CX News
AI agents talking to AI agents?
Consumers may be able to use their own AI agents to handle customer service needs for them. A user on X posted a video of Perplexity’s new Comet browser’s AI agent handling a FedEx customer support chat.
For some consumers who are dissatisfied with AI-powered support (usually when there is no option to talk to a human agent), or who look for ways to automate chores in their lives, we may see more AI-to-AI interactions.
91% percent of consumers check online reviews
Want CX to be a revenue driver? Collect and respond to online reviews of your business.
New research finds that 91% of consumers check reviews of businesses and are 65% more likely to choose a business that responds to reviews. This is particularly important for Gen Z consumers.
This is an example of something your CX team can do when you free up time with automation and AI handling simpler customer service needs. Make it part of your CX team’s workflow to ask for a public review, and make it easy by sharing links to your Google Maps listing, Yelp, Facebook, Trustpilot, or industry specific online directories - consumers can pick whichever platform they have an account and where they look for reviews.
Then, task a CX team member with responding to reviews! You’ll build loyalty with repeat customers and win over new customers simultaneously.
Wharton professor: support should blend human and AI
Dr. Christian Terwiesch, professor at the Wharton School, acknowledges the trade-offs in cost and quality of customer service. He says good customer support is “nothing you can do on an assembly line” and that a human-in-the-loop is worth the labor cost, since customers are a long way from embracing pure self-service.
We’ve been saying that human-in-the-loop is the right approach all along, but it’s nice to get some academic experts validating the approach.
Check out the article and podcast with his thoughts!
AI Headlines
Microsoft saved $500m with AI
Microsoft COO Judson Althoff said the savings came from productivity enhancements spanning across software engineering, sales, and customer service, with the majority of savings coming from customer service.
Zendesk acquires Hyperarc to boost AI analytics
Ticketing platform Zendesk has acquired Hyperarc, a platform that provides real-time insights powered by generative AI.
Not to toot our own horn, but you could use a platform that is AI-native from the ground up, like Kustomer. Check out our latest improvements to reports in AI Agents for Customers.
Beyond chatbots: innovative applications of AI
AI can do a lot more than just deflect or contain low-level conversations, but too many CX leaders are settling for that.
We spoke with lots of CX experts on how they’re being innovative with AI to improve the customer experience and stay ahead of the competition.
Don’t settle: Get expert tips on how AI can impact personalization, fulfillment, and more.
Check them out and let me know which strategy you want to try first.
Tune In
Wednesday, July 23rd at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET
We all know it’s more efficient to drive repeat business than continually acquire new customers - and it’s critical in the highly competitive DTC landscape.
Join Carina Shahin from our team and our friends at Okendo, Attentive, Ordergroove, and Nostra as we dig into the strategies top brands use to unlock more revenue from your existing customer base.
Black Friday/Cyber Monday is coming up - you’ll want to get these strategies in place now to see solid results this upcoming holiday season.
