If you have a query with your supplier they typically implement customer support/customer care as follows:
Large corporations use a multi-channel approach:
- Phone-in call centres with agents
- Support forms
Generally you will phone the call centre, or send an email or WhatsApp or fill in a form on their web site. All queries go to their ERP/call centre system/CRM. Someone will pick up or allocate the ticket to anther person who is handle the query. They will have all details of the customer at hand to be able to give a competent answer.
Smaller companies may have similar omni-channels. Calls may be routed through reception or a dedicated number or users may have to choose an option “Fibre support press 1 wifi support press 2 etc”
Very small/one man businesses will have a telephone number to call, a form on a website and often a WhatsApp number. The owner will likely answer all questions until he/she gets too busy. Scaling the business is always an issue.
The problem with the above descriptions is the length of time to resolve a problem. Some companies do offer service level agreements, eg 4 hours, but in many cases it’s the human issue that remains a problem.
How many times have you waited on the phones while the automated voice tells you your call is important and call volumes are high.
The one extra channel that will substantially reduced waiting times is of course AI. An AI chatbot will answer within 20 seconds. AI in customer service has not yet taken off, but my estimate is in 5 years time it will be the biggest channel.
The customer will still be able to send an email or fill in a form or send a WhatsApp or make a voice call. The difference is the AI bot will intercept the request and give its own response within 20 seconds. It will be able to carry on a text or voice conversation and escalate the issue to a human manager if necessary.
With machine learning it will be able to answer the queries in the future that it currently may have to refer to a manager.
Right now in South Africa there are a handful of companies experimenting with AI customer service bots. This is going to explode in the next 5 years.
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