Nearly half of UK Contact Centre Teams use AI-powered software – AI-enhanced customer service software users in the UK report improved productivity and customer satisfaction, but trust and accuracy issues prevail
According to a Capterra report, almost half (46%) of UK contact centre agents currently use AI-powered software and 48% expect that AI will manage nearly half of customer enquiries in the next five years. The findings show that UK customer service teams are becoming more reliant on AI-powered software and reaping the benefits.
A total of 69% of surveyed customer service professionals believe that the introduction of AI capabilities in software has impacted customer service “positively” or “very positively.” The top three benefits identified are cost savings (58%), faster customer response times (55%), and improved customer satisfaction (31%).
Most companies already leveraging AI in customer service report improved productivity (71%) and higher customer satisfaction (57%). At the same time, 57% of customer service professionals say it reduces employee stress levels, and over half report reduced query handling times.
Eduardo Garcia Rodriguez, UK analyst at Capterra, comments:
“The results of our study underscore the transformative impact AI can have on enhancing customer service delivery and operational efficiency.
We are seeing how AI is being used to optimise customer service in various ways, from chatbots and voice assistants to predictive analytics and automating tedious, repetitive tasks. The fact that these types of solutions are benefitting both the business and the customer suggests AI’s strong potential for this industry in the coming years.”
The study indicates a clear shift towards AI-driven solutions to help meet customer and operational demands. However, like with most technologies, AI adoption also poses challenges.
Survey respondents highlighted the top challenges as concerns regarding customer trust (58%), information accuracy (40%), and the risk of alienating customers (33%).
To help build trust and transparency, customer service teams should clearly communicate their use of AI in their interactions. Currently, just under half (49%) say they include a notice or labelling during interactions, and 46% provide a notice in their policies or terms of service.
Furthermore, despite the advancements in AI-powered customer service software, there is still room for data errors that could cost an organisation. Along with being one of the top perceived challenges, an overwhelming 72% of all respondents expressed concern about the accuracy of information provided to customers by AI-enabled software.
This underscores the importance of implementing human insight in business-client interactions. Businesses should not only ensure their systems are trained on high-quality data to minimise errors and biases but also have human agents check and detect any potential errors from data outputs in AI responses.
Finally, while the results suggest that AI-enhanced tools show promise in boosting customer satisfaction, companies need to remember that not all customers are on board with this technology and would simply prefer to handle their queries with a real person.
To avoid alienating those customers, they should consider making AI-driven customer assistance optional by balancing automation capabilities with human-agent interactions.
For more insights and advice on how to embrace AI in customer service software effectively Read the Full Report
Capterra is the #1 destination for organisations to find the right software. Our marketplace spans 95,000+ solutions across 900 software types and offers access to over 2 million verified reviews—helping organisations save time, increase productivity, and accelerate their growth.
For additional information on Capterra visit their Website
Capterra’s 2024 Customer Service Technology Survey was conducted in May 2024 among 2,307 respondents in the US (199), UK (194), Canada (200), Brazil (188), Mexico (184), France(196), Italy (183), Germany (187), Spain (191), Australia (193), India (200) and Japan (192). The goal of the study was to learn about how today’s online consumers shop. Respondents were screened to have shopped online several times a month or more often.
Respondents were screened as full-time employees at organizations with 1 to 2,499 employees. They must be involved in customer service operations, use or buy customer service software, and handle customer service phone calls in-house or externally.
