What is AI for Customer Support?

AI for customer support: What is it?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for customer support represents a transformative technological approach that leverages advanced computational techniques to revolutionize how businesses interact with and support their customers. This innovative solution combines machine learning, natural language processing, and intelligent algorithms to create more efficient, responsive, and personalized customer service experiences. The core technological components of AI for Customer Support are:

  • Natural Language Processing (NLP)
  • Machine Learning algorithms
  • Automated response generators
  • Intelligent routing systems
  • Sentiment analysis tools
  • Predictive analytics engines

AI for customer support: Why is it important?

The contemporary business landscape demands unprecedented levels of customer service excellence. Yet, businesses have multiple challenges in delivering exceptional customer experiences while managing operational efficiency. AI for customer support addresses these critical challenges by:

  • Addressing modern and ever-increasing customer expectations
  • Providing instantaneous support
  • Ensuring 24/7 availability
  • Delivering personalized interactions
  • Maintaining consistent service quality
  • Solving organizational operational challenges
  • Reducing operational costs
  • Scaling support infrastructure
  • Minimizing human error
  • Generating actionable customer insights

AI for customer support: What are the use cases?

AI for customer support has multiple use cases in a wide variety of industries as listed below:

Financial Services

  • Account inquiry management
  • Transaction verification
  • Fraud detection
  • Automated financial guidance

Healthcare

  • Appointment scheduling
  • Patient information management
  • Preliminary symptom assessment
  • Treatment coordination support

Retail and E-commerce

  • Intelligent product recommendations
  • Order status tracking
  • Return and exchange processing
  • Personalized shopping assistance

Telecommunications

  • Technical troubleshooting
  • Billing inquiry resolution
  • Service plan recommendations
  • Network performance reporting

AI for customer support: What are the benefits?

Among the multiple benefits, the key ones are:

  • Enhanced customer experience
  • Reduced response times
  • Personalized interaction pathways
  • Consistent communication standards
  • Multichannel support capabilities
  • Operational efficiency
  • Reduced support costs
  • Scalable service capabilities
  • Automated routine inquiries
  • Intelligent ticket prioritization
  • Strategic competitive advantages
  • Enhanced customer satisfaction metrics
  • Data-driven customer insights generation
  • Continuous performance improvement
  • Competitive market differentiation

AI for customer support: What are the best practices?

While implementing AI for customer support, use the practices below for a successful implementation:

Implementation strategies

  • Conduct comprehensive needs assessment
  • Select adaptable, scalable solutions
  • Ensure seamless system integration
  • Prioritize continuous learning mechanisms
  • Maintain human oversight and intervention

Performance optimization

  • Maintaining trusted knowledge in knowledge base on a regular basis
  • Advanced machine learning training
  • Comprehensive performance monitoring
  • Robust security protocol implementation

AI for customer support: Customer success stories

Organizations across diverse industries have achieved remarkable results through AI-powered support solutions such as:

  • 40% and higher reduction in customer support operational costs
  • 35% and higher improvement in first-contact resolution rates
  • Significant enhancement of overall customer satisfaction scores
  • Substantial operational efficiency improvements

Our leading clients, leveraging eGain AI platform that includes knowledge, conversation, and analytics hubs, have achieved amazing transformational value creation:

  • UK’s largest mobile operator achieved a 25-point improvement in NPS (Net Promoter Score) and a 35% improvement in FCR (First-Contact Resolution), while reducing agent time to competency by 50% across 30,000 contact center agents and six hundred retail stores and enabling any agent to handle any call.
  • Global bank reduced agent training time by 60% and Average Handle Time by 67%, while increasing service efficiency by 70%.
  • A leading health insurance firm sustained the quality of service and reduced agent training time by 33% even as over 2000 of them had to go remote overnight due to COVID lockdowns.
  • A mammoth federal agency provides customer service at scale, while complying with regulations, across digital self-service, human-assisted chat, and digital communication, backed by the eGain Knowledge Hub. This has helped elevate both the customer and agent experience. The agency has deflected up to 70% of incoming calls to knowledge-automated virtual assistance, reduced case handling time by 25%, and improved form-filling with granular knowledge assistance within forms.

AI for Customer Support: How to measure success

The service organizations should establish a cadence of monitoring success for their AI for customer support implementations by leveraging the following key performance indicators (KPIs):

  • First-contact resolution rate
  • Self-service deflection rates
  • Average handling time
  • Customer satisfaction scores
  • Cost per customer interaction
  • Customer retention metrics

AI for customer support: How to get started

Establish a clear implementation roadmap:

  • Evaluate current customer service infrastructure
  • Identify specific improvement objectives through the use of AI
  • Establish clear and measurable goals for the improvements desired
  • Research compatible AI customer support solutions
  • Develop comprehensive implementation strategy
  • Conduct pilot programs
  • Train support personnel on the new technologies

How to conduct a pilot risk free?

eGain can help you on this journey risk-free with eGain’s unique “Innovation in 30 days” program, a no-charge, no-commitment production pilot with expert guidance to experience AI for customer support firsthand. Many of our enterprise clients have taken advantage of this approach and adopted our conversation AI solutions risk-free.

Want to talk to us first or see a personalized demo for your specific needs? Contact us today to discover how AI for customer support can transform your organizational support strategy and drive unprecedented customer experience excellence!

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