With AI progressing rapidly, it’s interesting to think about what might customer support look like in five years or what the future of customer experience looks like.
The short answer, if we look at companies who offer support services, like supportyourapp.com – A support-as-a-Service company that provides secure technical and customer support to tech companies and startups, is that we can expect a hybrid customer service model to emerge.
SupportYourApp makes an interesting case study, as they offer a customizable chatbot in conjunction with live support.
This model makes the most sense as companies balance burgeoning costs with their clients’ desire for human interaction.
So, what might customer support look like in five years? Read on to find out.
What might customer support look like in five years?
Traditional Support/ AI Hybrid
We can expect customer support operations to become more streamlined as AI becomes more advanced.
We recently reported on Hume AI’s successful fund-raising bid, and the company may give us a glimpse of the future of customer service.
While their technology centers on medical applications, the diagnosis technique might prove particularly interesting.
Hume AI is learning to read human emotions from expressions, body language, and vocalizations.
In the medical field, this technology can assist with triage situations and identifying patients most in need.
Could we not apply the same learning to customer service interactions to better determine how our clients feel?
For example, AI could pick up signs that the client is discontent, despite them saying everything is alright.
The same technology could also help review face-to-face client interactions.
AI could check the exchange and identify cues a consultant may miss.
Call centers may use this same technology when providing video support to improve service. However, call center consultants will still play a significant role in a different space, as we see next.
Predictive Support
We are moving into an era where outstanding support is no longer a differentiating factor.
Instead, clients are increasingly sophisticated with higher expectations. Predictive support is a natural evolution of this change.
With predictive support, you use data to determine what issues clients may experience before the client does.
This allows you to take corrective action or reach out and offer advice before your customer becomes frustrated.
This is not a new concept.
However, forward-thinking companies have proactively offered clients additional product support to enable them to use a product best.
For example, a consultant might contact a client and explain how particular features work.
The difference now is that big data is making it easier to identify potential challenges.
For example, AI makes it possible to detect patterns that might indicate a client needs help while using a particular product or service.
AI can also speed through thousands of client records to identify clients needing to utilize products or services fully.
We had access to this data in the past, but we needed a helpful way to process it quickly and efficiently.
Self-Service
Companies must provide good self-help options going forward.
While not all clients use these currently, they will become more important as consumers look for ways to save time.
Companies may meet this need by providing apps, using AI, or providing an easily searchable knowledge base.
Community-Based Service
Community-based service is another older concept.
However, we may see it taken up a few notches thanks to technological improvements and AI. Generative AI can draw information from various sources to develop the optimal solution. It may collate the most useful answers from several community-based support networks.
Companies are well-advised to interact with these communities to ensure they give the correct information.
Personalization
Using someone’s name in an email will not be enough going forward. Instead, CRM systems will contain a more significant AI component so that consultants can make personalized suggestions to clients.
Let’s look at two examples to see the difference this may make.
Customer A calls to register that their device keeps resetting to factory settings.
They tell the consultant they could be better with technology but feel they are doing everything correctly.
The consultant runs through the troubleshooting steps, with Customer A telling them which ones they tried. Eventually, they find the solution.
Two months later, it happens again.
In the case of a system that doesn’t incorporate AI, the consultant will have to follow the same procedure again.
They do not have the time to read the previous conversation and may not have access to it.
However, a system that incorporates AI can scan any previous consultations.
The system might highlight that the client is not technologically minded.
It might further suggest the consultant begin with the solution that worked the last time.
Conclusion
Hope now you have an idea of what customer support might look like in five years.
Customer support in the future will incorporate AI consultants alongside human ones.
Service will improve as a result, making the client experience more satisfying.
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