You control your customer experience, not AI

Fearing a loss of control is a common theme that comes up when we talk to customer service leaders about their AI implementation strategy.

Plenty of folks are curious about AI and eager to put it to the test. Many leaders are largely convinced about the efficiency gains it’ll bring, but some don’t trust that an AI Agent can deliver the same quality service that a human can. Whether they say it out loud or not, they’re worried that going AI-first will hurt their brand if they can’t control the experience their customers have when looking for support.

Our go-to answer? You can stay in control – introducing AI doesn’t mean giving up your agency or your high standards. In fact, it will provide a valuable opportunity to bring you closer to your customers and make things better in the process. Here are some ways you can do this.

This post originally featured in our AI-first customer service newsletter,
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Start small with your own team

First, you can test AI in small ways in the spaces that feel least risky to you. Our customer service team did this by trialing an AI Copilot internally, which meant every agent had their own personal AI assistant in the inbox. This helped them clear ticket volumes much quicker, while still being fully in control and delivering a great customer experience. The team had visibility over every response sent to customers, and could choose to send what was suggested immediately or make direct edits before clicking “Approve.”

Test with a small group of trusted customers

Once you’ve built up some level of comfort with AI, you can trial an AI Agent with a segment of specific customers. We tested Fin in its early stages with a small group of customers who we knew were bullish about AI and interested in helping us explore its potential. They were open to giving us feedback, which was invaluable for helping us optimize and improve our knowledge content to provide even faster, more accurate answers. You can also opt to use your chatbot for specific topics only, like FAQs, and expand your testing as confidence grows.

Invite your customers to be part of the process

Being honest is the best way to foster trust in any relationship. Introducing AI is going to change how your customers experience support, so why not bring them along for the ride? We love this candid blog post our friends at unTill shared when they launched their chatbot, Claire. They do a great job of showcasing the benefits AI will bring, while reassuring customers that they can still access help from humans. The chatbot is joining the team, not replacing it, so nothing changes – it just gets better.

Signaling to customers that you care about involving them in the journey is powerful, so don’t be afraid to create these encounters and actively seek out opinions, thoughts, and feedback to improve how you deliver your service. AI is the future of support, but it’s the human connections that count.

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