CX Insights
Sony’s response to the PlayStation Network outage
A CX team’s nightmare is a total outage. PlayStation Network was down for about 24 hours over the weekend, prime gaming time.
The response?
Little to no communication until it was resolved, when Sony called it an “operational issue” and offered 5 days of service for PlayStation Plus to make up for it.
Gamers are not happy with the response. Many felt like the reason given was vague and they were worried about security issues. Regarding the credit, many felt upset because only PlayStation Plus users are eligible. Some were unclear when they would get the credit (concerned about being able to redeem on a weekend) while others wished for a free game credit instead.
It’s always a helpful reminder that things will go wrong, and it’s critical to have clear communication with your customers during a disruption in service, and follow up with a strong response that delights your customers - not leaving them tearing it apart on social media.
WNBA star puts airport experience on blast
Even professional athletes encounter bad customer experiences - but they can use their influence to do something about it. Angel Reese leveraged her millions of followers when she called out the Miami airport’s bad service, and made changes at the WNBA league level to make it easier for them to charter flights and avoid the pitfalls of flying commercial.
Using social platforms to get attention from brands and organizations is not going out of style any time soon. If it’s been a minute, get back in touch with your brand’s social media manager to unify on your brand responses.
Chik-fil-A uses drones to enhance CX
Chik-fil-A, known for its high-touch level of service, had holdups in its drive-thrus due to massive popularity and long lines - but its drive thrus make up 60% of its total sales. So, it turned to drones to analyze traffic patterns and identify ways to speed up service. Some improvements helped increase sales at up to 50% at certain locations.
The takeaway? Get creative for ways to take a bird’s eye view - maybe literally - of the customer experience to find opportunities for improvement.
AI Insights
Lyft makes another try with automated CX
Lyft first tried using a chatbot customer support in 2018 to address customer complaints, and now is taking the next step with human-like AI support. Lyft reports its new AI tool has reduced the average customer service resolution time by 87% and solves thousands of inquiries daily.
If your brand tried a chatbot to less-than-stellar results in the past, it’s time to consider giving it another go with today’s AI Agent technology.
monday.com launches new AI platform
One of the top project management tools in the space has launched monday service, an Enterprise Service Management platform. With AI-powered ticket resolution, smart automations, and real-time insights, monday service aims to consolidate requests and workflows into a single hub. It’ll also include AI-powered agents and no-code AI Blocks to further enhance automation.
Pinkfish raises $7.6 million pre-seed round
Led by the former Chief Product Officer of Talkdesk, Pinkfish is emerging from stealth. It’s a new tool to help automate mission-critical business workflows using natural language processing. It’s a step in the direction of AI agents and shows how having a solid data infrastructure is a critical first step.
Interview Insights
Wondering how to handle workforce management in the age of automated customer support? Our first CX Learning Lab session dug into the topic. Sam Chandler and Audrey Weber shared their experiences, with some key takeaways being:
- Frame headcount discussions around tradeoffs
- Be realistic about what KPIs you can reach with existing and new resources
- Phase in more self-service resources
- Find ways to use AI to reduce agent workload, such as from tab switching, to expedite service
Golden Nuggets
Turns Out AI Is More Empathetic Than Allstate’s Insurance Reps
SundaySky Removes The Barriers To Expanded Use Of Video In CX
Hong Kong logs 11.7% uptick in scams amid rise in fake customer service tactics
