answer common questions, taking the pressure off our agents and making sure our customers still get the immediate attention they want."

Quidget aims to automate a lot, but it’s not about getting rid of human support. It’s about creating a smarter support system where AI handles the routine stuff, freeing up your team to focus on the complex issues that really need the human touch.

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Setting Up AI Support

Adding AI to your customer service isn’t as tough as you might think. Here’s how to get started:

Check What You Need

First, take a good look at your current support setup. This helps you pick the right AI tools for your business.

Review your existing processes. Where do customers often get stuck? Where does your team spend lots of time on repetitive tasks? These are perfect for AI automation.

Take Slush, for example. This tech conference organizer found that many attendees had similar questions about event logistics. They created the Jenny chatbot, which boosted conversion rates by 55% in just a year.

Next, set clear, measurable goals. Don’t just aim to "improve customer service." Instead, try something like "cut first response time in half within 3 months."

Quick checklist for assessing your needs:

  1. What are your support team’s biggest headaches?
  2. How many customer questions do you handle each day?
  3. Are most questions simple and repetitive, or complex and varied?
  4. What customer service platforms are you using now?
  5. How tech-savvy is your team?

Set Up and Connect

Now that you know what you need, it’s time to choose and set up your AI solution:

1. Pick the right AI tool

Look for something that plays nice with your current systems. If you’re using Zendesk, for instance, Quidget might be a good fit. It integrates smoothly and can handle up to 80% of basic support questions.

When shopping for tools, think about:

  • How easy is it to use?
  • Can it integrate with your other systems?
  • Will it grow with your business?
  • Is it worth the cost?
  • What kind of support does the AI provider offer?

2. Get your data ready

AI needs data to learn from. Gather your how-to articles, FAQs, and old support tickets. The better the data, the smarter your AI will be.

3. Train your AI

Most AI tools let you "train" the system with your data. With Quidget, for example, you can just add your website URL or upload your knowledge base to get started.

4. Test it out

Before going live, put your AI chatbot through its paces. Have your support team play customer and try to stump it. This helps you find any gaps in the AI’s knowledge or issues with its responses.

5. Connect it to your platforms

Hook your AI tool up to your customer-facing channels. This might be your website, social media, or messaging apps. Many AI solutions make this easy, often just needing you to add a bit of code to your site.

6. Train your team

Don’t forget about your human support staff. They need to know how the AI works, when to step in, and how to use the AI to boost their own performance.

7. Keep an eye on it

Once your AI is up and running, watch it closely. Use the analytics from your AI tool to track things like how many issues it resolves, how happy customers are, and how often it needs to hand off to a human agent.

Remember, setting up AI support isn’t a one-and-done deal. It needs ongoing attention and tweaking. As Tom Eggemeier, CEO of Zendesk, says:

"With AI purpose-built for customer service, you can resolve more issues through automation, enhance agent productivity, and provide support with confidence. It all adds up to exceptional service that’s more accurate, personalized, and empathetic for every human that you touch."

Common AI Support Problems

AI has changed customer support, but it’s not perfect. Let’s look at some issues businesses face when using AI support tools and how to fix them.

AI and Human Support Mix

Balancing AI and human support is key. AI is great for quick, routine tasks. Humans bring empathy and personal touch for complex issues.

The tricky part? Smooth handoffs between AI and humans. Gulf Bank nailed this. They cut first response time from 58 minutes to under 6 minutes with AI. But they knew humans were still crucial for tough questions.

Here’s how to blend AI and human support:

  1. Use a hybrid model. Let AI handle initial queries and gather info before handing off to humans when needed.
  2. Set clear rules for when to escalate from AI to humans.
  3. Keep training both AI and human staff to maintain top-notch service.

John Finch from RingCentral says:

"As artificial intelligence (AI) technology weaves itself into the fabric of the customer experience (CX) industry, teams are questioning how to leverage new AI tools in a way that doesn’t eliminate human connection altogether."

The goal? Use AI to make human-customer interactions better, not to replace humans entirely.

Keeping Customer Data Safe

With AI handling more customer info, data security is a big deal. Chatbots and AI can be targets for cyber attacks, data breaches, and phishing.

To protect customer data when using AI support:

  1. Use strong security: encrypt data and control access.
  2. Only collect necessary info.
  3. Do regular security checks and keep AI software up-to-date.
  4. Teach users how to interact safely with AI chatbots and share less data.
  5. Have a plan ready in case of a security breach.

Watch out for risks like prompt injection, SQL injection, and API weak spots. For SQL injection, check input data carefully and use parameterized queries.

Don’t forget: data breaches can be costly. Forrester Research found that 63% of people will ditch a company after just one bad experience, including security issues.

What’s Next for AI Support

The future of AI in customer support is set to change how businesses interact with customers. Let’s look at what’s coming up in AI-powered customer service.

Smart Customer Service

AI is getting better at personalized, proactive support. It’s starting to solve problems before they happen. How? By crunching tons of data to guess what customers need.

Soon, chatbots won’t just read text. They’ll understand videos, sounds, and images too. This means they can handle more complex situations.

Take Amazon Connect, for example. It’s using AI to route calls smartly and analyze customer data in real-time. This helps businesses give better, more personal support.

These changes aren’t just cool – they’re good for business. By 2035, AI could boost company profits by 38% on average. That’s not just saving money; it’s about making customers happier.

Emily Potosky from Gartner says:

"While self-automation has been happening for a while in the software space, this trend will become more present internally in customer service because reps now have improved access to automation tools."

But AI isn’t taking over human jobs. Instead, it’s helping human agents do better. New tools give agents real-time info during customer chats, making everyone’s experience better.

Custom AI models are becoming a big deal too. These are AI systems built just for one company’s needs. They help even small businesses give top-notch support.

Voice tech is also joining the party. Chatbots are getting better at understanding and speaking, making conversations feel more natural.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. As AI gets smarter, we need to think about keeping data safe and using AI ethically. Companies need to be clear about how they handle customer info.

The trick is finding the right mix of AI and human touch. AI can handle the simple stuff, freeing up humans for the complex, emotional situations.

Krishna Raj Raja from SupportLogic puts it well:

"AI must be seamlessly woven into the fabric of the company’s workflows and leveraged as a supporting tool."

In other words, AI needs to fit in with how companies already work, not replace everything.

Wrap-Up: Getting Started with AI Support

AI is changing the game in customer support. It’s helping businesses boost service quality and cut costs at the same time. How? By using tools like chatbots and virtual assistants to handle most basic support questions. This frees up human agents to tackle the trickier stuff.

Here’s what AI brings to the table:

  • It’s always on, helping customers 24/7
  • It saves money, cutting support costs by up to 30%
  • It’s a time-saver, potentially freeing up 2.5 billion work hours each year

So, how can small businesses jump on the AI support bandwagon? Here’s a game plan:

1. Figure out where you need help

Look at your current support setup. Where do customers usually get stuck? What tasks eat up most of your team’s time? These are the perfect spots to bring in AI.

2. Pick the right AI sidekick

Go for AI tools that play nice with your current systems. If you’re using Zendesk, for example, Quidget might be a good fit. It can handle most basic support questions and learns from your existing knowledge base.

3. Start small, then grow

Begin by automating the simple, repetitive stuff. As you get the hang of it, you can gradually let AI do more.

4. Get your team on board

Make sure your human agents know how to work with AI. Stress that AI is there to help them, not replace them.

5. Keep an eye on things

Regularly check how AI is doing and make tweaks to improve its accuracy and effectiveness. Use what you learn to make your knowledge base and AI responses even better.

Remember, bringing in AI isn’t just about fancy tech – it’s about making things better for your customers. As Shonik Agarwal from Founder’s Office puts it:

"Modern-day customer support teams will leverage AI to gain competitive advantage over their peers."

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Anton Sudyka
Anton Sudyka
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