If you're still hesitating with the mindset of "Let's see how this AI revolution unfolds," it's time for a shift in perspective. AI is here to stay, far from being a passing trend.
The customer service industry is abuzz with talk of AI. Customers are now expecting it more than ever before, with 87% of support teams noting a rise in customer expectations in the past year, and 68% attributing this to the influence of AI.
My suggestion? Take the plunge. Here's a guide on how, where, and when to implement AI for customer support in the initial 30, 60, and 90 days (including valuable insights we've gained at Intercom đź‘€).
Days 1-30: Implement and trial AI
Start with an AI chatbot (or AI Agent)
To kickstart your AI journey, consider setting up an AI chatbot (or AI Agent) as your entry point into the world of AI. Many businesses already utilize some form of chat, making it a seamless and effective way to incorporate AI into the customer experience.
For instance, testing out Intercom’s cutting-edge AI chatbot, Fin AI Agent, can be a fantastic starting point. Powered by advanced AI language models, Fin effortlessly resolves customer queries with accurate, conversational responses derived directly from your support resources.
Test out AI with a select group of loyal customers who are open to trying new technology.
Select a niche group of customers who are open to experimenting with your AI chatbot. In the B2B sector, there are often customers who are more receptive – and even enthusiastic – about trying out innovative solutions.
“Intercom first tested AI with our early stage, startup customers”
We initiated our AI testing journey with our early-stage startup customers at Intercom. Recognizing their tech-savvy nature and openness to engaging with AI, we were able to explore answer quality, identify knowledge gaps, and build goodwill. This approach provided us with valuable insights on how to enhance the AI experience for our customers.
Provide AI with the necessary information
According to Intercoms VP of Customer Support, Declan Ivory, "To unleash the full potential of AI, you need to provide it with the necessary knowledge." Begin by starting small and feeding it with the existing help content you have available. If you're utilizing a comprehensive AI-first customer service platform like Intercom, Fin has the capability to draw information from various sources, including:
- Public-facing help center content, PDFs, and URLs.
- Internal knowledge content, like Notion, Google Docs, or Confluence.
- A pool of your agent’s past conversations.
Even if your AI chatbot initially has a lower resolution rate, it will provide valuable insights into where it excels in answering customer queries and where there are knowledge management gaps. Armed with this information, you can make necessary improvements as you progress to the next phase. 👇
Days 31-60: Enhance your knowledge base material
Collaborate with your product team to address any missing information in your knowledge base.
By this point, you will have a clear understanding of where your chatbot excels in resolving customer queries and where it may need some improvement. This knowledge will allow you to develop a strategic plan to enhance both your internal and external support resources.
Intercom collaborated with colleagues on the Product team to assess pertinent help articles and pinpoint areas where content was lacking.
Upon the initial launch of their AI chatbot at Intercom, the entire company was on board. Collaborating with colleagues from the Product team, they conducted a thorough review of pertinent help articles to pinpoint any content gaps. After the first 30 days, they revisited these teams and highlighted areas where Fin was struggling to provide answers, prompting quick action to fill those knowledge voids.
Maximize the impact of your knowledge content for long-term benefits.
It's essential to meticulously review your support content, line by line. While it may seem daunting, especially in the fast-paced world of customer support, the benefits of this investment are invaluable. The time and effort you dedicate now will have a ripple effect, alleviating your team from handling these cases in the future, and reducing the burden on you and your leadership team. A significant advantage is that it will create space for your team to tackle more intricate issues, ultimately enhancing efficiency and productivity.
Days 61-90: Infuse AI benefits across the entire customer experience.
Provide your team with their very own personal assistant through an AI copilot.
Once your AI chatbot is optimized and functioning effectively, explore how AI can enhance the overall customer experience. Consider how AI can boost team productivity, simplify their tasks, and expedite the resolution of customer inquiries.
Many companies have integrated some form of an AI copilot into their inbox. When Intercom introduced Fin to the inbox (now part of Fin AI Copilot) within the initial 90 days at Intercom, the focus was on encouraging team members to utilize AI inbox features more frequently. Whether it's summarizing a conversation or condensing a ticket during handovers, leveraging AI in the backend streamlines processes and eliminates the need to manually sift through conversations and documentation.
Following this success, Intercom unveiled Fin AI Copilot – a personalized AI assistant for every support agent. Instead of wasting time searching for answers across various sources, support agents can now ask Fin any question within the inbox and receive immediate, accurate responses based on the available support content.
Witness the boost in efficiency (you'll notice it)
An AI Copilot streamlines issue troubleshooting by eliminating the need to navigate through various resources across multiple platforms. Early adopters of the Fin AI Copilot have reported efficiency gains of up to 31% within their teams. Properly implementing AI chatbots can result in significant improvements in resolution rates, benefiting both customers and support team members. With Fin AI Agent resolving up to 50% of support queries instantly and accurately, the customer and team experience is greatly enhanced.
In conclusion, the significant efficiency gains brought about by AI implementation will be undeniable. It is crucial to establish key benchmark metrics to regularly assess how AI is enhancing your support operations. This data will not only secure ongoing support from executives and your team for your AI-driven customer service approach but also showcase the tangible benefits AI brings to your customers, business, and team. Once the positive impact of AI is experienced firsthand, there will be no turning back to the traditional methods of customer support.
Embrace the opportunity to pivot
Do not hesitate to explore and adapt as you gain new insights. For instance, at Intercom, we initially implemented a triage system where unanswered queries by Fin would be directed to a human agent. While we believed this approach would be beneficial, it turned out to be cumbersome for customers and added minimal value to the support team. Consequently, we revamped the system to enhance the customer experience and optimize team efficiency, resulting in improved outcomes for all parties involved.
Embracing the era of AI-driven customer service
Despite the remarkable strides Intercom has taken, they remain committed to further exploration and learning to fully unleash AI's potential. Their unwavering belief in an AI-first future for customer service drives them to push boundaries and turn their vision into reality. Stay tuned as they continue to share their insights, experiences, and iterative journey towards maximizing the power of AI in customer support.
