How Can We Make Customer Support More Personal with New Technology?

[meyerrluanna]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been thinking a lot about how digital media is changing the way we handle customer support, and I’d love to get your take on it. With all the buzz around AI tools, it’s clear that these technologies are making support faster and more accessible.

I can’t help but think about the traditional customer service challenges we used to face. Long wait times, limited support hours, and impersonal interactions were all part of the old school experience. One thing I am specifically looking out for is how important it is to keep a personal touch even when we’re using these tech tools. For example, answering questions quickly and handling a lot of requests at once is amazing , But how do you ensure that your interactions still feel warm and personal?

I’m eager to hear your experiences and thoughts on this topics ! Looking ahead, there are many trends that promise to further enhance customer support. What new trends or technologies are you most excited about, and how do you think we’ll make the most out of these digital advancements.

[Dani]

As a consumer, I've become more and more frustrated with the recent increase in AI-driven customer chat support that seemingly has taken over. They tend to just regurgitate the information that is already contained within the product's FAQs, manuals, and marketing materials, etc., and I tend to end up going in circles chatting with a bot until I am so frustrated that I am ready to throw the product out the window.

[Reverend Jim]

I have never had any success dealing with a chatbot so the first thing I type is "speak to an agent".

[Dani]

Does that work for you? I have tried multiple times with no success.

However, I feel like we still aren't addressing the OP's main point. Ten years ago, we complained that we were connected with crappy overseas customer support that didn't know the product and simply recited from a manual what to say. Today, we're complaining that we're connected with AI that has complete access to the product's entire manual at its disposal, yet fails to comprehend what we're asking, nor has an ability to speak off-the-cuff, as it were, about anything not explicitly mentioned in the product's manual. Many companies are also encouraging their customers to post in support forums to share first-hand experience or get more custom support, but those are slow to get responses, and it's rare that someone else in the forums has experienced the same problem as you. Soooo, all that being said, what is a scalable solution for companies to offer product support without supporting their users costing them more than their bottom line?

[Reverend Jim]

I'd say it works more than 75% of the time. Another thing that works sometimes is when you get the "press #" menu prompt on the phone, press zero, even if it isn't offered as an option. It may take you directly to a person.

[Finacus]

The integration of AI with human touch is key to maintaining personal customer service with new technology. AI can be used to efficiently handle routine queries, but human agents should be available for complex issues, providing empathy and personalized assistance. AI-driven chatbots and CRM systems can improve customer service by providing contextual information and streamlining interactions. The best customer experience will be achieved by balancing technological efficiency with human warmth.