Is automated customer service the future? (Yes and No!)
Automate
1 min read
Is automated customer service the future? (Yes and No!)
Automate
1 min read
Discover why the future of customer service isn't about replacing humans with machines, but finding the perfect balance between automation and the human touch. Learn where AI excels and why the human element remains irreplaceable.
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If you've made a customer service call lately, you've probably noticed something: machines are everywhere. Chatbots pop up on websites, AI handles basic questions, and sometimes you might wonder if you'll ever talk to a real person again.
But here's the thing – while robots and AI are changing customer service, they haven't taken over completely. In fact, they're working side by side with human agents right now, helping companies serve their customers better and faster.
The big question isn't whether automation will change customer service – that's already happening. What we really need to figure out is: how much automation is too much? Because while machines are great at some things, there are times when you just need a human touch.
“Hi! Please describe your problem, and I'll help you find a solution.”
If you've made a customer service call lately, you've probably noticed something: machines are everywhere. Chatbots pop up on websites, AI handles basic questions, and sometimes you might wonder if you'll ever talk to a real person again.
But here's the thing – while robots and AI are changing customer service, they haven't taken over completely. In fact, they're working side by side with human agents right now, helping companies serve their customers better and faster.
The big question isn't whether automation will change customer service – that's already happening. What we really need to figure out is: how much automation is too much? Because while machines are great at some things, there are times when you just need a human touch.
“Hi! Please describe your problem, and I'll help you find a solution.”
If you've made a customer service call lately, you've probably noticed something: machines are everywhere. Chatbots pop up on websites, AI handles basic questions, and sometimes you might wonder if you'll ever talk to a real person again.
But here's the thing – while robots and AI are changing customer service, they haven't taken over completely. In fact, they're working side by side with human agents right now, helping companies serve their customers better and faster.
The big question isn't whether automation will change customer service – that's already happening. What we really need to figure out is: how much automation is too much? Because while machines are great at some things, there are times when you just need a human touch.
Automation won’t replace everything
Technology has taken over the different processes of customer support. And it will continue to become more integral as it improves in the years to come. However, no matter how much automation tech improves, there’s one core element of customer service that it can never replace: the human touch.
People still want to talk to other people. According to a CX survey by PwC, 75% of customers will prefer to speak to a human rep more as automation improves. For them, the satisfaction of airing their complaint or question to a real human trumps the convenience of getting an instant response from a robot.
In particular, sensitive topics are best handled by live agents. In the following situations, a human response builds trust and provides a level of reassurance that automation can’t.
A person was involved in a road accident and wants to know how to process their insurance claim. They dial the customer helpline and opt to speak with a live agent to get assurance that they’ll be compensated for the damages.
A marketing manager accidentally wiped all customer data from their CRM and is unable to recover it. They write a urgent email to the CRM vendor’s support and expect a response from a dedicated rep with detailed instructions.
A couple is planning their wedding and wants to book a venue. They call their wedding planner with a long list of questions. They simply won’t trust a chatbot’s response to make a major decision that could potentially ruin their big day.
Live agents will play a critical role in providing empathetic human interactions in the years to come. No amount of customer service automation will replace that.
Technology has taken over the different processes of customer support. And it will continue to become more integral as it improves in the years to come. However, no matter how much automation tech improves, there’s one core element of customer service that it can never replace: the human touch.
People still want to talk to other people. According to a CX survey by PwC, 75% of customers will prefer to speak to a human rep more as automation improves. For them, the satisfaction of airing their complaint or question to a real human trumps the convenience of getting an instant response from a robot.
In particular, sensitive topics are best handled by live agents. In the following situations, a human response builds trust and provides a level of reassurance that automation can’t.
A person was involved in a road accident and wants to know how to process their insurance claim. They dial the customer helpline and opt to speak with a live agent to get assurance that they’ll be compensated for the damages.
A marketing manager accidentally wiped all customer data from their CRM and is unable to recover it. They write a urgent email to the CRM vendor’s support and expect a response from a dedicated rep with detailed instructions.
A couple is planning their wedding and wants to book a venue. They call their wedding planner with a long list of questions. They simply won’t trust a chatbot’s response to make a major decision that could potentially ruin their big day.
Live agents will play a critical role in providing empathetic human interactions in the years to come. No amount of customer service automation will replace that.
Technology has taken over the different processes of customer support. And it will continue to become more integral as it improves in the years to come. However, no matter how much automation tech improves, there’s one core element of customer service that it can never replace: the human touch.
People still want to talk to other people. According to a CX survey by PwC, 75% of customers will prefer to speak to a human rep more as automation improves. For them, the satisfaction of airing their complaint or question to a real human trumps the convenience of getting an instant response from a robot.
In particular, sensitive topics are best handled by live agents. In the following situations, a human response builds trust and provides a level of reassurance that automation can’t.
A person was involved in a road accident and wants to know how to process their insurance claim. They dial the customer helpline and opt to speak with a live agent to get assurance that they’ll be compensated for the damages.
A marketing manager accidentally wiped all customer data from their CRM and is unable to recover it. They write a urgent email to the CRM vendor’s support and expect a response from a dedicated rep with detailed instructions.
A couple is planning their wedding and wants to book a venue. They call their wedding planner with a long list of questions. They simply won’t trust a chatbot’s response to make a major decision that could potentially ruin their big day.
Live agents will play a critical role in providing empathetic human interactions in the years to come. No amount of customer service automation will replace that.
Some areas of customer service will continue to become heavily automated
Every day, hundreds of thousands of businesses rely on automation to streamline and improve different customer service processes, from using chatbots to answer simple customer questions to designing workflows to automate repetitive tasks, the use cases of CX automation are extensive.
Answering recurring questions
One place where automation really shines is responding to frequently asked questions (FAQs). Customers can direct these questions to a chatbot and get swift responses without having to wait on a human agent. Chatbots answer them either with rule-based workflows that send canned (pre-determined) responses or with AI-generated messages. Support agents, on the other hand, can focus on handling complex customer issues that automation cannot resolve. The result? Shorter first response times (FRT) and higher customer satisfaction scores.
As AI improves, chatbots are becoming smart enough to handle more complex issues, answer complicated customer queries, and have in-depth conversations with customers. This is further reducing the need for live reps to get involved.
Handling mundane customer service tasks
The second biggest challenge for agents (after upset customers) is not having enough time in the day. Add miscellaneous, day-to-day, repetitive tasks into the equation, and agent productivity is bound to take a toll. Luckily, automated workflows — built through a powerful customer support automation solution — can help with that. These automations trigger when certain events take place, then execute pre-programmed tasks on behalf of the agents.
A few examples of automations built to help agents include:
Pulling up customer information from the CRM to get helpful context on the tickets
Closing a ticket after it has been resolved and logging details of the customer interaction in the CRM for future reference
Sending feedback surveys to dormant customers who haven’t interacted with your business for a while
Businesses will continue to use rule-based workflows to execute these low-impact tasks. There might even come a time in the distant future where these workflows will make important CX decisions empowered by AI, such as when to offer a discount.
Executing time-sensitive processes
Timing is key to delivering a great customer experience. However, timely interactions aren’t always possible due to human limitations. This is another area where automated workflows are of great help. Businesses can set them with time-related triggers and automatically create experiences that will delight their customers. No human rep needs to get involved!
Some use cases of time-sensitive automations include:
Sending ‘Pproduct back-in-stock!’ reminders to a customer who inquired about a product that ran out of stock in the past
Proactively offering online shopping assistance to customers who visit your store through chat
Sending customer feedback surveys after closing tickets
Offering 24/7 self-service
With customer expectations increasing, businesses have no choice but to provide round-the-clock service to their customers. One cost-effective way of doing that — which doesn’t involve adding more headcount — is to provide the option of self-service support through different types of automations. Here are a few real business use cases where the 24/7 self-help applies:
Allowing customers to find relevant information by searching for it on a knowledge base
Providing customers the option of tracking their orders through a dedicated portal or a chatbot
Using interactive voice response (IVR) to provide customers with pre-recorded information outside of regular business hours
Every day, hundreds of thousands of businesses rely on automation to streamline and improve different customer service processes, from using chatbots to answer simple customer questions to designing workflows to automate repetitive tasks, the use cases of CX automation are extensive.
Answering recurring questions
One place where automation really shines is responding to frequently asked questions (FAQs). Customers can direct these questions to a chatbot and get swift responses without having to wait on a human agent. Chatbots answer them either with rule-based workflows that send canned (pre-determined) responses or with AI-generated messages. Support agents, on the other hand, can focus on handling complex customer issues that automation cannot resolve. The result? Shorter first response times (FRT) and higher customer satisfaction scores.
As AI improves, chatbots are becoming smart enough to handle more complex issues, answer complicated customer queries, and have in-depth conversations with customers. This is further reducing the need for live reps to get involved.
Handling mundane customer service tasks
The second biggest challenge for agents (after upset customers) is not having enough time in the day. Add miscellaneous, day-to-day, repetitive tasks into the equation, and agent productivity is bound to take a toll. Luckily, automated workflows — built through a powerful customer support automation solution — can help with that. These automations trigger when certain events take place, then execute pre-programmed tasks on behalf of the agents.
A few examples of automations built to help agents include:
Pulling up customer information from the CRM to get helpful context on the tickets
Closing a ticket after it has been resolved and logging details of the customer interaction in the CRM for future reference
Sending feedback surveys to dormant customers who haven’t interacted with your business for a while
Businesses will continue to use rule-based workflows to execute these low-impact tasks. There might even come a time in the distant future where these workflows will make important CX decisions empowered by AI, such as when to offer a discount.
Executing time-sensitive processes
Timing is key to delivering a great customer experience. However, timely interactions aren’t always possible due to human limitations. This is another area where automated workflows are of great help. Businesses can set them with time-related triggers and automatically create experiences that will delight their customers. No human rep needs to get involved!
Some use cases of time-sensitive automations include:
Sending ‘Pproduct back-in-stock!’ reminders to a customer who inquired about a product that ran out of stock in the past
Proactively offering online shopping assistance to customers who visit your store through chat
Sending customer feedback surveys after closing tickets
Offering 24/7 self-service
With customer expectations increasing, businesses have no choice but to provide round-the-clock service to their customers. One cost-effective way of doing that — which doesn’t involve adding more headcount — is to provide the option of self-service support through different types of automations. Here are a few real business use cases where the 24/7 self-help applies:
Allowing customers to find relevant information by searching for it on a knowledge base
Providing customers the option of tracking their orders through a dedicated portal or a chatbot
Using interactive voice response (IVR) to provide customers with pre-recorded information outside of regular business hours
Every day, hundreds of thousands of businesses rely on automation to streamline and improve different customer service processes, from using chatbots to answer simple customer questions to designing workflows to automate repetitive tasks, the use cases of CX automation are extensive.
Answering recurring questions
One place where automation really shines is responding to frequently asked questions (FAQs). Customers can direct these questions to a chatbot and get swift responses without having to wait on a human agent. Chatbots answer them either with rule-based workflows that send canned (pre-determined) responses or with AI-generated messages. Support agents, on the other hand, can focus on handling complex customer issues that automation cannot resolve. The result? Shorter first response times (FRT) and higher customer satisfaction scores.
As AI improves, chatbots are becoming smart enough to handle more complex issues, answer complicated customer queries, and have in-depth conversations with customers. This is further reducing the need for live reps to get involved.
Handling mundane customer service tasks
The second biggest challenge for agents (after upset customers) is not having enough time in the day. Add miscellaneous, day-to-day, repetitive tasks into the equation, and agent productivity is bound to take a toll. Luckily, automated workflows — built through a powerful customer support automation solution — can help with that. These automations trigger when certain events take place, then execute pre-programmed tasks on behalf of the agents.
A few examples of automations built to help agents include:
Pulling up customer information from the CRM to get helpful context on the tickets
Closing a ticket after it has been resolved and logging details of the customer interaction in the CRM for future reference
Sending feedback surveys to dormant customers who haven’t interacted with your business for a while
Businesses will continue to use rule-based workflows to execute these low-impact tasks. There might even come a time in the distant future where these workflows will make important CX decisions empowered by AI, such as when to offer a discount.
Executing time-sensitive processes
Timing is key to delivering a great customer experience. However, timely interactions aren’t always possible due to human limitations. This is another area where automated workflows are of great help. Businesses can set them with time-related triggers and automatically create experiences that will delight their customers. No human rep needs to get involved!
Some use cases of time-sensitive automations include:
Sending ‘Pproduct back-in-stock!’ reminders to a customer who inquired about a product that ran out of stock in the past
Proactively offering online shopping assistance to customers who visit your store through chat
Sending customer feedback surveys after closing tickets
Offering 24/7 self-service
With customer expectations increasing, businesses have no choice but to provide round-the-clock service to their customers. One cost-effective way of doing that — which doesn’t involve adding more headcount — is to provide the option of self-service support through different types of automations. Here are a few real business use cases where the 24/7 self-help applies:
Allowing customers to find relevant information by searching for it on a knowledge base
Providing customers the option of tracking their orders through a dedicated portal or a chatbot
Using interactive voice response (IVR) to provide customers with pre-recorded information outside of regular business hours
The future of customer service isn’t human versus machine. It’s human and machine.
As technology evolves, it will naturally take over other aspects of customer service. From there, the key will be striking the right balance between the use of tech and the human touch.
Customer service teams that understand when to rely on automation tools and when to lean on their live agents will continue to succeed. On the other hand, businesses that over-rely on automation will lose the human touch.
As technology evolves, it will naturally take over other aspects of customer service. From there, the key will be striking the right balance between the use of tech and the human touch.
Customer service teams that understand when to rely on automation tools and when to lean on their live agents will continue to succeed. On the other hand, businesses that over-rely on automation will lose the human touch.
As technology evolves, it will naturally take over other aspects of customer service. From there, the key will be striking the right balance between the use of tech and the human touch.
Customer service teams that understand when to rely on automation tools and when to lean on their live agents will continue to succeed. On the other hand, businesses that over-rely on automation will lose the human touch.
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