How AI Transforms Customer Support Into Customer Engagement with Christina McAllister

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This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

1. How does modern AI enhance the efficiency of customer interactions in contact centers? 
2. How can AI anticipate customer needs and offer better solutions in customer service? 
3. What are the common fears among leadership when adopting AI solutions in customer support? 
4. How can automation in customer service lead to improved human interaction? 
5. Why is maintaining human contact in contact centers still important despite AI advancements? 

Top Takeaways

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a huge part of customer service. Unlike old chatbots that needed programs to predict every possible question, Generative AI learns from conversations and understands the intent behind questions, which makes customer support and engagement much smoother.  

• Customer service isn’t just about solving problems anymore. It’s about engaging customers. Even with current technological advancements, human interaction remains crucial for resolving complex issues. By having real conversations, businesses can strengthen relationships and even create opportunities for more revenue through upselling. Engaging with customers on a personal level can lead to happier, more satisfied, and loyal customers. 

• Leaders are grappling with FOMO (fear of missing out) and FOMU (fear of messing up) when adopting AI. There’s a genuine fear of missing out on the opportunities AI presents and a fear of messing up by investing in the wrong technologies. It’s a delicate balance between innovation and smart adoption. 

• Automation, just like every new technology, often raises concerns about job loss. While digital experiences handle basic inquiries well, complex issues still require human intervention. Automation can impact jobs but also presents new opportunities for meaningful work. Businesses can choose to reassign employees to roles that focus on deeper customer interactions. For example, automating repetitive tasks can free up agents to handle more personalized interactions, enhancing the customer experience.  

• AI’s magic isn’t just about answering questions. It’s also about predicting what customers might need next. By analyzing patterns, AI can alert you to better deals or cost-saving opportunities you might not be aware of. This proactive approach, powered and made scalable by AI, makes customers feel valued and understood. 

• Plus, Christina shares the long-neglected foundations, like knowledge management and understanding agent workflows, that investing in AI has brought to the surface. Tune in!

Quotes:

“There’s a significant shift happening in the industry—from merely providing support to actively engaging with customers. The ability to personalize relationships, even through beneficial upsells, marks a new era of customer service.” 

“The average handle time is not a customer experience metric. AHT, while useful for understanding staffing needs and how long calls take, isn’t the best measure of customer experience. What’s more important is resolution and the quality of customer engagement, which ultimately leads to greater customer satisfaction.” 

“What do customers care about? They care about resolution. They just want their issue resolved. Sometimes, they just want assurance that they have done things right and everything is taken care of.” 

“The contact center is often the only place where your company is speaking to your customers one-on-one. However, companies are spending a lot of money on marketing to talk to customers and on customer service to never talk to customers again. There is something wrong with that picture.” 

About:

Christina McAllister is a senior analyst at. She helps customer service and customer experience (CX) leaders transform their strategies and capabilities in the age of the customer. Her research focuses on how technology and AI can enhance customer and agent experience.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.