If you are interested in knowing how to apply Artificial Intelligence in a company, keep reading since, in the following paragraphs, we will tell you what exactly it consists of, and we will give you the keys so that you can get the most out of it.

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence is, in simple words, the ability of a machine to behave in a similar way to a human being in terms of learning, reasoning or planning capacity. This is possible thanks to a series of algorithms that allow these abilities to be simulated. AI is a relatively young technology that is in total development.

But both its evolution and use are growing exponentially, so it is becoming a constant in our lives. We may not be very aware that we use this tool regularly. One of the examples of Artificial Intelligence, which you have undoubtedly used on more than one occasion, is that of virtual assistants such as Alexa, Siri or Cortana.

Actual Applications of Artificial Intelligence In A Call Center

If you have ever wondered how Artificial Intelligence can help your business? Below we list and explain several applications that work with this technology and are very useful, especially for the Customer Service department. Each will allow workflows to be optimized and offer the user a much more enriching experience. In addition, using artificial intelligence will reduce costs and response time, although it should never replace the work of a good agent, only complement it.

Chatbot

The chatbot is one of the most used elements in Customer Service, and we can find it on more and more websites, both for small and medium-sized companies and large businesses. It consists of a chat in which the user will converse with an artificial intelligence system. Conveniently, we program the chatbot so that, if it cannot answer the question asked, it offers the client the possibility of contacting an agent.

Study Of Customer Behavior

The study and analysis of the behavior of our clients is a necessary task when creating marketing strategies and, above all, executing actions to increase loyalty.
Artificial Intelligence will allow us to carry out this important task effectively, quickly and, above all, much more precisely and immediately, with real-time data and avoiding the margin of human subjectivity in the process.

Process Automation

Another exciting application for any company provided by Artificial Intelligence is the automation of processes. Numerous tools use this technology to allow a series of tasks to be carried out automatically, thus saving time, which agents can use for actions that require greater creativity.

Benefits Of Artificial Intelligence For A Business

There are countless cases of artificial intelligence applied to the company that have helped, as we have seen, to improve the daily work of various departments. These applications offer advantages that will increase sales and optimize customer loyalty processes.

Possibility Of Offering An Uninterrupted Service

One of the most apparent benefits of using Artificial Intelligence is the possibility of running an application 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and at a much lower cost than if we cover this task with shift employees.

Reduction Of Human Error

Another great advantage of using Artificial Intelligence is the elimination of human error. When it comes to automating specific tasks such as dialing in a call center, where the volume of calls is enormous, this reduction in human error saves a lot of time and, in some cases, money.

Analysis Of Data

The data analysis carried out with Artificial Intelligence is much more effective. As previously mentioned, it allows it to be carried out in real-time, considerably increasing the reaction capacity.

Leave Time For More Creative Tasks

All these applications and advantages that Artificial Intelligence offers will give our agents more time within their working day to dedicate to tasks in which creativity is essential. Thus, we will optimize the use of our company’s human and material resources.

Also Read: Artificial Intelligence To Optimize Energy Consumption In Data Centers

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Why catering to customer service problems should be a priority?

As per research conducted by Loyalty One and Verde Group, dissatisfied customers’ impact varies based on the industry you’re talking about. For instance, it can lead to a potential loss of 11 percent if we’re talking about grocers, whereas it can cause a loss of up to 25 percent if we’re talking about mass retailers. Considering that the e-commerce industry in the US alone is an $861.12 billion industry, you can very well ascertain how important it is to ensure the timely solution of customer service issues. 

Furthermore, when you start focusing on customer service problems, you’re able to identify the pain points in your customer journey. This information allows you to make adjustments to reduce the friction while also providing you with valuable data that can be used for your email or SMS marketing campaigns.

What are the common customer service issues?

The growth of the e-commerce industry has been spectacular. However, it has also altered how people shop, and that has led to customer service challenges. How? The competition is growing, and so are the customers’ expectations. It has become easier than ever to lose your customers if they feel that their expectations aren’t being met.

The goal of ensuring a seamless customer experience even when there are problems is one of the biggest obstacles in customer service. Your customer service problem-solving skills must continue to grow as you adapt to new technologies, tools, and marketing trends, thus ensuring that your company is capable of overcoming the obstacles.
What follows is a list of customer service issues in the e-commerce industry that can negatively affect your customers’ experience. By catering to these customer service challenges, you will offer a great customer experience, thus increasing your sales and maximizing customer retention.

You don’t have an answer to the customer’s query

This is perhaps one of the most common and significant customer service problems. A customer reaches out to your customer service team, and the rep doesn’t have an answer to their query. What should be done? Remember, it is more about what you shouldn’t be doing at this point.
Always ensure that you are not unclear in your response. If you do not have the necessary knowledge to answer the question, refrain from guessing. Admit that it is a difficult question and that you will have to look for the answer. Then ask the customer for some time and guarantee that you’ll contact them back with the answer.
It’s also a good idea to attach some sort of timeline to your response. For instance, ‘I’ll get back to you in thirty minutes regarding the answer to this question.’

You have to transfer the call to another department

There are times when the best approach to helping a customer will involve transferring the call to another person or a different department. This is one of the biggest customer service challenges since it tests the inter-department communication efficiency. Most of the e-commerce companies tend to carry out a ‘blind transfer.’ 

Blind transfer is where you transfer the call to a teammate without ensuring that they are available to take the call. This can lead to the worst possible customer experience. Therefore, customer service in e-commerce should approach this issue cautiously. 

You should start by letting the customer know that the call will be transferred. In the meantime, you should verify along with passing the relevant information to the other teammate, thus ensuring a seamless customer experience.

Failure to understand what your customer wants

Customer service problem solving is primarily correctly identifying what your customer wants. Generally, customers aren’t able to accurately explain what they want, and that’s where the customer service rep must do all in their power to ascertain it quickly and accurately.
You should start by asking the customer to walk you through their issue step-by-step. Ensure that you are taking notes while explaining and asking for details where you deem necessary. If you have time to do so, discussing it with a teammate may help you solve the issue quicker.

Handling angry customers

One of the biggest customer service challenges is dealing with an angry customer. However, you shouldn’t worry because even the best companies get calls from such customers. The best way of dealing with angry customers is to calm them down. Once you’ve managed to calm them down, you can figure out how you can help them with their issue. An effective technique for such customers is known as HEARD technique. It is defined as follows:

H – Hear

E – Empathize

A – Apologize

R – Resolve

D – Diagnose. 

Catering to multiple customers

There will be times when your e-commerce company’s customer service skills are going to be tested. One such situation is when there’s a load on your customer service team, and they are catering to multiple customers simultaneously. This could be happening during a season or in Q4 when people are generally going on an online shopping spree. 

Remember, a customer will always be willing to hold if it means that their issues are being resolved. This gives your customer service rep to listen to another customer. You have to ensure, though, that the hold-time is minimal and that you’re using tools that allow you to prioritize tickets and assign them to relevant people.

Bonus tips – improving your e-commerce customer service
The following are some of the ways that you can enhance your e-commerce customer service:
Use omnichannel marketing – be where your customers are (email, text messages, social media) while following marketing laws!
Focus on growing your company’s customer service skills
Provide as much information as you can – use FAQs, blogs, and product descriptions
Incorporate tools – for example, live chatbot & help desk software

Conclusion

If you want to grow your e-commerce business, you must retain your customers and ensure that you’re attracting new ones as well. What’s the best way to attract new customers? Word of mouth or referrals! How do you ensure this? By consistently providing your customers with an exceptional customer experience. And how do you offer a superb customer experience? By overcoming obstacles in customer service!
In Sam Walton’s words, the goal should be to have an e-commerce customer service that’s legendary!

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