What’s there to be curious about?

Arguably the best thing about something new happening is the uncertainty of it. There’s no historical data to look back at and predict probable outcomes, no absolutes, no guarantees, no certainties. This is where the curious mind accepts these uncertainties and, in fact, looks forward to what’s coming. AI in customer support is not necessarily new anymore but it’s not entirely ubiquitous either. There is a lot of scope for things to change and become the norm and it has not yet been realized.

OpenAI recently declared ChatGPT 4o which comes with much more advanced multi-media capabilities and better real-time assistance than ever before. These are unprecedented times we’re living in and innovations like these are proof that we’ll never be truly prepared, just always willing to adapt to whatever comes our way. It’s exciting to think about what new paths will be carved out with newer AI tech and what people make of it. A new age of tools for customer support agents and support leaders enables them to scale customer support to heights that weren’t thought of before.

Support leaders are particularly curious about AI’s ability to handle repetitive tasks, allowing human agents to focus on more complex issues. They wonder about the balance between efficiency and empathy, exploring how AI can assist in delivering quicker resolutions without losing the personal touch that defines great customer service. This curiosity drives an ongoing dialogue about the future of customer support, seeking to blend technological innovation with the irreplaceable value of human interaction.

What’s there to be anxious about?

On one hand, where you have a lot of things to be curious about, there are also a lot of factors that cannot be overlooked, in fact, are pressing concerns for a lot of people in tech. One of the most significant anxieties is the potential for AI to replace human jobs. As AI systems become more capable of handling routine tasks, there is a fear that many support roles could become redundant. This concern extends beyond just entry-level positions, as more sophisticated AI could potentially take over complex problem-solving tasks as well.

Another arguable concern regarding AI is the dehumanization aspect of it. The rate of adoption that AI has brought forward hints towards a probable future where AI might create a narrative that normalizes a dehumanized approach to customer support. If adaptability is one of our greatest strengths, what proof is there that we won’t become desensitized to empathy, only really caring about the logical aspect of problem resolution and not so much about the human aspect of it? This threat of us becoming desensitized along with AI’s growing prominence is the

Human agents can understand context, read between the lines, and provide empathetic responses. There’s a fear that AI, despite its efficiency, might reduce interactions to mere transactions, losing the personal touch that builds customer loyalty and satisfaction. If this happens, the heart & soul of what defines customer support will be rewired in a way that’ll be difficult to revert back to. In other words, once the human aspect of customer support becomes obsolete, the norm would be to focus on the

The ethical implications of AI decision-making are also a significant concern. There’s unease about how AI systems make decisions, especially in complex situations that require moral and ethical judgment. Issues like bias in AI algorithms and the transparency of AI processes are central to this anxiety, as they impact fairness and accountability in customer support.

Truth be told, AI is the future of customer support

What’s undoubtedly happened now is that things have changed forever, more or less. AI has become the norm and most people have already adopted it. In customer support, about 50% of the teams have started using AI in one form or another. AI solutions have also proven to elevate agent efficiency by as much as 40% and slash customer service expenses by up to 30%.

AI in customer support has changed the way support leaders think. In a way, that’s necessary. AI isn’t just about a product change but a mindset change above everything else. If your reason for adopting an AI-first approach to customer service is to do what everyone else is doing then you’re probably on the wrong track. You need to inherently understand how AI can change the way you work and accept that as a way of life. That’s the easiest way to transition and make decisions not clouded by constant skepticism. This is what we’ve learned from the conversations with our customers.

This isn’t anymore the time to argue whether or not is AI the right way forward. It’s time to focus on how you can become AI-first and your teams can become more accepting of AI as an enhancement and not a replacement.

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Training and nurturing your team for AI integration

The next crucial step in integrating AI into your support strategy is training and equipping your team to work seamlessly with AI. This phase involves introducing specific AI tools, such as Threado AI Agent Assist, to familiarize your team with the technology they will be using.

For instance, Threado AI can help with several key features:

• Connect your knowledge base - There can be information scattered across your organization but with multiple sources and integrations, Threado AI lets you connect your entire knowledge base in minutes and ask questions directly.
• AI-Generated Responses: Once trained, support agents can input customer questions and receive auto-generated replies, complete with source references, via a Chrome extension. This enables swift and accurate customer responses.
• Refinement of Replies: Support agents can refine their draft responses by rephrasing, expanding, shortening, and auto-improving them in seconds, enhancing the overall customer experience.
• Ticket Summarization: AI can concisely summarize every ticket, saving agents time in understanding the context of each issue.
• Compatibility with Top Helpdesk Tools: Threado AI Agent Assist works seamlessly with platforms like Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, Salesforce, and many others.

Training your team to work with AI is an ongoing journey, not a one-off event. Start with the basics of operating AI tools and gradually progress to more advanced applications, such as using AI for customer sentiment analysis. Alongside technical skills, foster a mindset open to technological evolution. Regular updates on AI advancements and open discussions about their implications on support roles can aid in this process.

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Tailoring AI to Your Customer Journey

Understanding your customer journey is vital in identifying where AI can make the most significant impact. Analyze each touchpoint to determine where automation and AI can expedite resolutions and where human intervention is necessary for a personalized touch. For example, AI might be perfect for answering FAQs on your website but less effective in handling complex billing issues requiring nuanced understanding.

Self-service has become an integral part of support, especially with the advent of AI and automation. Customers often rely on self-service options, like bots and knowledge bases, to resolve their queries. However, for critical issues, they still prefer speaking directly to support agents. AI Agent Assist can significantly enhance these interactions, improving how agents handle customer tickets.

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Connecting your entire knowledge base into a single source of truth

Company knowledge base is generally scattered across different sources and platforms. There is a lot of information within past customer resolutions through tickets across ticketing tools like Zendesk and Freshdesk, not to mention help centers and internal docs on platforms like Confluence, Intercom, and even Notion for more internal documentation. There’s a lot of info and help docs across links, docs, and even tabular data through sheets.

With a tool like Threado AI, you can connect your entire knowledge base within minutes and setup on Slack or as a Chrome extension. And with the new GPT-4o capabilities, Threado AI is able to answer agent queries much faster and with great precision. Everything you need to know, be it within Slack or on the web, simply ask the query and Threado AI responds instantly.

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Making it accessible wherever your team is

One of the more frustrating things about adopting a new technology is having to change the way you work. Modern world understands this and there’s a realization that tech should be flexible enough to make it as convenient as possible for users. A tool like Threado AI allows you to install it as an app within Slack channels, use it as a Chrome extension that sits on top of your favorite ticketing tools like Zendesk and Freshdesk to directly understand, search, and answer customer concerns through tickets, and embed it as a chat widget within the product. The team can essentially get answers to queries wherever they are, without having to change the way they work.

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Personalizing customer interactions with AI

AI can analyze vast amounts of data to provide personalized experiences for customers. By leveraging customer data, AI tools can tailor responses based on past interactions, preferences, and behavior. This level of personalization makes support interactions feel more relevant and engaging, enhancing customer satisfaction.

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Empowering agents with AI insights

AI can act as a powerful tool for support agents by providing real-time information and insights. For example, AI can suggest relevant knowledge base articles or previous ticket resolutions to help agents respond more effectively. This not only speeds up resolution times but also boosts agents' confidence and efficiency.

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Embracing continuous learning

The AI landscape is continuously evolving, and so should your support team. Encourage a culture where learning is part of the daily routine, and staying updated on AI trends is the norm. This could include regular training sessions, newsletters, or AI-focused team meetings to discuss new tools and techniques.

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Evaluating AI performance and customer satisfaction

Regularly assessing the performance of your AI tools is essential to ensure they meet your customers' needs. This involves analyzing metrics like resolution time, customer satisfaction scores, and the success rate of handoffs between AI and human agents. Customer feedback can also provide invaluable insights into where your AI tools excel and where improvements are needed.

On the bright side

The future of AI in customer support is brimming with excitement and potential. As AI continues to evolve, its capabilities in enhancing customer interactions, streamlining processes, and empowering support teams are becoming increasingly evident. The integration of AI tools, like Threado AI Agent Assist, not only optimizes response times and improves customer satisfaction but also transforms the way support teams operate, making them more efficient and effective.

With the recent developments, there’s a lot to look forward to. Something like the GPT-4o update reveals possibilities that didn’t seem feasible before. This gives way to more possibilities that might seem too far-fetched but things in tech are evolving much faster than one would expect. Especially when it comes to AI in customer support, the advancements in AI technology promise to redefine support strategies, making them more proactive, personalized, and efficient. This transformation not only enhances customer satisfaction but also positions companies at the forefront of technological innovation, ready to meet the demands of the future.