(How) will ChatGPT revolutionise CX within the Contact Centre?

(How) will ChatGPT revolutionise CX within the Contact Centre?

Could the recent emergence of ChatGPT provide a new future for businesses looking to improve their customer experience (CX), while also making operations more efficient? Kim Robertson, Head of Consulting at DigitalWell discusses:

The digital revolution has had a profound impact on customer service and support, now crucial differentiators for businesses and organisations. In fact, today’s average customer – whether bred from significant technological advancements, data-driven insights, customer-centric strategies, or the sheer amount of market competition – expects a seamless and personalised experience across various touchpoints.

And, with advanced communication channels that go far beyond the traditional contact centre set up of phone calls and emails, these touchpoints include everything from social media platforms, live chat and messaging apps, to virtual assistants and AI-powered chatbots.

AI’s history in CX

The adoption of AI technology in contact and customer service centres has been brewing for some time now, and has significantly accelerated of late. Partly driven by the pandemic, we’ve experienced somewhat of a technological leap.

Businesses that have implemented AI solutions instead of human agents have been able to streamline high-volume, routine customer interactions – like sales inquiries and retail orders – far more efficiently, paving the way for more meaningful conversations with customers.

Other AI tools have also been instrumental in enhancing the overall customer journey in the field of CX. Voice analysis, for example, has allowed businesses to understand customer sentiment and behaviour, while tracking systems have been used to monitor customer behaviour on websites before they engage with agents; enabling companies to identify issues and concerns and provide better assistance during interactions.

While AI has undoubtedly shown its worth over the years, the movement has not been without its hurdles. Traditional chatbots, particularly when handled incorrectly, have often fallen short in providing natural and human-like conversations. A truly frustrating experience for customers, it’s a limitation that has impeded the full potential of AI in improving CX.

A new AI language model infiltrates the world of CX

Today, while some customers have returned to their pre-pandemic behaviours, many others have changed their interaction patterns, favouring non-voice channels such as web and chat. This shift in behaviour means that for CX to truly shine, we really need to understand how customer sentiments and preferences have evolved across these channels, and know that customers now have higher expectations of businesses, desiring personalised experiences based on their past interactions.

Around the same time this behaviour shift really started to become noticeable, and the focus of AI in CX began to extend beyond simple processes, ChatGPT emerged. The now relatively well-known generative AI language model, powered by advanced deep learning algorithms, represents a significant advancement in the realm of generative AI and offers great promise in the field of CX. But does ChatGPT have the potential to revolutionise CX and redefine the way businesses interact with their customers?

Leveraging ChatGPT

Trained on vast amounts of text data, ChatGPT possesses the ability to generate human-like responses in a natural and conversational manner.

Although shrouded in controversy and the adoption of it in contact centres may not be as widespread as in other industries, this key differentiator makes it stand out from traditional rule-based chatbots and has opened possibilities for handling more complex conversations and assisting agents with more intricate tasks.

For instance, in sectors such as banking and finance, where customer queries may require extensive note-taking and follow-ups, ChatGPT is able to operate in the background, analysing conversations, and reducing after-call admin time significantly.

By leveraging ChatGPT in complex interactions like these, businesses can enhance their customer service capabilities, leading to more efficient and productive customer engagements.

With its capacity to understand context and previous interactions, ChatGPT can also provide better insight generation and increased opportunities for personalisation in customer interactions. In fact, it can deliver fully tailored responses that align with individual customer preferences and histories; a personal touch that fosters a stronger emotional connection with customers and enhances their overall experience.

It can also provide valuable insights into customer behaviour and preferences in general, which can allow businesses to gain a deeper understanding of their target audience, and make more informed decisions and targeted marketing strategies.

Another area where it can make a significant impact is in serving traditionally underserved customers, such as those with disabilities. Its Natural Language Processing (NPL) capabilities enable more accessible and inclusive communication channels, making it easier for customers with disabilities to interact and receive support. By breaking down barriers, businesses can ensure that all customers, regardless of their abilities, receive the attention and assistance they deserve.

ChatGPT limitations for CX teams

While it’s clear ChatGPT holds tremendous potential, there are important considerations and limitations for CX teams to bear in mind. As a language model, it lacks human emotion and empathy, for example. Although it can generate natural responses, it may not fully understand the emotional context of a customer’s query.

Additionally, businesses must proceed with caution and conduct thorough testing before implementing ChatGPT in their CX strategy. Slow and deliberate adoption, along with constant monitoring, ensures that the AI tool aligns with business objectives and customer needs.

The path to revolutionising CX

Despite these limitations, as technology continues to evolve, organisations that embrace AI-driven CX solutions like ChatGPT will undoubtedly be at the forefront of delivering exceptional, customer-centric experiences in the digital age.

As long as they’re mindful of the limitations and proceed thoughtfully, early adopters can and will leverage ChatGPT, adapt their CX strategies accordingly and stay ahead of the competition.

Currently, only a small percentage of contact centres are powered by AI, but the potential for growth is significant. As organisations gain more experience and confidence in using these tools, the adoption rate is likely to increase. But it’s a learning process. The key lies in leveraging AI to enhance customer interactions, optimise agent workflows, and ultimately deliver a superior customer experience.

So perhaps the question we should be asking in the contact centre industry is ‘how will ChatGPT revolutionise CX?’, not ‘will ChatGPT revolutionise CX?’