Ever wish a robot could cook or clean for you? We might not be on Jetsons-level technology, but for customer service and sales professionals, the robot assistants are already here. When you hear “chatbots” what do you think of? Helpful robots, conversational cannon fodder, or malevolent machines bent on siphoning off human employment? Well for one, chatbots aren’t coming for Customer Support jobs. Secondly, the others are both correct, but only to an extent.

As part of our new ‘AI for CX 101’ series, we will cover what to expect when you deploy an AI solution, including how to get started on your AI digital transformation journey. Whether you’re early on in the consideration phase or deep into the process, we’re here to provide you with insights and best practices to ensure you are well-equipped to proceed with confidence.

A new space is emerging for customer engagement and interactions beyond online and in-store to be considered. This is the metaverse, a futuristic concept for many, but one that is taking shape, with a great deal of potential to be the next big thing.

Customers today seek speed – speedy access to services, and in a timely fashion. This extends to customer service in the telecommunications (telecom) industry, as many rely heavily on mobile devices and networks in an era of remote work and social connections. With advances in technology, lightning-fast connectivity is already here, or well within reach.

Globally, the cost of living is skyrocketing – in the US, inflation hovers near a 40-year high, topping Americans’ concerns for the country, while Canada’s official inflation rate rose at a 6.8% annual pace this past April, a new 31-year high. Prices for everyday necessities – food, shelter and gas – are on the rise, as the COVID-19 pandemic is driving up the costs of raw materials and impacting global supply chains.

When chatbots were first introduced in customer support, they were only capable of executing rule-based commands that often led to poor customer experiences. Chatbot features back then weren’t developed keeping user experience in mind, and caused frustration instead of offering solutions. Chatbots have evolved over time, but so have customer expectations. Customers today do not accept experiences that are less than ideal.

Customer service is notoriously a waiting game. This has been more rampant in recent years, with a stretched labor pool and staff shortages across numerous industries. Canada’s federal government has warned of long wait times for passports, due to the surge in the number of applications since COVID-19 border measures were relaxed (the number of Canadians applying for passports is 40 times higher than it was pre-pandemic).