AI in Remote Customer Service: Possibilities and Prospects

After artificial intelligence and all related technologies appeared on the market, the customer service sector has undergone dramatic changes. If previously absolutely all work related to providing consultations, processing and sending orders was performed manually by managers, today a significant share of all these tasks is solved more quickly and efficiently thanks to chatbots. Moreover, in the context of customer service, many perceive chatbots as a synonym for artificial intelligence in general. And this is not surprising, since this solution in combination with machine learning can significantly expand the capabilities of personnel specializing in customer service.

Chatbots can answer standard and similar questions, provide access to information literally in real time at any time of the day and any day of the week. In addition, support can be provided in different languages, which ultimately has a positive effect on the overall improvement of the customer experience, increases the level of satisfaction on the part of the user audience.

But still, the use of Artificial Intelligence technologies in the field of remote customer service is much broader than it seems at first glance. It has long gone beyond the classic chat bot. Today, we are faced in practice with a huge variety of other forms where neural networks and technologies based on artificial intelligence can be used. They are designed to improve the customer service process, take it to a completely new level.

As part of today's review, we will dwell in detail on what advantages a business receives in the case of using artificial intelligence in the field of customer service. Let's highlight the areas where this technology has already been widely used in practice, get acquainted with the world's leading companies that are actively implementing AI technologies in their work processes. We will give several examples of the practical application of this technology in customer service, and also get acquainted with the TOP-5 areas where artificial intelligence can become the #1 technology in customer service in the foreseeable future.

Why it is worth implementing AI in the online customer service process

Recently, more and more consumers are betting on online shopping. It is fast, convenient, and for the most part, also profitable. Many business representatives have already appreciated this prospect, opening their own online offices. As a result, competition has increased significantly on the network. And now, in order to survive in today's realities, to attract the attention of potential buyers to your products and services, it is necessary not only to offer quality products at good prices, but also to raise customer service to a new level. Modern buyers expect that they will receive instant and professional answers to their requests. And it doesn't matter what time of day or day of the week we are talking about.

To meet such requests, modern business representatives strive to apply in practice the maximum set of available technical tools. And one of those solutions that can rightfully be called innovative, advanced and high-tech is artificial intelligence. It can be quite easily implemented in the customer service sphere, thereby transferring this process to a completely new level, improving the quality of interaction with the consumer audience.

If a few years ago the whole concept of artificial intelligence looked quite futuristic, far from reality, today the situation has undergone a radical change. From the section of science fiction, AI has turned into a practical reality. Sufficiently advanced and powerful machine learning algorithms have led to the fact that neural networks have appeared on the market that are capable of not only perceiving customer questions, but also providing the most relevant and personalized answers to them. At the same time, not everyone will understand that they were served by a neural network, and not a real manager. As a result, the methods of interaction with the consumer market have reached a completely new level, providing professional, accessible and fast service.

The introduction of artificial intelligence technology into the customer service process provides a number of more than significant advantages in practice. Here are just the main ones:

• Increasing the efficiency of these works. You can delegate a fairly wide range of similar and routine works to a neural network. Alternatively, you can entrust AI with initial customer service, providing answers to the most common and, let's say, similar questions. As a result, human resources will be freed up and you will be able to use them to solve more complex and individual problems.
• Instant provision of information. This is ensured by using machine learning and natural language processing technologies. As a result, AI can solve typical consumer market requests with high accuracy and efficiency, reducing waiting time. And this, in turn, will help to increase customer satisfaction with the level of service. The use of such a solution in practice will be especially indispensable during peak load periods, in cases when it is necessary to promptly process impressive volumes of requests.
• Efficient and fast processing of huge amounts of data. This includes working with reviews, analyzing the interaction of the brand and consumers, collecting relevant information from social networks, instant messengers and other sources of information. This is what will allow you to quickly identify trends and patterns. That is, AI does the work that a real person will find very difficult to recognize. In this case, the manager will receive a large amount of structured information that can be easily processed. As a result, he will have a basis for better service to potential clients and satisfying their needs.
• The ability to receive personalized recommendations based on an analysis of the history of interaction with the client. Thanks to machine learning algorithms, modern neural networks can easily analyze the preferences of potential buyers, their behavioral factors, take into account the history of previous interaction with the brand, including those services and products that interested the person earlier. This entire array of information can significantly improve the quality of service and create additional opportunities to increase sales, develop the most effective and working marketing strategies.

That is, the use of artificial intelligence in online servicing of potential customers is a chance to take the business to a new level of interaction with the target audience, make this process more personalized, professional, flexible and customer-oriented. Almost any business, regardless of its main line of business, can apply these solutions in practice.

Areas where AI has been widely used

Despite the fact that artificial intelligence technologies continue to develop at an accelerated pace, they have already found wide application in many areas. Basically, this includes all those areas that require processing large amounts of data, ensuring communication with the user audience. This includes almost all services, services presented in the B2B and B2C formats. Thus, AI has found its greatest practical application in the following areas:

1. Financial industry. With the help of modern neural networks, it is possible to automate many processes related to accounting, assess the creditworthiness of potential borrowers, provide online consultations in the field of financial products (loans, deposits, loans, etc.).
2. Design. Modern neural networks can be trusted to generate images, videos, and create three-dimensional images. This is something that will significantly simplify the work of specialists and help them find original and unusual solutions.
3. Marketing. AI technologies allow you to create non-trivial advertising campaigns, add personalization to them, analyze user behavior, study strategies that competitors use in practice, identify those that give the best results and implement the information obtained in your own business processes.
4. Software programming and testing. In this niche, AI will help you generate program codes, analyze ready-made solutions for inconsistencies, identify errors, and offer the most correct ways to eliminate them.
5. Logistics. Even an experienced specialist sometimes finds it difficult to navigate all supply chains and select alternative options. A neural network will be able to analyze all existing possibilities and provide relevant information in a clear, structured form.
6. Educational courses, seminars, conferences and training in general. Use AI to select training and test materials, prepare various events, provide basic consultations, etc.
7. Medicine. Today, artificial intelligence is quite actively used not only as a manager, answering basic questions of patients, providing an appointment. Medicine uses neural networks in the process of health diagnostics and even in the course of providing personalized recommendations.

However, one of the most widespread applications today of artificial intelligence is in online sales of goods and services. In this niche, with its help, remote customer service is provided, answers to the most common questions, consultations, promotion of the client through sales funnel with subsequent transfer to real managers at a higher point of interaction. It also takes control of logistics, monitors the receipt of payments and more. Today, AI is actively used by leading global brands, significantly simplifying and speeding up the customer service process and increasing their satisfaction level.

Companies that actively use AI in remote customer service

Artificial intelligence technologies are widely used in practice in the process of remote customer service by many global companies. Of the most famous, it is worth highlighting:

• Amazon. This one of the largest modern marketplaces uses AI in its own virtual assistant. With its help, voice purchases are made, consultations are provided, including recommendations on sizes, technical characteristics, etc.
• Microsoft. This corporation uses artificial intelligence in its products. In particular, today this technology is implemented in Office 365 and Cortana, in particular, in the process of text and speech recognition.
• Apple. AI is currently used here in Siri as a tool for processing user requests and other voice commands.
• Alibaba. This large Chinese e-commerce platform uses artificial intelligence in the work of customer support, providing advice to potential customers.
• Uber. Relatively recently, this company developed its own virtual assistant, which ensures effective interaction between drivers and customers, taking service indicators to a new level.
• Airbnb. With the help of AI, this platform collects user messages, analyzes them, and provides relevant answers.
• H&M. A well-known Swedish retailer of clothing, footwear, and accessories for the whole family, with representative offices in many countries around the world, launched its own chatbot to provide answers to user requests.
• Sberbank. Here, a voice assistant based on artificial intelligence was created that serves customers online.

We would like to point out right away that this is only a tiny fraction of all companies and brands that use AI technologies in practice in remote customer service. Today, such solutions are being implemented in practice even by small and medium-sized businesses, as they have already proven their effectiveness, simplicity, reliability and convenience in combination with tangible material benefits.

How AI is used in customer service: common examples

Now we will give several examples of how artificial intelligence technologies are used in practice by online customer support services and what benefits can be obtained through their practical use. In particular:

1. Collection and analysis of large volumes of data. AI based on machine learning is a technology capable of analyzing streaming data in the shortest possible time much faster than a real person could do. Moreover, modern neural networks can identify trends and patterns, and along with them, anomalies. This is something that a person can miss, especially when processing large amounts of data. This means that this technology will be indispensable in conditions where contact centers or customer service departments are under heavy load. As a result of their use, productivity increases, cost management is optimized, and the same task is eliminated.
2. Dialogue analytics. In this case, such AI technology as natural speech processing is used. With its help, data is collected from the communication between the manager and the client. The information obtained allows you to assess the level of customer satisfaction with the service and find out the general impression of your brand. It can also be used to assess the productivity of operators, identify mistakes, incompetence in a particular issue. It may well be that some managers need retraining or additional clarification of certain nuances of business operations.
3. Simplifying the work of managers, operators. Here, artificial intelligence technologies can be used at the initial stage of interaction with the consumer audience, providing answers to the most common questions. If a consultation with a real manager is required, the neural network will forward the request to him. AI is also capable of analyzing the customer service process, quickly finding information about previous communication, if any, which will allow personalizing responses. Thanks to this, the manager will instantly understand which client he is communicating with and will be able to quickly solve the problem that has arisen. And it does not matter whether this consultant or another one served this person the previous time: all information about the earlier interaction will be displayed on the computer screen. This is what significantly saves time, eliminates customer dissatisfaction from long waits, and allows managers to do their job efficiently without additional hassle.
4. Robotic automation of processes. In this case, we are talking about the fact that along with providing quick access to data directly during communication with clients, modern neural networks can also perform a number of similar and routine tasks that take time and effort from operators and managers. Thus, it is possible to automate part of the processes associated with updating customer records, analyzing previous interactions and generating probable next steps, which will also have a positive effect on the level of service to the consumer audience. The quality and accuracy of the information provided, productivity are increased, and costs are minimized.

As you can see, there are many advantages to implementing artificial intelligence in the remote customer service process. But the effectiveness of all this directly depends on how well the AI and your consultants, managers, and operators work. This means that you can't do without preliminary training. Despite the fact that the basics can be mastered very quickly, achieving full interaction in practice is quite difficult. You can never rule out the possibility that a client will come across an extraordinary question and the neural network will not be able to help with its solution. You can speed up the learning process by running test scenarios based on the most common questions. But in any case, it's all a matter of practice.

Moreover, AI can directly, that is, without involving a manager, help clients solve their problems on their own. The neural network will identify patterns of behavior and select the best way to find answers for a particular client. Again, this will significantly reduce the workload of managers, and the potential buyer will receive comprehensive information.

TOP 5 areas where AI will be indispensable in remote customer service

The scope of artificial intelligence is constantly expanding, affecting new areas. Along with customer service during online sales of goods and services, AI technologies can also be used in many other areas. Here are just a few of the most popular areas:

1. Logistics.
2. Online casinos.
3. Travel and leisure.
4. Banking.
5. Retail.

Now we will consider each of these areas in more detail. Perhaps you will take note of this technology for yourself, opening up new opportunities in your own business.

Logistics

In this area, artificial intelligence technologies can be used to optimize the customer service process, while the logistics department will take over the management of operations. Thus, AI will help customers track the delivery of their goods, take direct part in solving problems related to the loss of parcels without the intervention of a manager, will be able to provide the most accurate forecast for the delivery time of the goods and make adjustments to this date in the event of unforeseen situations.

For the logistics companies themselves, these technologies will be useful primarily due to the fact that they can significantly increase the efficiency of specialists by providing analytical data along the entire supply chain. In case of unforeseen situations, neural network algorithms are able to analyze the current situation in real time and provide the optimal solution that minimizes delays. Therefore, customer dissatisfaction will decrease, the number of good reviews will increase, which will have a positive effect on the work of the logistics company.

Forecasting also plays an important role in improving the customer experience. AI is able to foresee potential failures in the logistics chain, including delays due to weather events. Active communication with customers, their constant informing about delays and their causes - this is what will reduce disappointment and, if not eliminate negative reactions completely, then at least minimize them. At the same time, the logistics department staff will be able to devote maximum attention to solving higher-priority tasks.

Implementation of AI in online casinos

In this case, we are talking about a solution that is designed to improve player support. Despite the fact that online casinos are relatively banned in many countries, this industry is developing very actively. And here players expect to receive the fastest possible answers to their questions, because their winnings largely depend on this. If you connect a chatbot based on artificial intelligence to your work, you will get a full-fledged virtual assistant that will provide comprehensive customer support and instant answers to the most common questions. Thus, a person will be able to find out how to deposit and withdraw money, how to fix a technical problem, how to access bonuses. And all this without involving managers.

Moreover, you can use tools that will help analyze the behavioral factors of players and subsequently offer them more personalized information. This is the solution that will help ensure high engagement rates of the target audience. Alternatively, the neural network can determine which slot games are of particular interest to a person and offer them similar ones in recommendations, thereby ensuring the longest possible retention on the site.

Also, based on AI, you can build a fraud detection system. It will very quickly identify suspicious activity and actions of players, including unusual betting schemes, account takeovers. This is something that will increase the safety of other players while minimizing the burden on your staff.

Online gambling has recently gained new opportunities for further development, providing players with a huge number of tempting offers. This includes a wide variety of games and betting variations, global availability, generous bonuses, free spins, VIP rewards, cashback offers and much more. And all this is provided by comprehensive AI support.

Travel and Leisure

In a niche such as travel, tourism, and leisure, artificial intelligence will also provide significant assistance in processing large volumes of customer requests. With the help of AI, you can significantly simplify the process of booking flights, hotels, cancel some decisions and launch others, select housing in accordance with customer requests. And all this will be done as quickly as possible, literally in real time, that is, in the process of correspondence with the user. That is, a person will no longer have to wait long to receive information about the planned trip.

Here, there will also be the ability to provide personalized offers based on a person's previous interests and preferences according to the booking history that he already had. A similar solution can even be used to send mailings to "sleeping" clients. Let's say you have people who prefer vacations in tropical countries, and you periodically, using AI, prepare a selection of the most interesting offers for them and send them via e-mail, thereby stimulating a deeper acquaintance and booking of a tour. This can be implemented in the process of selecting offers for flights, hotel levels. As an option, for a family of 4 people, only those accommodation options will be offered that can comfortably accommodate this number of people.

Also, AI will help analyze the mood of the audience, understand how satisfied customers are with the cooperation, identify carriers that most often experience failures and delays in flights. Such information will allow you to act proactively, minimizing problems. And even if the client does not tell you the reason for dissatisfaction, but voices it, say, on social networks, you will learn about it and will be able to contact him with suggestions that will minimize the negative. This will increase the likelihood that the person will delete the negative review and remain your client in the future.

Banking

All the opportunities that artificial intelligence provides in customer service have also attracted the attention of representatives of the banking sector. Thus, specialized bots and virtual assistants are able to take on the performance of monotonous and routine work, including checking account balances, transferring money, providing information on lending options, deposit programs, etc.

Today, in practice, there are quite often cases when neural networks analyze customer spending patterns and, based on this information, offer them personalized offers. Thanks to this, customers will have more information for competent budget planning, identifying potential ways to save. This is what will ultimately also have a positive impact on the overall user experience.

Excellent results in practice can also be obtained in the course of identifying fraudulent activities. In this case, transactions will be analyzed and atypical actions will be identified, and in real time. Thanks to this, customer support security staff will be able to receive the most detailed information in real time, minimizing all problems associated with financial losses and other actions of intruders. Once again, we repeat that by delegating some of their responsibilities to a neural network, remote banking department employees will be able to focus their efforts on solving more important and complex problems.

Retail

In order to support the customer audience, online and, more recently, offline stores have increasingly begun to use artificial intelligence technologies. In particular, chatbots can significantly simplify the processing of requests for certain products. They can be trusted with inventory control, order delivery tracking, as well as many other similar tasks typical for a particular store.

Recently, augmented reality tools, also powered by AI, have increasingly begun to be used. In particular, they are used to provide a virtual try-on of a particular model, to form a picture of how a certain piece of furniture or accessory will look in the buyer's home interior. This simplifies the selection of the right item, minimizes returns, and increases customer satisfaction.

Artificial intelligence will also play a significant role in inventory management. Alternatively, you can forecast the demand for a particular category of goods, thereby ensuring their high availability for your customers and fast delivery. Your managers will always know up-to-date information about the availability of each product in the warehouse, which will allow them to provide professional advice, indicate update and delivery dates based on current data.

Implementation of artificial intelligence in customer service: the price of the issue

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that today there is a fairly wide variety of specialized platforms designed to serve clients in various niches. Most of them are already part of the SaaS “Software as a Service” models and involve making a monthly payment according to the selected tariff plan. That is, there is no need for capital investments for the business, which would be typical in the case of developing your own platform.

If you work in a fairly narrow and specific niche, if you cannot choose one of the ready-made solutions for yourself, then perhaps it would be more appropriate to develop an individual product for yourself. In this case, your costs will be much more significant, but the efficiency of the ready-made solution will be very high and will fully justify itself in practice.

In any case, when assessing the possibility and prospects of using artificial intelligence in remote servicing of the consumer audience, you need to compare the costs of developing your own product, purchasing it on specialized platforms, as well as hiring the required number of employees. Only in this way will you understand which of the possible options will be more profitable for you in the end.

If you are betting on artificial intelligence, it will be important to decide what responsibilities you would like to delegate to it, and which ones to leave to real managers. You also need to understand how much time will have to be spent on implementing this system into work and the corresponding training. That is, only if you collect the maximum amount of initial information, you will be able to optimize the preliminary activities and launch AI into operation as quickly, simply, and effectively as possible.

Let's sum it up

The fact is that artificial intelligence and all related technologies are developing very actively at the present time - this is a fact. Moreover, this trend will continue in the foreseeable future, covering more and more new areas. Therefore, if you do not want to miss the opportunities that this area provides, if you are determined to optimize and simplify the work of your customer service department, working remotely, then think about introducing AI into your business today. There are already more than enough opportunities for this.

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