Business and technology found a partnership unlike any other a long, long time ago in a world not so far away. Today, that intersection has evolved into a sprawling jungle of technological advancements made year after year. There have been some major milestones made in the way of propelling business, and society, forward with technology. In our modern world, nearly everyone holds a smartphone, and over the last year specifically, the digital age was drastically accelerated. This was largely due to the events revolving around COVID-19, the shut-down orders, and everything else involved. In fact, this acceleration into a digital era might even continue as the finish line remains uncertain. Regardless, businesses have come to rely on sophisticated technology and integrated systems in order to operate and compete in the modern market. This also results in companies and entrepreneurs finding new and interesting ways to integrate technological solutions into their existing business. In turn, this leads to findings on things like how AI can improve the customer experience.
The customer experience isn’t a new concept by any means. However, in today’s market, it holds a lot more weight than it once did. This is also mainly attributed to the rise of technology and the entrance into the era of information. This is often regarded as an era that opened the doors of access to information for many. While unbiased and universal accessibility is still a group effort that needs attention; the era of information brought a whole new level of consideration for the consumer. Concepts like public internet reviews, social influencers who have millions of followers either approving or disapproving of an establishment, wide-spread internet marketing campaigns, all created avenues of transparency that were historically non-existent.
Just as the customer experience is a long-standing concept, AI has been around much longer than one might consider. The earliest AI systems were in the form of simple computer programs written in the early 1950’s designed to play checkers. Five decades later, AI has certainly taken strides forward. Now we know every-day AI systems such as Siri, the Google Assistant, and Alexa. Businesses, though, use today's AI slightly differently.
How AI Can Improve The Customer Experience In Business
AI is a tool. Alone, it doesn’t necessarily help you build a house. However, combine it with the full toolbox, and suddenly you’ll be in business to build. This is the concept behind integrating sophisticated technologies into an enterprise system that provides tangible benefits.
There are many ways in which businesses utilize AI. Some of the most popular examples include system organization or optimization, data analysis, data mining, contract management, vendor filtering, and number crunching. This list displays the vast capability that AI possesses across a number of fields and functions. This makes for an incredibly versatile tool. This is important to note because it serves as the reasoning behind creating specific functions for AI within your system.
For instance, Topdown Systems uses a series of technologies in concert with artificial intelligence to achieve a variety of goals. While AI serves specific and important functions within the system, it isn’t responsible for the entire process from start to finish. In fact, the main goal that the functions of AI serve are geared toward improving and optimizing the customer experience. This also allows for other components of the overarching system to bear the burden of other necessary tasks. Artificial intelligence is integral in creating and utilizing organic pathways of communication, bridging appropriate information and their respective placements, and delivering messaging appropriately.
The Role of AI
Artificial intelligence plays very specific roles in the Topdown Systems software regarding the optimization and improvement of the customer experience. One of the main functions that AI provides is in creating custom and personalized messaging for clients along any number of customer journeys that a business could offer. AI achieves this through a variety of methods.
The first is through the selection of base messaging from the reusable or recyclable content library. Once the AI has identified an appropriate template for the customer and where they are along their specific journey, then it needs to be customized. The AI will pull information from customer profiles to populate an array of personal variables. These variables range from as simple as first and last names, to more complicated figures like yearly or monthly rates, or specific policy clauses.
Once the message has been personalized and addressed to the customer at any specific touchpoint along any specific customer journey, the artificial intelligence then takes messaging to the next level of customer experience optimization through channel and language modifications.
In other words, the AI not only customizes the messages being sent, it also takes the time to deliver these messages over user-selected channels, whether that be email, SMS, social media, voicemail, or something else - the AI will recognize this preference, optimize the message for that specific channel, and then execute on delivery. This level of personalization and optimization is nearly unmatched and results in a variety of positive reactions and benefits. A couple significant results are that messages are received with stronger senses of empathy and communication. In other words, customers feel heard. Another major result is a stronger sense of customer loyalty due to the bolstered levels of empathy, understanding, clarity, and communication. This, in turn, leads to more compelling and more frequent customer to customer referrals as well.
Not only does using AI in this way offer stronger channels of communication with your customers, but it also creates easy and convenient messaging that doesn’t disturb or disrupt your customers daily life. This is also an important consideration, as disruptive communication can impact customer experience negatively. Something to avoid at nearly all costs, as a single negative customer experience often leads to customers jumping ship all together.
Final Words
Artificial intelligence can be an extremely helpful and effective business tool. However, like any tool, it needs to be implemented purposefully and with understanding of how it works. Topdown Systems uses AI pointedly to improve and optimize the customer experience. Ultimately elevating the customer experience, communication efforts, and customer relationships.
For more information on anything regarding customer relationships or the customer journeys keep browsing the Topdown Systems content library.
