It’s easy to imagine many circumstances in which an artificial intelligence (AI) system can give society an edge in IT and digital transformation. Organizations and leadership are taking notice of the potential for AI and its ability to fundamentally shift industry practices to a more robust, effective and secure paradigm. Customer service AI is fairly new on the scene and is still suffering from growing pains, a lack of industry experts and practical application, but it has many uses for businesses today.

Companies such as Microsoft are an excellent example of how AI customer service is beneficial to small businesses today. Considering their extensive client-base, Microsoft experiences multiple support issues on a daily basis. Thanks to customer service AI, they are able to solve mundane incidents like an inability to install MS Office on a PC, in just a few clicks. And this is accomplished with no human interaction. This automation saves the company thousands of dollars by optimizing workers and decreasing staff needs. Let’s take a more in-depth look into artificial intelligence to determine whether it is the right fit for your business.

What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

IBM defines artificial intelligence as a field that combines computer science and robust datasets to enable problem-solving. AI today includes the sub-fields of machine learning and deep learning, which are frequently mentioned in conjunction with artificial intelligence. These disciplines tap into AI algorithms that typically make predictions or classifications based on input data.

• Machine learning is a type of technique that can be used to achieve artificial intelligence using statistical techniques to improve accuracy over time.

• Deep learning is a subset of machine learning that learns using data representations rather than task-specific algorithms.

There are many names for the different types of AI, but for the sake of simplicity, we will focus on the more popular types like artificial narrow intelligence (ANI) and artificial super intelligence (ASI). ANI is designed and trained to complete a specific task. This is a type of AI that most have experienced through things like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, self-driving cars, social media algorithms or auto-populated suggestions and chatbots. ANI is in direct contrast with ASI, which is designed to mimic the capabilities of the human mind. ASI types of AI are theoretical and can most commonly be found in the realm of science fiction.

5 Benefits of Customer Service AI

You may have encountered customer service AI in ways so commonplace, it didn’t even dawn on you to react to the absence of human interaction. For example, support-based chatbots are used so widely that they are one of the most common uses of artificial intelligence in customer service. Many businesses use it to handle routine questions such as order status, account balances, dinner reservations and delivery notifications. This enables customers to identify and quickly find the support they need without relying on human interaction for help. Here are five benefits of customer service AI and why it may be the right choice for you:

1. Reduction of Monotonous Work

Customer service AI enables human agents to work more efficiently by solving fundamental problems. AI-supported agents can focus on complicated cases that require human knowledge, empathy and attention. This helps to streamline business operations and reduce monotonous and routine tasks.

2. 24/7 Support

AI makes it so that support services are available around the clock, even on holidays. No staff intervention is needed due to answers being stored and accessible through an intelligent database.

3. Reduced Hold Times

AI gathers call-duration data and automatically collects the information to employ predictive methods that direct the caller to their solution in a timely manner. Additionally, AI provides pertinent information to the customer service representative prior to their connection with the client, so that they are prepared with sufficient information to help the customer.

4. Cost Savings

Growing companies can save money on hiring customer service representatives by opting for AI-operated services. Pricing varies from tool to tool and business leaders can pick the option that best suits their needs. There are also several free AI solutions available for more basic or mundane tasks.

5. Optimized Employee Performance

AI can help employees solve simple tasks and provide them with a good work-life balance. It allows technicians to focus on critical tasks rather than routine tasks. Another perk of customer service AI is that a bot could be used to collect data about a customer’s experience and level of satisfaction to optimize customer service performance.

While there are many benefits to customer service AI, it’s important not to overlook some of its shortcomings. Not everybody likes automation, especially with call centers, as AI may not address the full scope of a customer’s concerns. Additionally, machine calls can exacerbate a customer’s frustrations or anger, whereas a human can be more comforting during issue resolution. Ultimately, the decision to use customer service AI for your business is yours to make. Be sure to do your research and map out long-term business goals to determine how AI can help you meet them.

Real Answers, Real-Time Support, Real People

At Afidence, our experts in technology are here to provide the best service for your needs. We know what questions to ask to satisfy you, your clients and the needs of your business. No AI, just real people giving real answers in real-time. Guaranteed. Contact us today for business and technology solutions that are flexible and cost-effective.