{"id":4910,"date":"2024-04-25T12:00:57","date_gmt":"2024-04-25T11:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=4910"},"modified":"2025-05-07T14:54:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T13:54:14","slug":"ai-customer-service-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-customer-service-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"How AI can improve the customer service experience"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/technology-innovation\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Technology &amp; Innovation<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow AI can improve the customer service experience\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2024-04-25T12:00:57+01:00\">25 April, 2024<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How AI can improve the customer service experience\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-customer-service-experience\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/ryangrundy\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/06\/Ryan-Grundy.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Ryan Grundy\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Ryan Grundy<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are becoming more accessible to small and medium-sized businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These technologies have the potential to drive efficiency, decrease costs, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI uses machine learning to identify patterns of behaviour, which you can then use to intelligently automate processes in almost all areas of business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll explore how AI in customer service can bring huge benefits to your customers, such as providing reliable, 24\/7 assistance, and tailored sales and service journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#benefits\">Benefits of AI in customer service<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#disadvantages\">Disadvantages of AI in customer service<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#how\">How to integrate artificial intelligence into your customer service<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#the\">The future of AI in customer service<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-6745901c-35d7-4063-bf33-c625b872c3e6\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-6745901c-35d7-4063-bf33-c625b872c3e6\"\n\t>Download your free copy of the \u201cPractical ways to use AI in your small business\u201d<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"benefits\">Benefits of AI in customer service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>AI technology works best when it continually receives a vast amount of data making it well suited to improving multiple facets of customer service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Greater customer support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With the help of AI applications, companies can provide customers with round-the-clock support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since customer activity is often higher outside regular working hours, AI customer service applications, such as chatbots, provide customers with support whenever they need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While automated chatbots can only reply within a specific framework, AI-powered chatbots can continually learn from previous experiences to offer better support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chatbots will never get angry or frustrated with customers and can be programmed to elevate issues or unknown questions to human managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Personalised sales and service journeys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AI software can collect and analyse customer data far more efficiently and effectively than human employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With access to in-depth information, companies can gain a deeper understanding of their customers and when combined with other AI technology, can produce individually tailored customer experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Artificial intelligence customer service applications can use machine learning to recommend items based on a customer\u2019s past purchases and behaviours or redesign websites in real time to suit customer\u2019s browsing habits or service requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Providing customers with personal experiences can increase their satisfaction with service levels in addition to driving more sales and higher levels of brand loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Artificial intelligence for self-service<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The way customers prefer to engage and interact with brands is changing. Most customers, especially tech-savvy millennials, would rather solve their own issues and not interact with humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI applications can collect information such as the customer\u2019s online actions, past orders or usage and prior conversations with support teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This information can then be used to make assumptions about what the customer needs to resolve their problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Solutions could include personally tailored help pages, specific product options or AI chatbot support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"disadvantages\">Disadvantages of AI in customer service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since AI technology is relatively new and has only recently become mainstream, there are still a few kinks to iron out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the further development of AI applications, these disadvantages should mostly be overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI can\u2019t access the ageing population<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The British population is getting older. Within the UK, 18% of the population is over the age of 65 and this trend is only expected to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By 2036, 25% of the population will be over the age of 65.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditionally, older individuals struggle to use technology. While most of us consider the internet to be a vital part of life, 2.6 million British citizens over the age of 75 have never used it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A similar trend will occur with AI technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If older populations do not or can\u2019t use modern technology, then businesses may not be able to reach older customers with AI and internet-based technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, this issue may become smaller as ageing people become more adept at responding to emerging and constantly changing technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some companies have come up with creative ways to address this problem. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barclays.co.uk\/digital-confidence\/eagles\/\">Barclays\u2019 Digital Eagles<\/a> programme, for example, aims to increase customers\u2019 confidence in digital technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">GDPR and AI software<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A natural feature of AI applications is their ability to collect and process large amounts of information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While customer privacy and security are significant concerns for any company processing data, the GDPR further compounds this concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GDPR, the most significant data privacy and confidentiality overhaul in decades, drastically changed how European Union companies can gather information on customers and as such impacts artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some critics have protested that GDPR will kill artificial intelligence. After all, under the regulations, customers must opt-in to data collection and companies aren\u2019t allowed to profile customers using an algorithm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It certainly seems that the GDPR regulations hinder AI capabilities. The full impact has yet to be determined and court cases will probably provide the final verdict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Artificial intelligence lacks the human touch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AI customer service applications may be able to understand human requests and make logical decisions but they are unable to display empathy or handle emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As such, they might not provide a great experience for customers that are upset or stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best customer service experience requires a mixture of human elements and AI applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers want emotional as well as practical support when in a crisis, but human representatives can often solve issues faster with the assistance of AI technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Forbes recommends that companies only use AI technology for objective yes or no queries or to reach outcomes via an algorithm. For everything else, companies should use human representatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s about getting the right balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how\">How to integrate artificial intelligence into your customer service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you integrate AI into customer service, there are a few points worth considering. Having clear customer service goals and objectives will help you answer the following questions and implement AI tactically or strategically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How would AI be used to reach these goals?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How would AI achieve better results than your current strategy?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What customer segments are you looking to serve using AI?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How would AI fit with your current customer service methods?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What relationship would AI have with your employees?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What point in the customer journey would AI appear?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Available AI customer service applications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With a plan in place, you can then look for the most suitable AI solution. Thorough research is always required, especially with regards to integration with your tech stack but some of the solutions below are currently popular choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chatbots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AI-powered chatbots are one of the most widely adopted forms of artificial intelligence. Most AI-powered chatbots use natural language processing to understand customer\u2019s requests and provide \u2018smart\u2019 answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smart emails<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AI-powered email applications can help you drive engagement and open rates by selecting the right words, writing catchy subject lines, and increasing personalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Case studies have shown that customers are more likely to engage with emails written by computers, sometimes as much as x10 than human employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the\">The future of AI in customer service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With so many applications and benefits, it won\u2019t be long before AI customer service becomes the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s worth taking the time to see how you can use it in your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the benefits AI offers, you may find it results in you having happier customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This article was first published in September 2018 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em><\/p>\n \n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Practical ways to use AI in your small business<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Learn how AI is already being used by small businesses and see real life examples of how generative AI is being applied throughout accounting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-6745901c-35d7-4063-bf33-c625b872c3e6\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/Small-business-owner-using-AI-1214x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Small business owner using AI\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/10\/Small-business-owner-using-AI-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how AI can improve customer service experiences. From chatbots to smart emails, we cover what you need to know about integrating AI.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1398,"featured_media":11466,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[50,21],"business_type":[4,3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[70,71,74],"imagine_tag":[309,328,87,96,109],"coauthors":[370],"class_list":["post-4910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology-innovation","tag-ai","tag-customer-service","business_type-small-business","business_type-medium-sized-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Ryan Grundy","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1318358062.jpg","imagine_tags":{"309":"AI Hub","328":"AI small","87":"Enterprise management","96":"Medium businesses","109":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1398"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4910"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4910\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/11466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4910"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=4910"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=4910"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=4910"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=4910"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=4910"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=4910"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=4910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}