The 5 biggest AI trends for CX in 2024
AI is clearly redefining the customer experience landscape, driving an evolution in expectations and service efficiency. Companies that are able to navigate this transformation with a clear strategy and vision will not only improve their operations but will also position themselves as leaders in the new era of customer service.
You probably can't bear to hear anymore that “monumental generative AI” - is comparable only to the birth of the internet. Yes, this news is revolutionizing every industry on the planet, but this is a specific post for its application in the customer service and experience space. And he's not the same anymore.
In the midst of a lot of noise and content pollution regarding the topic, we found a jewel in the desert: the annual survey that Intercom conducts and makes available - this year's survey was conducted exclusively on the topic of A.I. Chama: “Customer Service Trends Report 2024". This article is a distillation of this report, with a summary of the 5 key insights that - in my personal opinion - are extremely revealing for the CX community. Get ready to learn what companies are actually executing when it comes to customer service AI.
A very important observation is that of the ~2,000 companies that answered the survey - well balanced between startups and large corporations - the respondents are mostly American, European, or Asian.
However, I believe that many of these trends are even more striking in Latin America, especially since we are already well advanced in the use of digital channels, such as WhatsApp and chat, and less dependent on traditional telephone or email support methods. Surprisingly, in the United States, many interactions still take place through these older channels 😬
But let's go:
5 key trends for 2024
1. The adoption of AI in CX is already a reality
Almost half of the companies interviewed are already applying A.I. to their teams' routines. The three main benefits that are being perceived are:
- 24/7 service availability;
- Reduction of workload and increased efficiency;
- Improvement in the average time taken to resolve calls;
And 70% are planning to invest (or continue to invest) in A.I in 2024. And these are the three main focus areas:
- Chatbots and copilots for service agents;
- Analysis of customer behavior and sentiment;
- Knowledge base management tools.
My personal opinion: The answer is not to start implementing any tool just because you implement and be able to say that you have AI in your company, but rather to find a problem that is a major priority for your area and seek to solve it in the most efficient way possible (whether building from home or looking for a supplier that can help).
2. Customers are already more demanding in the post-AI world
Now that consumers are realizing how AI can improve their service experience and provide faster responses, and they're not willing to wait for anything less. A shocking 87% of companies reported an increase in customer service expectations. And the main metrics impacted were:
- First response time
- Average resolution time;
My personal opinion: Implementing AI doesn't have to be a major revolution. Identifying the issues and problems that are easiest to solve is a good starting point. Implementing a solution that provides instant answers, at least for these issues, can be very effective.
3. AI will impact many CX positions, but not in the way most people are thinking
AI is changing the nature of support work and creating new and exciting career opportunities for us humans. However, there is a gap in perception (and concern) between leaders/C levels and their teams (agents who are on the front line) regarding the evolution of these roles. PS: This topic is so extensive and profound that we are going to make a blog post just for it S2.
Before talking about this (very valid) concern, it is worth delving into what was highlighted as the highest priorities among the CX leaders of these companies:
- Increase the efficiency of your teams (such as doing more with less);
- Empower clients to solve their problems autonomously;
- Impact customer retention metrics (sacred for any company).
Based on these priorities and the evolution of AI applications in these companies, most of these executives believe that many of the most operational and repetitive tasks will gradually move from humans to AI. However, this migration will cause the emergence of new functions and opportunities. And your biggest bets for new positions that will appear are:
- Chatbot Analyst: Responsible for analyzing the performance of AI chatbots and customer conversation data to discover insights and find new opportunities for improving the journey.
- Conversational UX Analyst: Responsible for optimizing the end-to-end support experience for your clients, using a combination of AI bots, automation, and human support.
- Content Specialist: Responsible for creating high-quality support content to power your AI bots, as well as internal content for the customer service team to use, review, and optimize how that content is utilized.
My personal opinion: This transformation, although rapid, will not take place overnight. Therefore, I believe that these executives need to start dedicating time to creating opportunities for people - who today perform repetitive and operational functions - allowing them to evolve and gradually achieve the “positions of the future”
4. CX leaders are not happy with their current tools
65% of C-level executives are reevaluating their tool stack due to the growth of AI. An “AI-first” world will require an AI-first approach, which will make it increasingly critical to operate through customer service platforms that have generative AI integrated into its core value. But these are not easy changes, today the biggest obstacles to implementing any initiative or tool with AI include:
- Resistance to change by company executives;
- Restricted budgets.
My personal opinion: If you are convinced about implementing a tool or building an initiative with AI, whatever it may be, try to do this exercise first:
- Write and share the main reasons and expected impact (yes, it has to be measurable);
- Take a full assessment of the new tool to ensure that it truly meets your needs. Especially complicating factors such as integration with your existing tech stack,
- Consider the right timing. Look at your historical data to identify a quiet period to set something new on its feet.
I'm sure that after that it will be very easy to convince other stakeholders that they need to be engaged with the project!
5. Success metrics are changing in the post-A.I. world
Cx teams are rethinking how they measure and report key metrics and KPIs to obtain a true measure of value and success from interactions with their customers. Currently, the three main ones are:
- CSAT of interactions;
- Online reviews (Reviews, Reclame Aqui, etc.;
- NPS.
But 87% of executives think that will change, increasing the spotlight for metrics such as:
- Average service time,
- Average first response time;
My personal opinion: Of course, CSAT, NPS, and online reviews will still be fundamental and an excellent indicator of the perceived quality of the customer service experience. However, in a world where competitors serve their customers in seconds and resolve issues twice as fast as last year, the standard of support will change.”
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, AI is clearly redefining customer service, driving an evolution in expectations and service efficiency. Companies that are able to navigate this transformation with a clear strategy and vision not only improve their operations but also position themselves as leaders in the new era of customer service.
For those who are curious to read the full survey, I recommend searching the Intercom blog itself or sending us a message and we'll point you in the direction!
Author
Bruno Cecatto is one of the founders of Cloud Humans and heads the startup's operations area. The company allows organizations of various sizes and sectors to take advantage of generative artificial intelligence, drastically reducing their support demands. Renowned companies such as Nuvemshop, Insider and CRMbonus are already using “CLAudia”, Cloud Humans' conversational AI. Integrated with support systems such as Zendesk and Intercom and others. CLAudia automates more than 60% of the entire support load of these companies.
