Artificial Intelligence in customer service — the complete guide
ChatGPT-like AI assistants are making waves in customer service, helping companies cut costs, serve customers faster, and keep support teams happy.
Today, there are many chatbot vendors claiming to do just that. But how can AI really help, and what should businesses expect? In this guide, we’ll break down the basics of AI for customer service and show you practical ways to use it in your organization.
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Key AI concepts made simple
What is AI?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is about making machines imitate human intelligence. This includes tasks such as understanding speech, identifying the content of images, making decisions, or even translating languages.
The realm of AI is however vast, and here’s some further technical terms that might be useful to know about when you’re learning about AI:
- Narrow AI: Designed to perform a specific task, like a chatbot that answers FAQ questions.
- General AI: A hypothetical AI that can think and learn like a human, such as HAL 9000 from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Currently, this remains in the realm of science fiction.
- Machine Learning (ML): Machine learning is a way for computers to learn from large sets of data. For instance, if you watch several videos on YouTube, its recommendation algorithm (powered by ML) will suggest similar videos you might like. In customer service, ML-powered chatbots compare your customer’s question with past queries and successful answers. This allows them to get better over time, especially with feedback from users.
- Deep Learning (DL): Deep learning is a more advanced type of machine learning. It uses structures inspired by the human brain—called “neural networks”—to learn from massive amounts of data. With enough information and training, a deep-learning chatbot can craft its own responses, rather than just pulling answers from a database.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP helps computers understand human language. It breaks down speech or text into “chunks,” then analyzes how they fit together. This allows a chatbot to figure out what customers are asking, and formulate answers in ways that feel more natural.
Why AI chatbots are game-changers
for customer service
Faster answers to common questions
Most customers want quick solutions to questions about for instance shipping information, return policies, or how-tos. AI chatbots can instantly respond to these questions, even outside business hours. That means no more wait times or overburdened support teams.
Personalised customer experiences
Advanced AI chatbots (like those powered by GPT-4) can learn from previous conversations, so they recognise customers and tailor responses. This gives each user a unique, human-like experience, especially for recurring issues or more personalised advice.
Reduced workload for support teams
By automatically handling routine requests from users, chatbots free up human agents to work on complex cases. Whether it’s updating customer profiles, routing questions to the right department, or even scheduling calls, AI can handle many dull tasks, leaving humans to tackle the bigger stuff.
24/7 availability
With an AI chatbot on your website, customers can get help any time of day or night, even when your agents are asleep. If the request is too complicated, the bot collects details and lets a human follow up later.
AI chatbot solutions
Let’s look at some real-world AI solution for businesses
Interactive FAQ section
- Let customers ask questions in their own words.
- The AI can identify relevant keywords and suggests answers from your knowledge base.
- This improves self-service and lightens the load for your human agents.
Automated text and message suggestions
- AI can compose quick replies for routine inquiries.
- It can even propose social media posts or email subject lines based on what has worked in the past.
Ticket triage and routing
- Chatbots automatically create support tickets and forward them to the right person.
- Agents don’t waste time sorting through emails and can focus on resolving issues faster.
Completing repetitive tasks
- From scheduling appointments to updating customer profiles, AI can handle many tasks behind the scenes.
- If something is too complex, the chatbot immediately escalates it to a human agent.
Customer sentiment analysis
- AI can analyze language in chats, social media, or reviews to gauge customer mood.
- This helps you see trends. Who might be at risk of leaving or is ready for an upsell?
How to start using AI in your customer service
Step 1: Identify your top customer queries
Start small. Gather a handful of your most common questions such as billing, shipping, login issues, etc. These will form the core of your chatbot’s knowledge base.
Step 2: Choose an all-in-one platform
An integrated customer messaging and support automation tool, like our solution for Customer Service, comes with an AI toolkit you can set up in a few steps. It includes:
- GPT-4 powered chatbot
Uses the latest AI tech to craft natural, personalized answers.
It remembers the conversation context and can handle several questions at once. - Smart FAQ
A self-service portal with AI-based autocomplete.
Suggests answers as users type, cutting down on search time while also empowering them to find the answers they need. - Dynamic contact forms
If your customer types a question, the AI suggests related FAQ articles before they even hit “submit.”
Lets agents focus on more complex or high-priority requests.
Step 3: Train and refine your AI
- Feed it with all your essential information: Company policies, how-to guides, product details. Anything that ties into the value that you want the AI to bring to its users.
- Check for accuracy: If the AI gives an odd reply, make corrections so it learns. Accuracy is key to gain the most usefullness out of the solution.
- Monitor performance: Look at metrics like resolution rate, time saved, and customer satisfaction. Take a baseline from before implementation and compare with after implementation.
Step 4: Measure results and scale
After you’ve tested the system, keep track of how many tickets your bot resolves, where it hands off to agents, and what feedback customers give. From there, expand and iterate on your AI’s knowledge base or add more advanced features when the need arises.
The future of customer service is here
Artificial intelligence has made rapid advances in just a few years. From answering common questions and offering personalized responses, to giving 24/7 support and analyzing customer sentiment, AI-powered chatbots truly transform how businesses serve their customers.
If you’re looking to streamline support, reduce costs, and keep your customers happy, now is the time to start exploring AI in customer service. Platforms like Lime CRM make it easier than ever—without requiring years of technical know-how.
Ready to see AI in action?
Check out our solution for customer service and discover how a GPT-4 powered chatbot becomes your team’s new favorite coworker!
What are you waiting for?
There’s no time to waste! Let’s find the solution that will help you get more customers and turn existing ones into loyal ambassadors today.