7 steps to improve AI in customer experience

The All-England Lawn Tennis Club’s decision to replace human line judges at Wimbledon with AI is dramatically changing the customer experience. For some people, this will be a welcome change. Judges will no longer have to contend with changing players over close calls. For some – especially the people at the event – this will drastically change the traditional pomp and circumstance of the presentation of the players and judges at the opening ceremony.

While this technology promises to improve accuracy and efficiency, it also raises questions about the impact on human-product interactions.

This is just one example of the growing role of AI in the customer experience, which is happening amid rising customer expectations of the experience. 86 percent say they will pay more for a good customer experience. Some studies suggest that people are willing to pay a premium of up to 13% (and as high as 18%) for luxury services and indulgences.

Marketers are now at the mercy of algorithms that shape everything from visual customer-facing interactions to behind-the-scenes operations. This means that the role of the marketer is to ensure the right balance between technological development and human communication.

“You have to have an entry point and an exit route for your customers,” says Lynn Hunsaker, a customer-centric management consultant and certified customer experience expert. Marketers must therefore understand the entire customer journey – from the first interaction to the last to see how AI can improve it.

The dual nature of AI in customer experience

AI can be divided into two main types: visible and invisible. Virtual AI interacts directly with customers, such as chatbots and virtual assistants. These tools can provide immediate support, answer questions, and engage in general discussion. Invisible AI works behind the scenes, analyzing data, improving processes, and personalizing experiences.

An excellent customer experience combines this with a seamless journey. Look at the simple process of buying a wedding dress, for example. The task goes beyond general troubleshooting, so it will need to be handled by multiple teams.

A visible AI chatbot may handle initial inquiries, but an invisible AI assesses the customer’s situation and urgency. AI can relay the issue to a human agent, giving them data on customer history, sentiment, and potential solutions. This can solve problems faster and with more empathy.

Marketers and customer experience leaders must be aware of how AI is shifting between visible and invisible interactions. This offer should avoid frustrating customers with things like forcing them to repeat their name, account number, or checkout at each step.

Dig deep: Customer experience management in the age of agent AI

AI-powered sentiment analysis can identify whether a customer is satisfied or frustrated, and this data should be forwarded to the appropriate teams to respond. Similarly, in customer support, AI must ensure that when a bot hands over to a human agent, the agent has access to all the necessary information, including the customer experience.

Here’s an exercise to document your customer experience and identify areas within the process that could be improved:

1. Identify customer journeys that may need improvement. Look for processes that are well understood in the company, but may cause problems for customers.
2. Convene a cross-organizational team that represents every step of the journey. Involve people who know the most about the trip being investigated. For example, a software development program needs to include product and support managers.
3. Have each team member document what happened with one customer from start to finish. Team members should focus on what they see the customer (not the process) doing and how the customer responds.
4. Compare the notes and highlight the differences.
5. Reassign travel segments to departments responsible for that segment. For example, payment issues to accounts receivable, product inquiries to product marketing. Have document development for each department in their customer interaction section.
6. Regroup the team and position the customer journey with a customized experience, giving great attention to the handover of the process. Remember, the goal is to write the best customer experience possible.

While AI improves personalization, efficiency and customer support, it also poses challenges. AI systems can sometimes lack empathy, misinterpret context, or raise concerns about data privacy. Overreliance on technology can lead to impersonal interactions or reinforce bias.