1、CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITALCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITALCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITALCUSTOMERCONTACT WEEKDIGITALCUSTOMERCONTACT WEEKDIGITALAugust 2023Market Study:Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital2CUSTOMER CONTACT W

2、EEKDIGITAL|IntroThought leaders may call this the era of customer centricity.They may trumpet how brands are now competing on the customer experience.For consumers,however,2023 has just been another year of disappointing interactions with brands that barely know,let alone care about,the customers th

3、ey are serving or issues they are addressing.According to CCW Digitals 2023 CX Trends,Challenges&Opportunities Market Study,only 4%of consumers believe experiences have meaningfully improved over the past year.The overwhelming majority,meanwhile,feel their typical experiences are inefficient,inconve

4、nient,and impersonal.Given such negative consumer sentiment,brands have little reason to celebrate the experiences they are currently providing.They can,however,celebrate the opportunity they have to transform.Thanks to advances in digital communication and artificial intelligence(AI)technology,bran

5、ds have an unparalleled ability to analyze customer behaviors,honor customer preferences,personalize customer experiences,and cultivate teams of customer-centric agents.They can elevate and scale their experiences while also saving money and eliminating friction.Granted,this potential will remain th

6、eoretical until companies approach the technology correctly.If they do not create reliable digital offerings and deploy human-centric AI solutions,they will only compound the frustration their customers and employees are facing.How can you avoid these negative outcomes?How can you properly seize the

7、 opportunities of digital and AI?How can you modernize your service experiences to simultaneously boost operational efficiency and customer satisfaction?By analyzing proprietary research into customer contact leaders biggest challenges,inefficiencies,and customer experience ambitions,this Market Stu

8、dy provides the answers.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital3CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Table of Contents2 Intro4 Methodology&Demographics4 About the Author5 Key Findings6 DIGITAL:Should It Play Second Fiddle?9 DIGITAL:Threats To Success11 DIGITAL:Whats The Poin

9、t?13 AI:More Intelligent Hype14 AI:Remedying Risks and Reservations16 AI:Strengthening Self-Service18 AI:Empowering Employees20 AI:Rethinking Data23 Dont Forget All 3 Phases Of Successful CX Automation28 5 Ways To Create A HUMAN Customer Experience With AI33 Appendix34 2023 Editorial Calendar35 Meet

10、 the Team2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital4CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|About the AuthorBrian Cantor Principal Analyst,CCW Digital Customer Management Practice CUSTOMERMANAGEMENTPRACTICEBrian Cantor is the principal analyst and director for CCW Digital,the glob

11、al online community and research hub for customer contact professionals.In his role,Brian leads all customer experience,contact center,technology,and employee engagement research initiatives for CCW.CCW Digitals articles,special reports,commentaries,infographics,executive interviews,webinars,and onl

12、ine events reach a community of over 150,000.A passionate advocate for customer centricity,Brian regularly speaks on major CX conference agendas.He also advises organizations on customer experience and business development strategies.Methodology&DemographicsTo help the customer contact community mod

13、ernize service experiences with AI&Digital,CCW Digital conducted an extensive survey in July and August 2023.The survey attracted participation from leaders responsible for their organizations contact center,customer experience,marketing,operations,and information technology budgets and strategies.E

14、xample respondent job titles included chief information officer,senior director of customer care,head of digital transformation,director of online and digital,head of customer service,executive vice president of operations and customer experience,director of customer experience,global vice president

15、 of marketing operations,senior director of customer success and support,vice president of contact center operations,and director of client services.Respondents represented companies from most major industries and all size ranges.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digit

16、al5CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Key Findings1 Although they believe channels like chat,messaging,and social will be most resonant for basic transactions and support inquiries,the majority of companies ultimately feel consumers should be able to address all issues in the digital world.Further,93%of c

17、ompanies say it is essential to personalize these digital interactions.2 To reach this high standard,82%of leaders have begun to emphasize digital engagement in their training and/or hiring strategies.3 Despite this near-universal belief in elevating digital engagement,consumers remain underwhelmed

18、with the actual experiences they are receiving.Brands blame this negative sentiment on impersonal interactions,poor escalation processes,and inconvenient digital platforms.4 The top goals for improving digital engagement include better honoring customer channel preference,reducing customer effort,an

19、d improving proactive engagement capabilities.5 Amid the immense hype and discourse around AI in 2023,brands are becoming more strategic with their investments.About 60%of businesses say they are focusing on a few key AI use cases as opposed to blanketly investing in all conceivable AI solutions.6 A

20、s they invest in intelligent automation,brands are beginning to address potential risks related to inaccurate bot communication,customer data protection,and employee fears about the impact of AI.7 The“chatbot”may be the most famous example of AI-powered self-service,but many brands aim to deploy int

21、elligent bots in multiple channels.Messaging,email,and voice bots are eliciting particular interest.8 Cost containment obviously matters,but the most important metrics for these bots will be customer satisfaction and issue resolution rate.9 In their effort to augment employee performance with AI,bra

22、nds are primarily focusing on optimizing knowledge bases,passing along vital context when customers escalate from self-service,and providing employees with real-time sentiment data during interactions.10 Actionable data is essential for elevating customer experiences,and AI-powered analytics solutio

23、ns can help brands unlock this intelligence.Brands hope AI will uncover insights about customer preferences and behaviors,customer intent,and customer sentiment.CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&DigitalSince first encountering the idea of m

24、ultichannel,contact center leaders have debated an important question:is the best customer experience channel-neutral or channel-optimal?In other words,should brands attempt to offer customers the same engagement capabilities and same service quality in every single contact channel?Or,can they ackno

25、wledge that certain platforms are better-suited for certain types of issues and“right-channel”customers accordingly?As they modernize their service experiences,the majority of leaders refuse to take a single side in this debate.Instead,they recognize the value of having cake and eating it too.DIGITA

26、L:Should It Play Second Fiddle?Leaders undeniably recognize that digital has clear advantages and disadvantages in comparison to the traditional phone channel.More importantly,they believe consumers will also acknowledge the comparative strengths and weaknesses of digital engagement.A whopping 93%,f

27、or example,believe that digital will become the preferred option for basic transactions(including initiating returns,resetting passwords,updating account information,and making payments)within the next twelve months.They are nearly as optimistic that digital will emerge as the leading option for bas

28、ic account questions(88%)and basic technical questions(80%).2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital7CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|By comparison,considerably fewer leaders believe digital will supplant phone calls for complex,technical,or high-stakes questions(37%)or v

29、ery specific and personal questions(48%).Leaders belief that digital is optimal for certain interactions does not,however,mean they want to eliminate it as an option for others.Just shy of 66%of leaders believe that customers should be able to handle all conceivable support and engagement issues in

30、digital channels.The majority of businesses,therefore,believe in empowering customers to choose whether interactions take place in digital channels.Any escalation from chat to phone should be driven by the customers desire for a different type of interaction rather than the companys internal belief

31、that chat is ill-suited for the issue at hand.Further underscoring this commitment to honoring customers channel preference,a substantial 92%believe personalization is essential in digital channels.An impressive 55%actually feel that personal,conversation engagement is as necessary in digital intera

32、ctions as it is during traditional phone calls.Within the next 12 months,do you feel digital will be your customers preferred option(as in-theyd rather use digital than phone)for the following tasks?88.03%11.97%48.25%51.75%79.72%20.28%36.62%63.38%93.01%6.99%71.13%28.87%59.57%40.43%Basic account ques

33、tions(when is payment due,when is return policy)Basic technical questions(internet is down,phone wont turn on,how do I check-in for flight,etc)Basic actions(initiate return,reset password,make a payment,update username,etc)Specific/personal questions(billing dispute,fraudulent charge,etc)Complex tec

34、hnical/expert/high-stakes questions(how do I reprogram a firewall,advice on investments or medical issues,etc)Shopping/sales questions and transactionsCustomer relations,complaint,and feedback inquiries Yes No2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital8CUSTOMER CONTACT W

35、EEKDIGITAL|More than 88%of leaders,meanwhile,say they have begun revamping agent training and/or hiring practices to account for the rise of digital.These statistics provide clear evidence that brands aim to deliver complete engagement experiences in channels like chat,messaging,email,and social med

36、ia.By allowing customers to handle most issues in these channels and receive a high-quality,personalized experience when doing so they eliminate any biases associated with the channel selection.If customers choose to engage in a particular channel,it will be because they feel the interaction makes s

37、ense in that environment not because they distrust the organizations commitment to delivering excellent service somewhere else.By creating this customer-driven landscape,brands will gain a truly objective window into customer preferences and behaviors.They will learn where customers want to communic

38、ate at different phases of the journey,allowing them to more quickly route customers to the ideal destination and more effectively identify weaknesses that might be discouraging customers from using a given channel.n 41.96%Yes,we are hiring and training agents specifically for digital channels/skill

39、sn 46.15%We are not changing our hiring,but we are training and coaching agents for digitaln 11.89%Digital has not impacted our agent hiring or training at allIs the rise of digital channels impacting the way your contact center/CX team hires and manages employees?n 65.73%Yes,they should be able to

40、do everything they can on the phone or in-personn 34.27%No,it is OK to restrict digital to certain issuesFrom your organizations perspective,should customers be able to handle all support/engagement issues in digital channels?Digital experiences should be as conversational and personal as phone call

41、sDigital experiences should be tailored to specific customers,but they dont have to be deeply“human”or conversationalPersonalization is not particularly important;digital is about fast transactionsFrom your organizations perspective,how important is personalization in the digital experience?55.24%37

42、.06%7.69%CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&DigitalWithin the next year,the majority of contact center leaders believe that their customers will actively choose digital channels for most interactions.They believe their customers will not onl

43、y see digital interactions as comparable to phone calls but actually superior for all but the most complex,high-stakes conversations.Though exciting,this optimism may not be warranted.Per CCW Digitals CX Trends,Challenges,and Opportunities Market Study,consumers remain unimpressed with digital exper

44、iences.Whereas upwards of 70%trust companies to solve their problems over the phone,the majority lack equivalent confidence in digital channels.Just 49%have confidence in customer support via live chat;the number drops to 29%for messaging and an even more alarming 14%for social media.If brands want

45、customers to view their digital channels as reliable support options,let alone preferable ones,it is imperative that they identify and remedy the leading sources of distrust and frustration.DIGITAL:Threats To SuccessIn the status quo,no pain point is bigger than the lack of personalization.A stagger

46、ing 81%of brands concede that their digital interactions are insufficiently tailored to specific customers and their needs.Personalization is a non-negotiable demand for todays consumers,who expect brands to instantly recognize them and their issues,show respect for their time,empathize with their n

47、eeds,and deliver highly relevant resolutions.If consumers do not sense these qualities in their digital interactions,they will never trust digital channels the way they do phone calls.They will never believe they could get the same“off script”resolution,let alone the same opportunity for human conne

48、ction.As a result,they will never feel like a digital platform is the ideal environment for addressing anything but the most basic,generic inquiries.Other leading pain points include a poor escalation process(70%),difficult or unenjoyable platforms(69%),and limited engagement options(65%).No matter

49、how much they may want to solve a problem in a digital channel,customers know that escalations are inevitable.Some issues at least at present will require a transfer to a phone call.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital10CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Digital journey

50、s are not sufficiently personalized/customized to individual customersIf even available,customers generally have to wait to interact with a live agent(chat,messaging,etc)in digitalCustomers have to exert too much effort(login,authentication,etc)before they can engage digitallySupport options are lim

51、ited in digital(hyper personalized,specific issues still require a phone call)Escalation process between digital channels(and/or digital to phone)is not seamlessDigital platforms and/or chatbots are not always easy or enjoyable to useWe over communicate with customers in digital too many marketing e

52、mails,texts,etcIf the escalation process is cumbersome and inefficient,the customer has little incentive to even start the interaction in the digital world.They will simply look for a phone number,which simultaneously hinders digital adoption and digital trust.And if the digital platforms are hard t

53、o use or limited in scope,customers have even less reason to engage digitally.They,in turn,have less reason to see digital channels as anything other than second-rate deflection mechanisms.Insofar as only 27%of brands say their digital channels are fully connected to all other experience touch point

54、s,these pain points are thoroughly unsurprising.Companies are clearly not putting themselves in position to recognize customers,eliminate pain points within digital platforms,or seamlessly route them to new channels.Are the following“pain points”currently affecting your digital customer experience?8

55、0.85%19.15%65.00%35.00%57.55%42.45%70.00%30.00%47.14%52.86%68.79%31.21%48.23%51.77%Yes NoDo you feel your digital channels are connected in a seamless,end-to-end journey?Yes,our digital channels are fully connected with each other AND traditional channels like phoneSome or all of our digital channel

56、s are connected,but not with our phone channelSome or all of our digital channels are connected,but only for some issues/cases/customersNo,our digital channels are marginally or not at all connected26.57%29.37%29.37%14.69%CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Expe

57、riences With AI&DigitalTo put their digital channels on the same playing field as the highly established phone option,brands will have to remedy the aforementioned pain points.They will have to invest in user-friendly technologies,cultivate teams of digitally savvy agents,recalibrate their metrics,r

58、edesign customer journeys,and pursue innovative customer experience initiatives.For this level of investment and effort to make sense,it is essential that brands see legitimate value in cultivating digital trust and adoption.Pursuing a digital transformation for the sake of chasing a trend or“keepin

59、g up with the Joneses”is simply unacceptable in todays era of cost scrutiny and economic uncertainty.Fortunately,the majority of brands see numerous tenets of value in digital channels.In turn,they have numerous reasons to invest heavily in their digital transformations.DIGITAL:Whats The Point?Above

60、 all,brands want to honor customer channel preference.Consumers may not love the digital experiences they have received thus far,but 96%of brands believe they do,ultimately,want to engage in digital channels.By elevating their digital experiences,brands will honor this preference and ensure customer

61、s will not have to choose between interacting where they want and where they think they will get a satisfactory experience.Other key digital motivations include reducing customer effort(91%),improving their ability to deliver proactive engagement(87%),and capturing more customer intelligence(86%).Di

62、gital engagement is predicated on speed and convenience,and brands want to ensure their experiences live up to that billing.They want to give customers an option for getting fast,relevant,personalized answers and support without waiting on hold or exiting their web browser.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|M

63、odernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital12CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|4.20%Honor customer preference for digital channelsManage/reduce inbound call volumeManage/reduce customer service costsReduce customer effortCapture more customer data/intelligenceImprove ability to deliver proactive engag

64、ementAttract employees who like the idea of working in digital/dont like“call center”stigmaProactive engagement represents a way to further reduce effort,and digital channels lend themselves to the use case.By cultivating trust in their digital offerings,brands can use text alerts,tailored emails,an

65、d customized web pages to resolve issues before customers even ask for help and drive sales before customers even begin to shop.When customers trust and enjoy a brands digital experiences,they will organically navigate through the different touch points,willingly share information,and respond candid

66、ly to offers and messages.These insights can help brands gain an unprecedented window into customer personas,preferences,and behaviors,meaning that a successful digital transformation fosters a successful intelligence transformation.Are the following motivations/objectives important to your digital

67、experience strategy?95.80%90.91%9.09%80.42%19.58%85.92%14.08%83.92%16.08%87.41%12.59%68.53%31.47%Yes NoCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&DigitalWe are eager(or even more eager)to invest in AI for multiple contact center/CX use casesWe have

68、become more targeted(we are prioritizing one or two specific use cases for AI)We have become less eager to invest in AIFrom generating headlines,to boosting tech stock prices,to dominating webinar conversations,to spurring ethical debates,artificial intelligence has been the defining business topic

69、in 2023.Contact center leaders,unsurprisingly,are taking notice.About 96%say they are as enthusiastic as ever to invest in AI solutions.This enthusiasm is not,however,manifesting as raw recklessness.The majority of contact center leaders,in fact,feel the incredible buzz over AI including solutions l

70、ike ChatGPT has helped them improve their investment savvy.Whereas 35%say they have become more blanketly eager to invest in AI solutions,60%feel they have become more targeted.Rather than ordering every solution with“AI”in the marketing copy,this clear majority of companies are focusing on a select

71、 few use cases that make the most sense for their business,their customers,and the existing strengths and weaknesses of AI solutions.Granted,the savviest of investors will not simply focus on identifying the best possible use cases.They will also stress accountability,minimizing the likely risks and

72、 maximizing the potential rewards of their investments.AI:More Intelligent HypeTheir investment will be about elevating their experiences and operations,not simply about chasing an inescapable industry trend.How has your commitment to investing in AI contact center/CX solutions changed over the past

73、 year?35.29%60.29%4.41%CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&DigitalWhen the spotlight is bright enough,it will illuminate favorable and unfavorable truths.Such is the case for AI,in which ample excitement over promising use cases has coincided

74、 with palpable concern about negative consequences.Contact center leaders have begun to acknowledge these risks.More importantly,they have begun to prepare for and mitigate their potential impact.Seventy-seven(77%)say they are actively addressing the possibility that AI chatbots will share inaccurat

75、e information with customers.Whether to prevent embarrassing mistakes,avoid overpromises to customers,or protect against liability and compliance issues,brands clearly recognize the imminent importance of maintaining accuracy in AI-driven communication.Options for mitigating this risk include auditi

76、ng internal knowledge bases,thoroughly testing and monitoring all AI deployments,enlisting agents as“custodians”who can guide bots to the correct answer,training all bots on specific company and customer data,and requiring agent assistance for high-risk interactions.In addition to potential inaccura

77、cies,significant percentages of organizations are addressing risk factors like protection of customer data(76%),employee concerns about learning new systems(68%),and employee concerns about potential job loss(64%).AI:Remedying Risks and ReservationsEmployees concerned about job loss/being replacedEm

78、ployees concerned about shift to more complex work-and the training/compensation associated with itEmployees concerned about learning to use new technologiesSupervisors concerned about what AI will mean for employee sentiment and performanceConcern that customers will be forced to use chatbots/have

79、harder time reaching live agentConcern about AI bots/tools sharing inaccurate information with customersConcern about AI bots/tools managing sensitive,personal customer dataAre you actively addressing any of the following concerns about AI and its impact on your contact center/CX operation?62.50%37.

80、50%62.50%63.97%37.50%36.03%63.97%36.03%68.38%31.62%77.04%22.96%76.47%23.53%Yes No2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital15CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|The true power of modern,customer-facing AI is in its ability to converse with users.Instead of simply regurgitating

81、 information from a knowledge base,modern bots can recognize individual customers and tailor all responses and actions accordingly.This capability,of course,hinges on the bot having access to personal data about each customer.Whether through access to CRM records or direct inputs from customers,bots

82、 will gain access to valuable and vulnerable information that requires security,privacy,and respect.Brands will have to determine the situations in which bots should and should not be trusted to follow the necessary data protocol.They will also have to evaluate the individual technology,assessing it

83、s inherent security features as well as its vulnerability to manipulation from individual users.Whereas contact center AI has long been presented as a way to“augment rather than replace”agents,it is clear that employees are beginning to question the truth of the notion.For starters,any new technolog

84、y solution is going to come with a learning curve,if not a dramatic change in the individual employees workflow.If the agent does not believe the value of the technology outweighs the cost of breaking from the status quo,they will be less inclined to embrace the new solution.This reluctance,in turn,

85、inhibits the business ability to maximize the return on their investment.Brands clearly see the significance of this issue;the savviest will likely focus on achieving frontline buy-in for new AI solutions even inherently agent-centric ones like“AI assist.”As employees deal with talk of economic unce

86、rtainty and witness the power of generative AI,they are naturally beginning to wonder whether their jobs are as secure as leaders once promised.Rather than sticking to cliches,64%of brands know they need to more actively and candidly discuss the issue with their employees.One potential solution invo

87、lves beginning to prepare agents for a future in which AI handles some of their past workflow.This process,of course,requires brands to actually identify which tasks will pivot from agents to AI and how the role of the agent will evolve as a result.Companies are at different stages of this explorati

88、on process.Just over 30%feel they know what work the agent of the future will handle,but they have not yet begun preparing agents for this new normal.Just shy of 26%are unclear on how the role of the agent will evolve,but they assume it will involve a shift to higher-value work and they have begun t

89、o hire with that expectation in mind.About 15%are both unsure of how agent work will change and unchanged in their hiring and training practices.Only 29%have a precise vision for the future of the agent and a clear game plan for cultivating the necessary talent and skills.We know what tasks the agen

90、t of the future will handle,and we have begun hiring/training for those needsWe know what tasks the agent of the future will handle,but we havent yet begun preparing our employeesWere still unsure what tasks the agent of the future will handle,but weve started to hire/train for higher-value skillsWe

91、re still unsure what tasks the agent of the future will handle,and weve made no changes to hiring/trainingWe similarly hear about“AI handling simple issues so agents can focus on complex ones.”Has your organization determined what those“complex tasks”will be and what competencies agents will need?28

92、.68%30.15%25.74%15.44%CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&DigitalAs a way to all-at-once capitalize on a recognizable AI use case,empower customers to solve issues on their own terms,manage costly inbound contact volume,and shift agents to mo

93、re dynamic,complex work,self-service naturally ranks as a top AI focus.The key,of course,will be to approach AI-driven chatbots with the right mindset.If brands prioritize the wrong outcomes,their bots will deliver no more value than a static FAQ page and receive as much mockery and condemnation as

94、the traditional IVR.Fortunately,brands seem to be approaching self-service from a customer-centric perspective.A sizable 92%,for instance,call customer feedback and satisfaction rates pivotal to evaluating self-service performance.Other key self-service performance indicators include resolution rate

95、(89%)and contact volume(82%).AI:Strengthening Self-ServiceBoth customer satisfaction and resolution rate speak to the importance of creating value for customers rather than simply thinning out company call queues.This creates optimism that brands will emphasize natural language understanding,intuiti

96、ve menus and options,personalized experiences,and opportunities to actually solve problems.These qualities are largely absent from the typical IVR.With 82%professing a desire to reduce call volume,brands are not hiding their interest in the potential cost savings.The key,however,will be to approach

97、this from a customer-and employee-centric view(save customers from having to wait on hold,free agents for more meaningful conversations)as opposed to a pathway for short-term cost savings.While“chatbots”may be commanding the most buzz,many brands believe satisfying,resolute,efficient self-service is

98、 possible in multiple channels.Over the next twelve months,the majority of businesses also plan to deploy AI-driven bots in phone,email,and messaging.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital17CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Resolution rate(how many issues are 100%resolve

99、d in self-service?)Call volume(does self-service call lead to fewer or different agent calls?)Customer feedback/satisfaction scores(how do customers rate your bot?)Time to escalation(how long/how many questions does the customer ask before requesting an agent?)Ease of escalation(can the agent dive r

100、ight into the call using information gathered in the bot?)Phone/voiceEmailLive chatMessaging/textSocial mediaMessage board/communityMobile appDo you,or will you within the next 12 months,have AI bots handling customer interactions in the following channels?Are the following metrics important for ass

101、essing the success of your AI self-service/chatbot tools?50.76%88.97%49.24%11.03%63.64%80.88%36.36%19.12%61.07%81.62%38.93%18.38%45.45%80.00%54.55%20.00%73.88%91.79%26.12%8.21%42.75%57.25%49.24%50.76%Yes No Yes NoCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences W

102、ith AI&DigitalWith contact centers increasingly expecting results from their AI investments,they can no longer rely on empty cliches about“augmenting”and“empowering”agent performance.They have to consider the specific use cases and take specific supportive actions that will lead to the happiest,most

103、 productive,most customer-centric employees possible.In todays contact center landscape,knowledge management represents the most popular empowerment opportunity.More than 83%plan to use AI to improve and/or streamline their knowledge bases over the next 12 months.Whether by unifying and reconciling

104、conflicting knowledge entries,increasing the searchability of content,and using analytics to flag entries that need updates,modern AI solutions transform knowledge from an operational burden into an empowering resource for employees.They ensure agents can spend less time stressing over what knowledg

105、e they need and more time using readily accessible intelligence to provide great,loyalty-building support.AI:Empowering EmployeesOther AI empowerment priorities include gathering self-service data that can be passed to agents(80%),gathering real-time sentiment data that can help agents steer convers

106、ations(79%),and“agent assist”solutions that guide employees with vital recommendations and information during each interaction(78%).While enabling better agent performance and eliminating frustrating work,each case directly leads to a better customer experience.When agents have access to escalation

107、context,they can avoid repetitive questions and deliver faster,more relevant support.When agents have insight into customer sentiment,they can adjust their tone and provide more relevant resolutions.When agents receive assistive knowledge prompts and guidance,they can deliver more accurate and helpf

108、ul support without having to ask the customer to wait on hold.And since the customer will be receiving a better experience,they will have less reason to develop frustration during the interaction.This prevents agents from having to deal with hostile customers,further elevating their work experience.

109、2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital19CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Guiding/forcing customers to use bots for simple issues,allowing agents to focus on more complex onesUsing AI to improve/streamline knowledge baseUsing AI to improve/streamline agent training and c

110、oachingUsing AI to streamline after-call work,data entry,case creation,etcGathering data during self-service that can be passed along to agent,leading to more efficient/personalized interactionGathering real-time data during interaction(sentiment,intent)that can help agent tailor the conversation“Ag

111、ent assist”-automatically providing agent with info and knowledge they need for the interactionQuality monitoring and coaching,such as a real-time checklist to make sure agent says what they need to sayUsing AI for translation,dialect management,etcBroadly,we hear about AIs potential to“augment”agen

112、t performance.Over the next 12 months,will you adopt any of these specific AI measures to empower employees?68.89%31.11%77.94%22.06%83.09%16.91%80.00%20.00%77.94%22.06%79.41%72.06%20.59%27.94%78.68%68.15%21.32%31.85%Yes NoCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Expe

113、riences With AI&DigitalA successful service operation aims to consistently eliminate sources of friction,empower agent performance,personalize customer interactions,anticipate emerging shifts in customer behavior,and continuously improve customer journeys.Each of these endeavors hinges on access to

114、robust,actionable intelligence from across the entire experience.A framework for unlocking this data has,however,long eluded contact centers.CCW Digital research repeatedly reveals that many organizations are struggling to even capture relevant data from customer touch points,let alone unify,analyze

115、,democratize,and operationalize the most pivotal insights.The desire to remedy these challenges and elevate customer data explains why analytics solutions rank as a popular AI use case.But todays leaders are not simply aware they need to invest in AI-powered intelligence;they have a sense of what da

116、ta to prioritize.More than 90%expect their AI analytics investments to yield more meaningful insight into customer behaviors and preferences.Other top priorities include understanding customer intent(89%),customer sentiment(79%),and agent performance and quality(85%).AI:Rethinking DataDigital channe

117、ls and AI-driven chatbots are creating a crossroads moment for the customer experience:brands have to ensure that they are incorporating these technologies based on customer needs rather than trends or insulated boardroom objectives.Actionable data about customer behavior,preference,and intentions e

118、nsures brands can quickly route customers to the right touch point at the right time.It also informs staffing decisions,as brands will want to allocate agents to the channels customers actually want to use.Customer sentiment helps agents go beyond profile data when personalizing;it ensures they can

119、adjust the interaction based on the customers immediate needs and emotions.This more contextual,empathetic approach to care is what will create competitive advantages.With the emergence of AI shifting agents to more complex work,actionable intelligence about how agents are adapting to and performing

120、 in the new normal is critical.Agent performance intelligence is particularly useful in the era of hybrid work,since leaders have less opportunity to monitor agents in-person.They are utterly reliant on analytics to learn how agents are performing,how they are feeling,and how they are contributing t

121、o customer satisfaction.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital21CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Customer behavior/preference(what offers they like,what channels they use)Customer intent(what they hope to achieve when they contact)Customer sentiment(how they feel during

122、 interaction)Predictive customer intelligence(is a given customer likely to buy,hang up,etc)Social media monitoring/listeningAgent performance and qualityAgent sentiment and engagementAre the following types of contact center/CX intelligence important to your existing and future AI analytics investm

123、ents?90.44%86.76%62.50%88.97%77.21%85.29%79.41%9.56%11.03%22.79%14.71%13.24%37.50%20.59%Yes NoPracticality GuideCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITALCUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&DigitalThe hype around AI-driven chatbots may be inescapable,but c

124、onsumers remain unimpressed with automated interactions.Only one-fifth trust chatbots to solve their problems,and nearly two-thirds expect easy access to agents for most issues.Granted,it is not as if these human employees are wowing customers.Struggling to navigate internal tools and databases,they

125、 subject most customers to repetitive questions,impersonal experiences,and long wait times.With cost scrutiny rising,contact volume increasing,and customer and employee expectations growing,companies cannot allow these inadequacies to linger.“As more pressure is placed on support agents due to risin

126、g case volume and support leaders emphasis on productivity,the customer and employee experience are negatively impacted.Dont Forget All 3 Phases Of Successful CX AutomationLonger wait times lead to customer aggravation,and high agent turnover leads to inexperienced agents taking longer to provide ac

127、curate resolutions.Employee satisfaction decreases as agents deal with frustrated customers and arent equipped with the tools they need to provide answers quickly.”-Ryan Van Wagoner,ForethoughtLuckily,a blueprint exists for a more value-driven,customer-centric,employee-empowering vision of customer

128、experience automation.By avoiding common pitfalls and then accounting for three specific phases of successful automation,you can ensure your AI investments actually reduce friction,increase personalization,improve support quality,and drive favorable business outcomes.What challenges must you overcom

129、e?What are these three phases of excellence?This briefing will provide the answers,enabling you to make AI customer-centric.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital24CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|UNINTELLIGENT AUTOMATION|AI MISFIRES YOU MUST AVOIDValuing speed and conv

130、enience above all,customers crave self-service options.Frustrated by disconnected systems,tedious tasks,and convoluted knowledge bases,employees desire agent empowerment solutions.Fortunately,these urgently important solutions exist.Unfortunately,the impact of these promising solutions is undercut b

131、y strategic and operational misfires that are common throughout the customer contact space.As highlighted below,these pitfalls turn appealing concepts like AI-driven support and intelligent agent assist into sources of friction,frustration,and disengagement.Downplaying The Complete Support Lifecycle

132、The customer contact community loves to trumpet concepts like“customer journeys”and“end-to-end experiences.”Unfortunately,their actual approach to support and particularly automated customer support often neglects the complete lifecycle.“The critical error many AI brands make is attempting to solve

133、for only one stage in the support lifecycle.Effective support automation requires a holistic approach that infuses AI at each stageresolving common cases instantly(Solve),tagging and routing cases(Triage),and assisting agents with suggested responses and context(Assist)then proactively recommending

134、improvements for the process as a whole,including gap detection and content generation(Discover).”-Ryan Van Wagoner,ForethoughtThe failure to collectively account for all phases of the support lifecycle essentially guarantees that each phase will underperform.Brands that exclusively focus on using A

135、I chatbots to resolve common cases,for example,may neglect to optimize the experience for customers with uncommon issues.This increases the likelihood that the customer will endure frustration when trying to escalate to the most suitable agent while decreasing the likelihood that said agent will hav

136、e all the context they need to solve the customers problem without asking repetitive questions.And if a customer knows that they will have to deal with a difficult escalation process,they have little incentive to initiate an interaction with a bot.They will instead go directly to a live agent.Inevit

137、ably,these customers will bypass bots even for simple issues,squandering the impact of the chatbot investment while increasing costly call volume and wait times.Setting The Support Bar Too LowMany brands forget that a technically simple question may require more than a generic answer.They use their

138、supposedly intelligent,AI-driven bots for nothing more than regurgitating basic knowledge entries or providing email addresses and phone numbers customers can use to request actual help.They do not let their bots actually solve problems,let alone provide personalized help,recommendations,and outcome

139、s.Consequently,they do nothing to make customers more trusting of self-service.To elevate customer experiences,it is imperative to put the service in self-service.This means letting bots actually solve problems,be it offering an instant refund when a customer complains about a poor experience or pro

140、cessing an automatic replacement shipment when a customer reports a lost package.If providing an active solution is impossible,these bots will intelligently route the customer and the context of their issue to an agent capable of providing real and immediate help.However,this failure to optimize AI

141、is not exclusive to self-service solutions.It also inhibits the efficacy of agent assist.Too many brands forget that the point of agent assist is to guide rather than script agents.They insufficiently train,let alone empower,agents to use knowledge and context prompts to engage in highly personalize

142、d conversations and provide uniquely tailored resolutions.As a result,these agents can only repeat the information and policies that appear on their screens.In doing so,they neither internalize the knowledge they are sharing(thus gain no mastery or expertise about the company and its products)nor of

143、fer customers anything that a chatbot could not deliver.INSUFFICIENTLY MANAGING CUSTOMER AND COMPANY INTELLIGENCEMore than 77%of brands are concerned about inaccurate bot communication and with good reason.Beyond stories of AI hallucinations,these companies recognize a simple reality:their customer

144、intelligence frameworks are not as strong as they should be.AI solutions are only as good as the data and systems driving them,which is a problem when most companies cite challenges in unifying and analyzing customer data and 2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital25

145、CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|company knowledge.If a single view of a customer does not exist anywhere,what chance does an AI chatbot have of successfully personalizing an automated interaction?If conflicting,outdated,and inaccurate knowledge entries run rampant throughout the organization,how can an

146、 agent assist solution guide employees to the right actions?“The accuracy of generative AI ultimately comes from the accuracy of your data because thats what the AI learns from.If your knowledge articles and help center are correct,the responses will be accurate.If not,the model is going to learn an

147、d produce inaccurate information.The same thing holds true for agents using those sources of information.”-Ryan Van Wagoner,ForethoughtIndeed,a brands ability to maximize AI investments hinges on its ability to connect key enterprise systems and data sources.From there,the best brands will actively

148、train their AI solutions on specific customer and company data to ensure automated processes are efficient,reflective of company values,cognizant of industry lingo,and personalized to customer needs and personas.UNLOCKING AI WITH CUSTOMER CENTRICITY|3 DIMENSIONS TO CONSIDERIf there is a commonality

149、to the biggest AI misfires,it is short-sightedness.Brands(as well as many technology providers)neglect to include the full scope of factors the different use cases,customer expectations,phases of the customer support lifecycle,and data sources that impact the efficacy of automation solutions.Success

150、,therefore,hinges on a more cohesive,value-driven approach to the customer experience.Specifically,it means ensuring your automation investments successfully deliver on three crucial tenets:performance,customer experience,and time-to-value.Phase#1|PerformanceQuality matters when it comes to AI-drive

151、n customer experiences.Brands require assurance that the automated communication is accurate and relevant while maintaining full control to intervene when human guidance is necessary.Of course,there will be limits to a brands use of automation.Still,limits should be rooted in value(does it make sens

152、e to automate this interaction or process?)rather than fear(what if the bot shares incorrect or damaging information?).Customers require similar assurances of accuracy and usability;they should be able to trust what the bot is saying and easily take action within the automated interaction(be it make

153、 a purchase,update an account,or reframe a question).They should also have confidence that the time they invest into an automated interaction will be fruitful yielding either a resolution or a more efficient pathway to someone who can truly solve their problem.Meeting this standard requires AI solut

154、ions that highly emphasize the user experience.Impressing technology experts with cutting-edge functionality is a nice-to-have,but impressing customers,frontline agents,and supervisors with convenient,useful features is essential.It requires connectivity;AI solutions should be able to draw data from

155、 and automate processes across all key enterprise systems.Customers,meanwhile,should be able to seamlessly move between AI-led and agent-led support environments without undue delay or friction.Further,it requires an ability to easily train the AI solutions on company-and industry-specific intellige

156、nce,fostering automated experiences that are contextually relevant,situationally accurate,and personally valuable.“One way to curb hallucinations is using a domain-specific tool with AI models that are trained on a companys own data,rather than a tool like ChatGPT,which is intended to be generic and

157、 pulls information from all across the internet.Tuning and tailoring the AI models to a companys support data,content,and material mitigates hallucinations and ensures the experience customers want,and that is relevant to the companys support policies.”-Ryan Van Wagoner,ForethoughtPhase#2|Customer E

158、xperienceAutomated experiences may not involve human agents,but that does not mean they should feel inhuman and transactional.Experience always matters to customers whether they are making a payment in an automated mobile app or debating a complicated medical bill with a live agent.Considering this

159、reality,successful brands ensure their bots support a highly relevant,immensely conversational experience.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital26CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|This involves actually harnessing the power of AI,treating bots as conversation partners ra

160、ther than static FAQ pages.No,they do not necessarily have to crack jokes or engage in small talk.Still,bots do have to recognize customers and their needs,understand and generate natural language,and provide tailored responses and resolutions.Many customers can recall a situation in which they had

161、to enunciate their name cartoonishly and then pick the most relevant of three generally irrelevant options when using an IVR.In the era of generative AI-powered chatbots,these experiential sacrifices are unacceptable.Customers should be able to move through the interaction on their terms,using their

162、 own words.Not simply mindful of customer effort,this conversational approach unlocks vital intelligence for the business.When customers engage in natural language,brands gain a vivid understanding of how customers communicate certain issues and which responses drive positive and negative sentiment.

163、From there,they can optimize knowledge bases,bot interaction flows,and training to elevate future interactions.Successful brands will also take a customer-centric approach to agent assist,supplementing knowledge prompts with real-time insight into customer intention and sentiment.When agents know ho

164、w a customer feels and how that feeling may impact their willingness to accept a resolution,pay for an upgrade,or take their business elsewhere,they can adapt the conversation to provide a more empathetic,personalized experience.Phase#3|Time To ValueRecklessly rushing a full-scale AI deployment is u

165、nwise.Successful brands know to evaluate their customer journeys,identify valuable use cases,prepare their teams,create the right technology framework,and incrementally assess performance as part of their rollout strategy.There is,however,incredible importance in acting quickly to derive value from

166、the best AI use cases.Tools that require lengthy data training processes,master-level coding skills to make changes,or cumbersome steps to upgrade functionality defeat the very purpose of automation.They add friction and complexity to the process,forcing brands to choose between lower-value automati

167、on or costlier implementation.“Too many AI tools take months to implement and are complicated to maintain.Effective support automation must provide fast time to value with quick and simple implementation processes and very little maintenance.”-Ryan Van Wagoner,ForethoughtBy not only simplifying the

168、implementation and integration process but also ensuring the tools can learn from company-specific data and ongoing customer interactions,the best AI solutions allow customer contact leaders to focus on the strategy behind their AI.They can determine the right use cases,establish metrics,provide age

169、nt training,and offer the most useful customer education.FROM CHALLENGE TO SOLUTION|AI INITIATIVES AT THEIR MOST CUSTOMER-CENTRIC(AND EFFICIENT)Committed to helping brands optimize every phase of the support lifecycle,Forethought uses the power of generative AI to meaningfully elevate customer centr

170、icity.Yes,automated interactions are more convenient and efficient,but they are also more relevant,personalized,and proactive.They respect customers individual preferences and companies unique values.The benefits of this approach are multi-faceted;brands are seeing increases in self-service utilizat

171、ion,improved operational performance,and better financial outcomes.Example success stories follow.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital27CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|CompanyChallengeSolution&ResultLimeA lack of self-service tools,inability to serve customers in mul

172、tiple languages,and manual support processes led to difficulty scaling Limes rapidly growing business.With Forethought,98%of support tickets are automatically tagged,then routed to agents based on the language they were received in.Lime has achieved a 77%reduction in time to first response,scaling s

173、upport operations.UpworkWith a global,loosely connected support organization,agent training,resources,and accuracy in responses to support tickets were inconsistent.With Forethought,Upwork achieves up to a 65%self-serve rate,and email inquiries are responded to with 99%accuracy.Uncommon GoodsWith an

174、 influx of support inquiries around the holiday season,Uncommon Goods needed to scale support operations while maintaining customer SLAs.With Forethought,Uncommon Goods customers find answers to their questions through a chat widget,while the company saves$18K per month in support costs by achieving

175、 a 47%self-serve rate.CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&DigitalWe have seen the hype.We have heard the cliches.We know artificial intelligence(AI)is supposed to empower rather than eliminate human connections.Unfortunately,many consumers ar

176、e still waiting for this concept to materialize.For them,experiences remain utterly robotic and impersonal.Only 13%feel customer experiences are highly personalized,just 14%believe brands can anticipate why they are getting in touch,and merely 16%feel interactions are sufficiently“conversational.”Wi

177、th customer expectations rising,brands cannot allow this sobering reality to continue.“Todays customers buy and want support in completely different ways than a couple of years ago.The pandemic has not changed that need,but it did make it more pressing.Theres a growing need for personalized,empathet

178、ic and proactive service with no unnecessary dialogue.”-Bob Visser,Anywhere3655 Ways To Create A HUMAN Customer Experience With AIFortunately,modern AI solutions absolutely can live up to the hype.They can indeed empower brands to create omnichannel experiences that are all-at-once more efficient,mo

179、re relevant,and more proactive.The key is to approach the technology and the very idea of human-centric experiences correctly.This briefing provides the necessary blueprint,revealing five ways to empower a HUMAN experience with AI.HUMAN:THE STANDARD FOR CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENTBefore diving into specific

180、 action steps,it is important to crystallize the definition of HUMAN customer experience.“HUMAN stands for Heartfelt,Unified,Measurable,Actionable,and Natural”-Bob Visser,Anywhere 3652023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital29CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|HeartfeltEmpat

181、hy is the cornerstone of a customer-centric experience.If a brand cannot put itself in its customers shoes and understand the why behind their inquiries and sentiments,it has little chance of delivering the appropriate experiences,let alone providing the desired resolutions.It should be noted that e

182、mpathy is not necessarily a synonym for emotional intimacy.It is not a call to engage every single customer in a lengthy string of small talk about their thoughts,feelings,favorite pets,and vacation plans.Rather,it is a call to focus on what matters to the customer.Yes,customers who are dealing with

183、 serious matters or complex emotions will require deep,meaningful support.In these cases,it is imperative that the brand empower its employees to“ditch the script”and engage in an honest,intimate conversation.Often,however,the customer will simply be looking for an urgent answer to a simple question

184、.In these cases,the empathetic thing to do is to respect the customers time and provide a quick,effortless pathway to a resolution.Ultimately,the key is to let the context of a given issue not a generic script set the tone for the interaction.UnifiedHuman customer experiences are not disparate sets

185、of individual transactions and moments.Rather,they are unified journeys consisting of cohesive dialogue.Beyond empowering customers to move seamlessly between channels,human-centric brands ensure that data and context moves with them.They consistently recognize the customer and where they are in the

186、 journey at each touch point.They also ensure customers can instantly resume a given conversation without having to repeat themselves or answer generic qualification questions.A departure from the fragmented systems of the past,dialogue management solutions facilitate this more cohesive,contextual e

187、xperience.“Lets say that youve just sent a letter to a customer segment about a contract extension.In the old way,a customer would call the number on the letter,pick a number in a menu(fingers crossed that Sales was the right options)and then go through a number of hoops before getting to the right

188、person.In Dialogue Management,the letter is part of the same dialogue.The customer calls,your CRM recognizes the phone number and sees that they received this contract extension proposal,a voice bot welcomes them with their last name and asks:are you calling about this proposal?Customer confirms and

189、 is transferred to the right department-not sales by the way,but finance.”-Bob Visser,Anywhere365When brands establish a framework for recognizing customers and respecting their time and effort,they move closer to creating the coveted HUMAN experience.MeasurableHuman experiences may be individualize

190、d and emotional,but they are not random or nebulous.They are highly measurable,enabling businesses to assess how specific interactions and journeys directly impact customer sentiment and behavior.To ensure experiences are sufficiently quantifiable,it is imperative to identify the most contextually i

191、mportant outcome.For a customer complaining about a poor experience,defusing the anger and preventing churn may be the optimal outcome.Brands can analyze key moments of the interaction to determine whether they contributed positively or negatively to that goal.For customers asking pre-purchase quest

192、ions,the obvious goal is to secure the sale.In this case,determining how the sales representatives pitch impacts sentiment and what sentiment best forecasts a purchase represents the best way to assess(and then improve)the experience.ActionableEvery interaction with a customer and every moment of an

193、 engagement journey constitutes a learning opportunity.The brand is gaining vivid insight into who customers are,how they communicate,how they behave,what issues they want to resolve,and how they feel about the experience.Human-centric brands put this data into action.They deploy generative AI solut

194、ions that can create content,customize messages,and provide self-service based on the unique needs and behaviors of customers.They empower agents to anticipate and proactively address changes in customer sentiment.They,to put it simply,transform customer intelligence into better,more personalized ex

195、periences.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital30CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|NaturalWhether engaging with a bot or a live agent,todays consumers are seeking natural conversations.In a self-service environment,they want to be able to articulate their issue in their

196、 own words and receive a resolution that makes sense to them.They neither want to deal with unintuitive corporate jargon nor waste time attempting to shoehorn their inquiry into a predetermined set of confusing menu options.In an agent-led environment,they expect to interact with people who have rea

197、l personalities and demonstrate a real commitment to understanding the nuances of a given issue.An agent who simply regurgitates corporate policies and knowledge entries is offering no value beyond a static FAQ page.As a result,they are doing nothing to increase the humanity of the interaction.THE P

198、OWER OF AI:MAKING HUMAN EXPERIENCES A REALITYThe value of HUMAN customer experiences may seem abundantly obvious.Unfortunately,the prospect of delivering such humanity may seem exceedingly intimidating.How can brands consistently deliver personalized,empathetic experiences while dealing with surging

199、 call volume and growing cost scrutiny?How can brands recognize context and anticipate needs given their longstanding struggles to eliminate silos and integrate customer data?How can they support natural conversation without risking efficiency or compliance?The answer to all questions is simple:an e

200、ffective use of AI.By adhering to 5 key principles for AI deployment,brands will unlock more actionable intelligence,anticipate customer needs,and deliver experiences that are more frictionless,personalized,predictive,and proactive.Customer satisfaction and loyalty will rise,agent engagement will so

201、ar,and profits will skyrocket.#1-Assist Agents With Actionable Intelligence and ContextThe premise behind agent assist technology is straightforward:by automatically surfacing relevant knowledge and insight,the AI enables the agent to better focus on connecting with the customer.Unfortunately,some s

202、olutions fall short of this goal by only surfacing static knowledge to the agent.Although this process frees the agent from cumbersome knowledge searches,it does not necessarily empower a human connection.Effective agent assist solutions surface highly relevant,contextual information based on specif

203、ic data about customers,their issues,their intentions,and the conversation at hand.This leads to an interaction that is not only conversational(since the customer can speak in their natural language and the agent can focus on listening and supporting rather than searching)but personalized(since ever

204、ything the agent shares will be directly relevant to the customer and aligned with past interactions and present sentiment).The best solutions integrate directly with existing systems,workflows and contact center setups,routing customers to the best available agent and then arming that agent with ev

205、erything they need to humanize the interaction.“Anywhere365 is open to connect with other service and application APIs to enhance the customer experience.For example,we helped a financial institution to implement a solution that uses a natural language processing service instead of a keyword or an i

206、nteractive voice recognition whenever a customer calls.We then combine this information with data from internal sources to route the dialogue to an appropriate subject matter expert via Teams.When the expert answers the call or a chat message,they see all this data to help them deliver a personalize

207、d experience.Customer sentiment is analyzed throughout the call and well provide recommended responses to the expert.”-Bob Visser,Anywhere365The end result is a warmer,more delightful,less stressful conversation that leads to a stronger human connection between the brand,its employees,and its custom

208、ers.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital31CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|#2-Deliver Empathy at ScaleThere are four requirements for delivering empathy in todays customer contact landscape.Understanding-the brand requires an outside-in view of the customer experience

209、.What do customers want to achieve?What do they value?How do they feel about the experience they are receiving?Focus-in order to analyze and act on that understanding,the agent must be able to devote ample time,attention,and energy to the given customer Freedom-the agent or bot requires the freedom

210、to shape the conversation based on the understanding,even if it means veering slightly away from a script or policy Scalability-empathy should exist at the center of every interaction,which means it must be delivered efficientlySuccessful AI initiatives will help businesses meet these four requireme

211、nts and thus deliver a legitimately empathetic experience.By capturing vital,conversational context from customers and absorbing simple customer inquiries,AI-driven chatbots help agents understand what customers are going through and focus on using that understanding to improve the conversation.Inte

212、rnal process automation tools have the same effect,helping agents devote even more attention to the customers they aim to serve.Agent assist tools,as well as AI quality management solutions,enable agents to adapt to specific customer needs and converse in their unique personalities without worrying

213、about overlooking key processes,sharing inaccurate information,or violating compliance protocol.In essence,AI helps these agents be human without becoming reckless.Finally,AI analytics tools capture and surface actionable insight about each customer and their issue,enabling brands and agents to deli

214、ver empathy in a more immediate,efficient manner.“The appropriate way to personalize communication is to start with data(everything you already know about the customer at the heart of AI)and then harness the combined power of computer-based intelligence and human empathy.”-Bob Visser,Anywhere365#3-U

215、nlock Comprehensive Real-Time IntelligenceCustomer experiences are inherently unpredictable.No matter how much a brand thinks it knows about a customer,and no matter how much time leaders spend training agents,unexpected events will arise.Customers will react to certain aspects of the experience in

216、a heated,unpredictable way.Agents will deal with intense volume surges,unexpected questions,and unforeseen sources of personal stress.Sudden technical support issues will emerge,rendering moot all previous volume forecasts.The ability to anticipate(or at least recognize)and adapt to this real-time v

217、ariance is the key to delivering humanity.Agents need to be able to shift the tone of a conversation to keep customers happy.Supervisors need to be able to determine when an agent is overworked or unprepared and thus unlikely to delight a customer.Leaders need to know when a particular issue or chan

218、nel is receiving a wave of inquiries and reallocate their staff accordingly.Conversational AI analytics solutions can uncover and surface this real-time intelligence,ensuring brands and employees stay on the pulse of real world uncertainty and make fast,well-informed decisions.#4-Emphasize Employee

219、HappinessAccording to recent CCW Digital research,95%of consumers are more likely to support a brand after dealing with a friendly agent.The statistic offers an important reminder:the best agents are not simply knowledgeable;they are also warm,happy,and engaging.Unfortunately,contact centers are mor

220、e infamous for driving disengagement and attrition than they are cultivating happiness.Beyond culture and compensation challenges,more than two-thirds are forcing agents to spend too much time on low-value work like answering repetitive transactions or looking up basic knowledge entries.The majority

221、 of agents,moreover,have to access at least 4 systems on a typical work day.By improving agents access to customer data and company knowledge,AI helps companies eliminate these sources of undue effort.Chatbots and process automation solutions reduce repetitive work,further enabling agents to spend t

222、ime on the higher-value,more rewarding parts of their job.AI can also assist with real-time training,providing agents with enriching personal development and ensuring they are consistently able to answer customer questions(thus reducing the likelihood of the customer getting angry and negatively imp

223、acting agent demeanor).2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital32CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Successful brands will further leverage AI analytics solutions to assess employee sentiment,flagging potential frustration and disengagement risks before they trickle down to

224、 customer interactions(let alone lead to churn).#5-Improving Post-Interaction Summaries and IntelligenceEvery customer interaction represents an opportunity to learn and improve.Brands will either identify actions that delight customers(which they can look to scale through agent training and bot dep

225、loyments)or practices that frustrate customers(which they can then remedy through better experience design).Brands can only maximize this opportunity,however,if they have access to robust,accurate,actionable intelligence from each interaction.Generative AI solutions help businesses acquire and acces

226、s this intelligence at scale.Capable of not only understanding natural language but generating useful content,generative AI tools can accurately summarize,analyze,and classify key notes and takeaways from calls.This information is instrumental to both large-scale customer experience improvements and

227、 building more accurate profiles for individual customers.As they generate this effective post-interaction intelligence,the AI solutions are freeing employees from work they have notoriously deemed boring and frustrating.As a result,they will be more available to engage in meaningful conversations w

228、ith customers and more content,friendly,supportive,and empowered while doing so.2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital33CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|AppendixSkyrocket customer engagement with Microsoft TeamsUnlock CX Podcast8 Key Ways AI Can Improve Customer Service

229、How to Prepare Your Support Org for the Generative AI RevolutionHow to Avoid Automation and AI Failure in the Contact centerAchieving a Customer-centric vs.Agent-centric Experience Using Automation and Generative AI2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital34CUSTOMER CO

230、NTACT WEEKDIGITAL|2023 Editorial CalendarStrategic Planning For CX OperationsFebruary 9-11,2023 FEBRUARY State Of Contact Center TechnologyApril 6-8,2023 APRILNew Standards For Customer Contact PerformanceMay 25-27,2023 MAY Business Continuity 2.0October 26-28,2023 OCTOBER Future Of The Contact Cent

231、er:A ForecastDecember 14-16,2023DECEMBERCustomer Experience Trends,Challenges And InnovationsSeptember 14-16,2023SEPTEMBER Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&DigitalJuly 20-22,2023JULY Customer Contact Industry ReviewCCW Nashville Presents:Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&DigitalContact

232、Center of 2030Future of the Contact CenterGenerative AI&Chatbots For Customer ContactCX Trends,Challenges&OpportunitiesAPRILAUGUSTSEPTEMBERNOVEMBERMAYJUNE2023 AUGUST MARKET STUDY|Modernizing Service Experiences With AI&Digital35CUSTOMER CONTACT WEEKDIGITAL|Meet the TeamBrian Cantor Principal Analyst

233、,Director CCW Digital E:Brian.CAndy Kuang Senior Marketing Manager CCW Digital E:Andy.KMelinda Acuna Marketing Associate CCW Digital E:Melinda.ASimon Copcutt Head of Strategic Accounts CCW Digital E:Simon.CBrooke Lynch Divisional Director of Digital CCW Digital E:Brooke.LWandy Felicita Ortiz Content Analyst CCW Digital E:Ben McClymontt Director of Business Development CCW Digital E: