The customer support landscape is rapidly changing with the introduction of AI-based bots. However, custom-built AI bots that are trained on a company's proprietary information, such as process descriptions, manuals, product descriptions, and knowledge base information, are now taking center stage.
This blog post will discuss the unique benefits, challenges, and learnings from implementing custom-built AI bots in first-level support, and how they can replace at least 30% of support staff in most businesses.
Pain Points of Custom-Built AI Bots
While custom-built AI bots offer numerous advantages, there are some concerns. Training AI bots on proprietary information raises potential security and privacy issues.
Additionally, the complexity of some queries may be beyond the scope of AI bots, necessitating human intervention. The last thing you'd want is a bot that's as bad as the bots we're currently using.
Benefits for Companies
Custom-built AI bots bring several key advantages to your customer support. By training these bots on proprietary company information, they can provide more accurate and context-specific assistance to customers.
This leads to faster resolutions and improved customer satisfaction. Furthermore, AI bots can work around the clock, ensuring customers receive immediate support whenever needed.
Most companies don't realize that you can upload your own content into AI bots and make that knowledge available for your presales leads.
Think about product manuals, flyers, workshops, process descriptions, and more. All your proprietary knowledge can be uploaded to one or multiple custom-made AI bots. Example use cases include:
- Front-facing first-level support
- Team-facing first-level support
- Sales team enablement
- Staff onboarding
- and more
Learnings of developing AI bots
The development of custom-built AI bots has highlighted the importance of tailoring AI technology to a company's unique needs. Bots trained on proprietary information can manage routine queries more effectively, enabling human support staff to concentrate on complex issues.
This not only improves the overall support quality but also allows businesses to optimize their resources.
The evolution of AI has paved the way for custom-built AI bots. Earlier AI implementations in customer support struggled with accuracy and relevance, providing generic responses that often failed to address customer needs. However, breakthroughs in machine learning and natural language processing have enabled AI bots to understand context and offer tailored responses based on a company's specific knowledge base.
Jan's Take on Custom-Made AI Bots
Even though the benefits of custom-built AI bots in customer support are widely acknowledged, some employers I've spoken to over the past couple of weeks were reluctant to adopt bots in their business for various reasons.
However, it is important to recognize the potential value these AI bots can bring to a business. Including yours.
One concern was the initial investment in developing and training custom-built AI bots. While this investment may be significant, it is essential to consider the long-term cost savings from increased efficiency and reduced need for human support staff. Over time, the return on investmen far outweighs the initial costs and saves your staff serious amounts of time.
Another concern is the potential loss of the human touch in customer support. On that note, I also often heard employees voicing concerns about being laid off once a bot is added to the team.
It's important to understand that integrating AI bots does not necessarily mean replacing human interactions. Instead, AI bots can handle routine and repetitive tasks, allowing human agents to focus on more complex issues and provide personalized support to customers.
Finally, some business owners I spoke wtih were wary of the technical complexity and potential security risks of using AI bots. Thankfully, continuous advancements in AI technology and cybersecurity practices have made these concerns less relevant. By adopting AI bots and staying up-to-date with the latest advancements, businesses can ensure that their customer support systems remain secure and effective.
Conclusion
Custom-built AI bots have the potential to transform first-level support by leveraging proprietary company information. These bots can efficiently handle routine queries, leading to a reduction of at least 30% in human support staff requirements. While challenges remain, the benefits of custom-built AI bots make them an exciting and promising development in customer service.
