AI will better orchestrate customer journeys, leading a culture shift toward empathy

Companies have more customer data than ever before. And they want to make the buying process as easy as possible. So, why doesn’t service work that way? Instead, consumers often take on the responsibility to solve problems themselves, including finding the right resource, and escalating if their issue wasn’t solved correctly the first time. They’re the link between channels to get a resolution.

Today, CX frontrunners use AI to orchestrate better customer experiences. Nearly 90% of these firms say AI allows them to develop more empathetic customer journeys. Instead of automating more service interactions, companies use AI to enhance the human aspects of an experience — sensing, intuition, closure — across self-service and agent-assisted interactions. Using AI for customer understanding and personalisation is the top priority for CX leaders worldwide.

Driving empathy throughout the customer journey — putting yourself in your customers’ shoes to anticipate their needs — isn’t possible without the data-driven listening and prediction capabilities of AI. When you rely on historical data and use outdated segmentation models, and your staff is unaware of who’s calling or why, you’re operating in a bygone era. Your customers (and employees) are up for grabs.

Driving empathy throughout the customer journey — putting yourself in your customers’ shoes to anticipate their needs — isn’t possible without the data-driven listening and prediction capabilities of AI.

AI breaks down organisational barriers to empathy

AI technology helps eliminate customer frustration. It can correctly identify where a customer is in their journey, what they’ve tried to do and how they might feel. It delivers continuous feedback — essential with automation like chatbots — not only to ensure customer needs are met but also improve future service. Businesses are using AI In the contact centre to predict what the customer wants to achieve and then route them to the agent who can best assist them.

When these actions happen in real time and at scale, companies are orchestrating customer journeys with empathy. The first step in achieving this is to understand what outcomes you want. Is it a superior customer experience? Is it differentiation? Then, build a model to understand how you’re going to measure success before you start applying solutions just because everyone else is doing so.

AI is your eyes, ears… and heart

AI humanises customer journeys and employee experiences and that builds affinity.

The reward for removing frustration points for customers; showing them they’re listened to and understood; and serving them quickly, proficiently, and proactively is loyalty and trust. Research shows that consumers feel more connected to an organisation that remembers them.

AI can also transform the employee experience. CX staff performance is often measured on speed and effectiveness. They’re rarely recognised for taking time to deeply understand and resolve complex customer queries. AI can support them in the moment with next-best actions and real-time coaching.

By meeting customer expectations more easily, employee experience also improves dramatically. Metrics improve and agents interact with customers who aren’t already frustrated.

Companies aiming to build customer and employee journeys that deliver loyalty and trust will make AI an integral part of their CX strategy.