The dynamic nature of Conversational AI necessitates a culture of continuous learning and adaptation within organisations, says Nathalie Nyamabo, Head of Customer Relations at The Hidtrea Agency.
The customer experience function is due for an overhaul. CX professionals are familiar with a dynamic working environment owed to changing customer expectations, market trends and economic uncertainty. This latest shift is brought on by new technologies that promise to change not just the way customers buy, but also the way businesses operate. We spoke to Nathalie Nyamabo, Head of Customer Relations at The Hidtrea Agency about how CX professionals and leaders can keep up with the new AI transformation. This one is brought on by the impact of Conversational AI and Generative AI on the CX function.
Full interview;
What are the attitudes of marketing and CX leaders in the UK towards Conversational and Generative AI?
Conversational AI is driving a paradigm shift in how marketing and CX leaders in the UK perceive customer engagement and efficiency. There’s a growing awareness among these leaders regarding the potential of Conversational and Generative AI technologies. Many are intrigued by the possibilities these technologies offer in terms of enhancing customer engagement, personalisation, and operational efficiency.
Simultaneously, while many organisations have already invested in Conversational AI solutions, the latest advancements in this field are prompting them to reassess their current applications. They are considering whether to adopt the newest technologies or optimise their existing solutions. The overarching goal is to improve response times, facilitate smoother transitions between bots and live agents, and enhance integration with backend applications to enable more self-service options.
This dual awareness and action-oriented approach underscores the dynamic nature of Conversational AI adoption among marketing and CX leaders, highlighting their commitment to staying abreast of technological advancements and leveraging them to drive tangible improvements in customer experience.
How do you see the role of Conversational AI changing the way the CX function operates?
Conversational AI is not only reshaping customer interactions but also driving a fundamental shift towards asynchronous communications. This shift empowers organisations to meet customers where they are, on their preferred platforms and timelines, thereby enhancing accessibility and convenience.
As a result, there’s a growing imperative for brands to effectively market their self-service channels to drive greater adoption among customers. This entails understanding customer preferences, optimising channel usability, and showcasing the benefits of self-service options to encourage usage.
Moreover, the dynamic nature of Conversational AI necessitates a culture of continuous learning and adaptation within organisations. This means establishing new team structures and career paths within contact centre operations, with a focus on technical proficiency and the ability to leverage AI technologies effectively.
Additionally, collaboration between traditionally siloed departments such as product, marketing, and customer service is becoming increasingly crucial. By breaking down these barriers and fostering cross-functional teamwork, organisations can ensure alignment and synergy in delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Also Read: Closing the AI Gap to Keep up with Customer Conversations
What are the challenges with implementation of Conversational AI for customer service?
Implementing Conversational AI for customer service comes with several challenges, particularly in integrating with the current tech stack. This involves ensuring compatibility with various systems and platforms, such as CRM, ticketing systems, and knowledge bases, to provide partial and fully automated customer journeys.
Another challenge is maintaining data security and privacy while engaging in conversational interactions. Organisations need to establish robust protocols and safeguards to determine how much personal data can be shared during the chat without compromising customer privacy.
Finally, fostering collaboration among teams that may have previously operated in silos, such as customer service, IT, marketing, and compliance is essential. Ensuring these teams work together effectively to maintain the integrity of the bot flow and content is essential.
What advice would you give enterprise leaders to scale Conversational AI projects?
For enterprise leaders looking to scale Conversational AI projects, I recommend creating a cross-functional team of representatives from each department to collaborate on the project. Designate specific milestones that each department aims to achieve, fostering alignment and shared accountability.
This team should serve as a centralised hub within the organisation, championing the need for continuous improvements and expansion to other use cases. Provide the team with a dedicated budget to explore and implement complementary solutions that enhance the overall customer experience.
Prioritise the analysis of customer experience by tracking key metrics and gathering feedback at every stage of the project. This data-driven approach will provide valuable insights for refining the Conversational AI system and ensuring its effectiveness in meeting customer needs and expectations.
In what role do you see Generative AI offering maximum value for the customer experience function?
Generative AI plays a pivotal role in optimising the customer experience function, particularly in facilitating the creation of new customer journeys. By leveraging Generative AI, organisations can streamline the process of crafting customer journeys by generating relevant content, responses, and scenarios based on predefined parameters and customer interactions.
Through extensive training on large datasets of customer interactions, Generative AI can learn to interpret and respond to queries with greater accuracy and effectiveness. This capability not only improves customer satisfaction and retention but also enables organisations to deliver personalised and engaging experiences at scale.
Moreover, Generative AI contributes to the onboarding process for new agents by generating responses that align with the organisation’s tone of voice and brand persona. By providing internal support to agents, Generative AI assists in maintaining brand consistency across customer interactions, thereby reinforcing the organisation’s identity and values.
What kind of skills do teams need to develop to adapt to the new technology and changes?
Teams must prioritise the development of specific skills tailored to the evolving landscape.
Firstly, technical competencies relevant to the tools, platforms, and systems being implemented are essential. This includes proficiency in understanding and utilising new technologies effectively to drive desired outcomes.
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