Consumers and customer service based on artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence has given a lot to talk about in recent years, and it will surely continue to do so. As technology evolves, we find systems that are increasingly human and capable of interacting with the consumer more realistically and humanely.

We’re just starting to outline the potential uses of artificial intelligence in marketing, but it seems that one of the most promising is in customer service. Are consumers ready to solve their problems by talking to a machine? Let’s see what the figures say and how we can incorporate this tool into our strategy.

What do consumers think about artificial intelligence?

According to a study on artificial intelligence recently carried out by Capgemini on 10,000 users from 10 different countries, 73% of them are aware of having interacted with this technology in customer service. The list of AI-based services includes the use of chatbots, facial recognition systems to identify the consumer, or conversations with a Siri-type voice assistant.

According to this study, the majority of users (69%) are satisfied with the interactions they have with artificial intelligence. Despite this, 55% would prefer to have interacted with a mix of AI and human interlocutors.

Consumers who were satisfied with their use of AI pointed to several benefits of AI, including:

• 63%: greater control of interactions.
• 63%: Full-time availability.
• 45%: Faster resolution of customer service issues.
• 35%: Less effort on the part of the consumer.
• 30%: better privacy and security of personal data.
• 30%: greater confidence.
• 29%: Greater personalization.

In terms of what users are looking for in their interactions with artificial intelligence, humanity stands out in particular. 64% say they want AI to be more human, and 62% say they like systems with human voices. In addition, 57% like that this technology can understand human emotions and respond to them.

Chatbots in customer service

Chatbots are one of the most popular and accessible solutions to get started in the world of customer service using artificial intelligence. These programs are capable of having a written conversation with a human being, answering their questions and making relevant suggestions.

For a few years now, Facebook has incorporated chatbots into the Messenger tool, so that companies can use them to interact with their customers. In addition to answering users’ questions, the chatbot can also be proactively programmed to carry out different functions, for example, ordering a bouquet or receiving the latest news from the brand filtered by the user’s interests. In the event that the chatbot cannot respond to a specific need, it will notify a human agent to solve it.

For brands, the use of this type of program with artificial intelligence brings multiple advantages:

• Much more efficient customer service. Thanks to chatbots, it is possible to serve thousands of consumers at once, without going through the bottleneck of human operators. In this way, we can free ourselves from staff constraints and serve users uninterruptedly 24 hours a day. In addition, many people are more comfortable with chat-like channels than with phone support.
• Greater customization. When programming chatbots, we can tailor the user experience based on their preferences or previous actions, resulting in thousands of possible variants. In this way, we can offer a unique experience to consumers and increase their satisfaction with the brand.
• More customer interaction. Chatbots allow you to open new channels to interact with customers, going far beyond simple comments or “likes”. We can even use them to get customers to play with the brand and create memorable experiences.

What can artificial intelligence bring to your marketing?

Right now, marketers are in a very exciting moment, as we have only just begun to investigate everything that this technology can bring us. If you want to get inspired, here are some ideas on how to incorporate artificial intelligence into your marketing plans, beyond customer service:

• Reach a wider audience. AI systems are integrated into ultra-popular platforms and devices, such as instant messaging apps and mobile phones. Therefore, they allow you to reach a greater number of consumers and always be available to them.
• Analyze your customers. Chatbots and other artificial intelligence systems are a real mine for ad hoc market research. Understanding customers is critical to providing them with better products and services, but it’s very difficult to get them to spend time and effort answering a conventional survey. Chatbots, on the other hand, integrate questions into the conversation naturally and can analyze answers automatically.
• Bring fun to your brand. AI systems can answer users’ questions and provide them with relevant information right when they need it. But they can also help them have fun while interacting with your brand. A good example is the case of the American supermarket Whole Foods, which allows users to search for recipes in its chatbot using emojis.
• Get new contacts for your inbound marketing strategy. Artificial intelligence allows us to interact with the user proactively and integrate into the overall experience, for example, while using a social network or browsing our website on their mobile. We can take advantage of this to ask for your data in a non-invasive way and thus increase the opportunities for generating new leads. You can then use the information you have about them to provide them with increasingly personalized information that encourages them to convert.