Agent empowerment: By handling simple tasks, AI supports human agent productivity, allowing them to focus on more complex or emotionally sensitive issues. It can also provide agents with real-time insights and suggested next steps during conversations.
Research by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) shows that when customer support professionals were given access to AI agents, their productivity increased by an average of 14%.5
All-day availability: AI-powered systems such as chatbots and virtual assistants are available around the clock, giving customers support whenever they need it whether through a website, mobile app or traditional call center. For example, the modernization of the global camping company mentioned earlier resulted in a 40% increase in customer engagement on all platforms.3
Better emotional intelligence: With sentiment analysis, AI can detect emotions like frustration or satisfaction in customer communications, allowing companies to respond more thoughtfully and prioritize urgent cases.
Consistency across channels: AI helps ensure that customers get consistent answers and experiences across omnichannel platforms, including chat, email, social media or phone.
Cost efficiency: AI automation lowers costs by reducing reliance on extra staff for routine inquiries and repetitive tasks.
Enhanced quality control: AI can monitor service interactions in real time and help identify coaching opportunities for agents or flag conversations that need a second look, improving service quality continuously.
Faster response times: AI can instantly reply to customer inquiries, reducing wait times dramatically and making the support experience quicker and more efficient.
Greater accessibility: AI tools such as voice assistants and multilingual chatbots make it easier for customers with disabilities or language barriers to access support services.
Improved customer insights: AI tools gather and analyze huge amounts of customer data, helping businesses better understand customer behavior, preferences and challenges to improve products and services.
Personalized experiences: By analyzing customer data and behaviors, AI can deliver highly personalized recommendations, responses and support journeys tailored to individual customer needs.
For example, IBM collaborated with a German media company to implement a generative AI-powered assistant aimed at enhancing customer service and product recommendations. As a result, customers now receive personalized product suggestions that align precisely with their preferences—at a speed 10 times faster than before. This innovation has led to a roughly 15% increase in customer satisfaction.6
Proactive support: AI can predict when customers might encounter problems and offer solutions before they even realize there’s an issue, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Scalability: AI allows businesses to handle large volumes of customer requests simultaneously and streamline operations without needing to hire huge support teams, making it easier to grow without sacrificing service quality.
