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If new technology becomes available into the world It's tempting to jump deep into this new technology and incorporate it into every aspects of your company.

In this age of artificial intelligence (AI) it is possible to consider incorporating chatbots or large-language models (LLMs) within your customer service offering. We've found that a compromise needs to find, according to Lauren Gilbert, Eyal Avital and Mau Fournier of our Customer Happiness team.

Particularly in the world of the customer experience, AI can be beneficial but should be used in moderation compared to a true, human, customer service professional. "Many users want to hand over all customer service responsibilities to these shiny new AI tools, but there are always situations which require human interaction. The idea of delegating all tasks to AI could leave some of your customers more frustrated as they were prior to when they wrote in," starts Mau.

Let's look at what, and when you can mindfully integrate AI to improve your customer service offering.

The most important qualities to have for a customer service group

First of all, what exactly does the perfect customer service be in the form of perfect customer service? How can it best assist customers of a business?

"We attempt to live the five characteristics of the PREACH model in order to keep an approach that is customer-centric," starts Eyal Avital. "We aim to be Proud responsible, compassionate, Articulate, Concise and Human.

Everyone agrees that empathy might be one of the most crucial aspects. "Put yourself in your customer's position and demonstrate empathy for their situation. Make them aware that their business matters to those who run the company who are helping in running it," Lauren says. Lauren.

"Empathy is often a neglected skill," Mau adds. Mau. "You need to embody empathy so that you can understand the customer's issue And you must display empathy in your response so that the client feels heard, which can help to lower their defenses when they're unhappy."

Customers also require assistance from someone who is knowledgeable enough about the platform to be able offer all of the information needed - as well as the language to convey it. "When it comes to an application that you can count on for running your company, getting assistance immediately from someone who is familiar with the software inside and out, and can help you solve a problem with a manner that is easy to understand and actionable, is essential," thinks Lauren.

Customer service is not just a box-ticking exercise: genuine assistance is crucial. "Don't just answer their superficial question -- try to determine the motivation behind the question; the goal they're trying to achieve," thinks Mau. "Help them address the root problem, then follow-up later to make sure they've succeeded in getting it done. The audience will be satisfied if they sense that the person in the other room truly wants to find ways to aid them," he adds.

Lastly, don't overlook timeliness and clearness in your interactions. "You should provide fast assistance, communicating clearly and concisely," starts Lauren. Eyal states: "You must be timely in your reply to customers. You may offer the best service but if the response isn't timely in the member's mind, they'll feel ignored and negatively view the interaction."

When AI fails

There's no doubt that AI could be beneficial, especially for businesses and entrepreneurs who have a lot to do, but it's not always the ideal choice. There are number of elements of great customer service that AI cannot replicate.

Personalisation

In our experience to date, AI is missing the goal of providing solutions that can meet a specific customer's needs. We've come across numerous instances of help desk software that requires users to reply to a series of questions before getting an answer from an algorithm. And, by definition, an automated answer can only resolve a limited number of issues because it's not a "one solution that fits everyone.

"AI is certainly able to demonstrate its expertise and come up with solutions to your questions. And they are often more adept than human beings however its knowledge may not be as up-to-date and aware of your specific field as human beings is," says Mau. "It is able to be useful with simple and quick interactions However, it doesn't have the ownership of being helpful and won't be able to follow-up the way a human can or at the very least, not as yet."

Longevity

Although LLM (AI) apps have improved the tone they use when talking to their customers, there's still one method to improve. "LLM apps may use the tone of conversation that is respectful however, it's not as authentic empathy from a real human. The human capacity for compassion and the ability to connect an experience to its specific event isn't possible to replicate," says Mau.

In the same way, AI is all about being short-term. "LLMs tend to have a shorter attention span that's part of the AI technology," he adds. "They won't remember the chat you had just in the past six months regarding your client's issues, or how your content serves them, or even the fact they like to go on fishing trips with their families. Incorporating these information to new discussions will give your clients the impression that they are actually valued."

AI is a great tool to help

It's not saying that AI cannot be beneficial for customer support. There are certainly clear-cut opportunities to automate the process, just like every new technology It's important that you know when to make changes at the right time.

"We need to implement AI into mundane tasks that could be automated, while leaving the option of a human option for those with special requests" Mau begins. Mau. " LLMs offer a fantastic initial draft of replies however the best results will always come from personal editing on the draft. Bring your own voice into the conversation."

"What used to encompass the FAQ on a website is now handled by bots or AI to solve easy questions fast and at any time. Anything outside of one-click or one-question solutions should then be routed to human support," Eyal adds. "Otherwise it could cause customers to get frustrated. It's like the old days of getting stuck on a jumble of numbers to connect to the appropriate department on telephone support."

The integration of AI is a gradual process. "There's an evolution (crawl-walk-run) of integrating bots, or LLMs," starts Eyal. "New firms should be able to devote greater time and effort to the community and provide hands-on help. Once they are more popular, they can offboard their basic regular concerns for LLM."

"AI will help you grow when your career grows with more members, which can raise concerns," says Mau. "Many are simple questions that AI could take off your plate so you can focus on the more nuanced issues."

"You can get away with relying on AI as you begin your journey however I'd advise against this. I'd suggest greater manual assistance for those who are starting out: the questions you receive in the early stages of your career are an excellent source of feedback that you can use to understand your intended audience and how you can make things better for them."

Conclusion

It looks like the people-first method we're adopting works well. It combines a wealth of expertise with the empathy only a human can bring. Eyal states that the way we are working helps us to make ourselves more human Memberul as a brand "a mix of empathy with sharing resources, as well as making it fun by using emoticons and GIFs" keeps things lighthearted and helpful.

Mau shares some recent reviews from customers, who noted it was enjoyable talking "to an actual person with such an empathetic approach to helping" as well as someone who could offer personalized guidance for the specific issue. "That client said that it was the most helpful service they've ever received!" smiles Mau.

Lauren is able to recall a client that wrote to us asking for advice on member retention. With her knowledge of her sector, and the specific trends in her own business we were able offer suggestions on pricing strategies which ultimately improved her customers' lifetime worth.

"You might be able to use AI for help with this type of question, but in the case of decisions which could have a significant impact on your business I'd say that the vast majority of people don't want to trust AI alone with that or any other decision. They shouldn't, in my opinion".