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Interview
Companies have so much legacy data relating to a customer ’ s previous interactions with them . As such , it ’ s frustrating to deal with an organization where every interaction feels like the first time . Enhancing both the persona of the bot and improving personalized CX helps to accelerate brand loyalty and trust . From a personal perspective for example , I don ’ t listen to voicemails , particularly if it ’ s a number I don ’ t recognize . I tend to interact via email . Knowing that that is my preferred method of correspondence is just one example of personalizing CX .
“ The power of the model is increasing and the cost to query is coming down ,” Eric shares . “ The queries are more complicated but with the right data , the cost model is increasingly sustainable , thereby driving operational efficiency . Again , with the right data , bots can build relevant product comparisons and present offers to attract new customers and retain existing ones . Interestingly , voice AI technology is an increasingly popular channel , as feeling heard can be a critical factor for satisfactory CX . Likewise , effective voice responses can free up human agents for more complex interactions .
“ Putting aside the regulatory side of data , as every company wants to be compliant , it ’ s crucial for customers to trust organizations with their data and trust them to provide a secure and efficient service . Ensuring customer trust by having a secure compliant platform is just the first step . After that , it ’ s about the ability to innovate at pace and provide an iterative CX that improves and enhances over time . From Zendesk ’ s perspective , the billions of customer interactions our platform handles means that we don ’ t have to start from scratch every time . We already have a mature model that enables people to get value from the platform very quickly .”
Humans remain vital
Looking to the future , in terms of innovation , Eric believes the complexity of AI agents ’ capabilities will only improve , along with the quality of response and personalization . “ If you look at some of the biggest retailers in the world ,” he suggests , “ much of the innovation is around making things easy for people , and if I have a great interaction with one brand , I ’ ll expect that from other brands , which can drive competitive advantage . Customer interaction is also likely to increase . If I get a quick and satisfactory response through an app or a website , then I ’ m more likely to increase that method of interaction .
“ It ’ s a continuous evolution . That said , in some ways for me the overriding sentiment is that we still see a big role for human agents . As much as AI is critical and will only continue to increase in importance and adoption , human agents will continue to play an important role in the value chain , perhaps not in terms of volume but rather in empathic interaction . Human agents are also integral to the successful training and development of AI , ensuring bots can address volume while they provide a better service in complex cases ,” Eric concludes . “ Human agents are vital components in the evolving world of CX , helping to set the next phase up for success .” ■
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