We're not gonna lie: If you're into conversational AI and missed yesterday's product launch, you missed out! Not only did we roll out improved features in our Dialogue Builder, we also heard from experts and CX practitioners at the forefront of AI automation and conversation design. We heard about cutting-edge conversation design best practices, how human-centric dialogues had improved fintech company TransferGo’s CX, and how Ultimate’s newest product updates can help anyone humanize their automated support.
If you're still suffering from FOMO, you can watch the recording here or read on for the event's most important highlights.
Leading into the current context around AI and support automation, our CEO and Co-founder Reetu Kainulainen kicked things off by reminding us that, while stocks might be dropping, customer expectations are not: In a survey by Zendesk, 76% of respondents expected personalization and 90% described an instant response as absolutely crucial to a positive CX experience. But for support teams working in the current climate, uniting these two needs means balancing increasing demands with less resources. And even though automation is designed to help support teams increase efficiency while keeping customers happy, many brands are wary of chatbots, wondering if they could potentially damage their CX instead of improving it.
Advanced AI automation technology has outgrown the chatbots of yesteryear
"When many of these Heads of CS hear the word ‘automation’, they think of chatbots, and they probably remember a frustrating experience or two – like being sent to an irrelevant FAQ page or the bot not understanding their question,” explained Reetu. And since 50% of customers switch brands after just one bad customer support experience, this is something companies just can’t risk right now – or ever.
The thing is: AI and automation technology have made incredible advancements over the past 5 years: Today’s headless and holistic automation platforms are leaps and bounds ahead of the first-generation chatbots you’re probably imagining. They’re only slowly shedding an image that is even more out of date as that sourdough baking habit we all picked up during the pandemic. Today, human-computer interactions can feel natural and engaging – thanks to conversational design.
“Through a combination of tech and human touch, businesses can drive loyalty while unlocking greater productivity, increased revenue, improved job satisfaction, and real-time customer insights.”
Reetu Kainulainen, CEO and Co-founder of Ultimate
How to humanize automated support with AI
Who else would be better suited to lead through the most cutting-edge advancements in conversation design than the ultimate conversation designer, Hans van Dam, CEO and Co-founder of the Conversation Design Institute?
“People and AI will be living together and working together, so we need to learn how to communicate with each other. And that’s what conversation designers do.”
Hans van Dam, CEO and Co-founder of the Conversation Design Institute
Hans explained that the most human conversations, and those that will satisfy customers most, land in a sweet spot between scope (the range of topics a bot can understand and talk about) and experience (the more data your AI model sees, the more accurate it gets). We also learned that great conversational design is the result of three ingredients meshing together for human centric support excellence: Conversational AI (the brain), a dialogue builder (the automation tool), and conversation design (the skill needed to maximize value using both).
Seeing results – fast, with great conversation design: TransferGo’s story
Next, CX Automation Expert Iveta Liaudanskaitė shared how designing customer-centric dialogue flows helped her company, fintech superstar TransferGo, reach a chat automation rate of 59% and provide customers with instant, empathic support. Her advice for others looking to do the same? “Build fast and be open to changes!”
Check out more conversation design tips from automation expert at Ultimate, Marika Sarén.
“Empathy and personalization is the key to everything we do…Behind each number, call or ticket there’s a human being that has a unique story and our job is to help them successfully reach the wanted outcome while using our product."
Iveta Liaudanskaitė, CX Automation Expert, TransferGo
Find out more about automation rates, how they can benefit your business, and additional basics of how to get started with support automation in our Ultimate Customer Support Academy
Building human conversations with Ultimate – now easier than ever
Then, things got techy. But also...human: Our product team presented the newest features in our Dialogue Builder and how they help improve conversations between bots and humans. Highlights include:
- Updates to our Operating Hours functionality allow more accurate and personalized replies via multiple after-hours responses
- The ability to copy and paste dialogue flows between bots with the Copy Intents feature means less manual work for agents
- New visualizations and a more customizable Analytics page give a clearer understanding of key efficiency metrics, like deflection rate and bot handled rate
These new features are designed to help you create even more human-centered chatbot conversation flows, and to keep track of their performance. Plus, all of the updates are available across each CRM system we integrate with, including Zendesk, Sunshine Conversations, LiveChat, and Freshworks.
"Automation and the future of customer support belongs to everyone!
Reetu Kainulainen, CEO and Co-founder of Ultimate
For a product-deep dive, check out our recent product overview blog