When it comes to customer service, speed is of the essence in today’s competitive, fast-paced market. From ordering a pizza to summoning an Uber, consumers not only want easy-to-use websites and apps, but also expect to complete transactions in a few simple clicks – and to receive their orders in the blink of an eye. But while lightning-fast order processing and almost non-existent wait times sound ideal from a buyer’s perspective, these expectations push many businesses beyond their limits by exhausting their workforce.

Just as the rise of technology contributes to this problem in the first place, however, it simultaneously works to solve it. In particular, Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions are transforming the way in which companies mitigate the challenges of customer service, lightening the load of employees and increasing productivity across the board. If you’re ready to take your company to new heights via digital transformation, consulting these three influential – and perhaps surprising – ways in which AI can benefit businesses is a crucial first step. Let’s dive in!

1. Smart Self-Service

If your team is always flooded with buyers’ questions and problems, customer service robots can help ease the burden. These bots, which are equipped with AI capabilities, often interact with buyers directly on the website, identifying and resolving issues without having to involve employees. This not only frees up support staff to address more complex issues, – which many bots’ diagnostic tools identify and then pass on to employees, by the way – but also ensures that buyers’ problems are resolved as quickly as possible. It’s a win-win!

2. Predictive Analytics

It’s frequently the case that consumers face the same (or at least comparable) problems, which is why bots can be programmed to answer them. And if the same kinds of issues occur repeatedly, it’s likely that they’ll keep occurring. It’s patterns like these that AI tools track, often allowing employees to predict and resolve issues before patrons are even aware of them. What’s more, AI can be used to foresee buying trends, which may be dependent on anything from weather forecasts to a particular buyer’s interactions with a company’s site. When businesses opt for digital transformation, consulting AI’s predictive analytics allows you to stay one step ahead of both your competitors and your customers at all times, ensuring optimal service. And what’s not to love about that?

3. More Customer Channels

The easier it is to contact your company, the easier it is to retain your customers. Especially in today’s increasingly digital age, giving buyers the option to communicate with your support team via your site, text message, phone, apps, and other industry-relevant channels increases the chances that they’ll contact you in a way that best suits them – and that you’ll receive return business! While offering multiple communication channels has the potential to result in confusion and chaos, you’ll dodge this bullet by prioritising AI tools in your digital transformation. Consulting the available solutions and automating them to respond to simple customer queries immediately will keep your customers happy, as well as enabling you to keep track of multiple channels with greater ease. Two birds, one stone.

And there you have it: while technology has ramped up consumer expectations to levels that humans struggle to satisfy, it also enables businesses to take their productivity and customer service to a whole new level. When it comes to digital transformation, consulting the latest AI solutions is key to keeping competitors at bay, your clientele happy, and your staff sane!