Not a sci-fi movie villain
If you’re apprehensive about automation because you’re concerned it’s going to take over your customer support department like something in a Will Smith movie, allow us to alleviate your concerns. First of all, although it is given a title and there is some personification in the term, a virtual agent isn’t a robot like you may be imagining.
Our virtual agents are actually made up of complex algorithms that hang out in your CRM and perform tasks as they have been programmed to. Thinking of them as algorithms instead of bots is a great way to understand them. They’re simply helpful tools that lend your support team AI superpowers based on human directives, rather than anything sinister.
More on artificial intelligence
Bots make human agent roles more rewarding
At Ultimate, we’re passionate about human agents and virtual agents working hand-in-hand. We believe that bots cannot (and should not) work or exist without human management, and that, while humans are perfectly capable of working without bots, they are far more efficient and effective with their help.
Our virtual agent platform is here to handle the repetitive tasks, while human agents can focus on doing what they do best. This means they can work on more complex cases where their empathy and knowhow is really needed, and lends significantly more value to the customer experience. This has an added effect of making the human agent’s job more rewarding too.
Power up with AI, or risk being left behind
Statistics show that nearly three-quarters of customer service leaders expect contact volumes to increase throughout 2021. Add to that the fact that one-third of these leaders report operating with reduced staff, and it becomes clear that an AI-powered solution is not only a welcome addition, but a necessary one.
The increase in customer contact is largely thanks to the covid-19 pandemic, driving the digital transformation, which has helped customers feel more comfortable with reaching out for support via online channels. 41% of sales leaders say their customers now want to communicate digitally more often, since the pandemic started. In other words, this is a trend that’s here to stay.
The above factors have led to rapid shifts, and today, if you’re not already using AI to level up your customer support, you’re late to the party. Virtual agents are popping up on customer support teams the world over, and the transformation to companies’ CX tends have been jaw-dropping.
Take Posti, for example, Finland’s leading postal and logistics company. The service provider saw its new AI-powered chatbot, Freddy, produces an impressive 98% reduction in wait times.
A tool, not a threat
So you can see, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to AI technology in your customer support center. Flip your perspective, instead, and see these helpful algorithms for what they are: your customer support team’s new AI superpower.
Why not check out our top rated virtual agent platform and judge for yourself? Our AI experts can get you set up with no-code customer support automation within weeks, allowing you to double-down on your customer experience in no time at all.