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When it comes to the impact of other emerging technologies, Richardson said artificial intelligence has the potential to lead to better experiences, especially for customer-facing chatbots. However, PepsiCo is aware of the need to ensure that all issues related to responsible artificial intelligence, such as bias, copyright protection and data privacy, are front and center in any development.
“We do things internally first,” he said. “We started 2020 with a significant partnership with Microsoft. We work a lot with Microsoft and other technology companies, but we’ve found that customer service is one area where generative AI can significantly improve the experience.”
Develop strategies
Technology analyst Gartner says most CIOs are in a similar position: 2024 will be the year of planning for generative AI implementation, while 2025 will be the year of execution. Businesses starting to explore artificial intelligence this year must carefully consider the providers they use.
APL Logistics chief information officer Hakan Yaren said his company has been exploring artificial intelligence and machine learning for years, especially in improving supply chain processes. As these developments continue and companies begin to explore how artificial intelligence can improve customer experiences, he expects his IT department to work with a range of partners.
Yaren said that in addition to major technology operators such as Microsoft, Oracle and integration specialist Axway, APL Logistics may also tap the best solutions from specialist suppliers. “Another area we continue to focus on is start-ups because the barriers to entry are much lower,” he said. “There are companies that are trying to solve specific problems.”
Ben Elms, chief revenue officer at networking specialist Expereo, is another business leader whose company is seeking to gain a deeper understanding of its customers’ needs.
The company’s customers can use an interface called expereoOne to analyze global network performance, and Elms is passionate about further enhancing CX efforts through artificial intelligence. The company is exploring Salesforce’s ServiceGPT and Einstein technologies and is also building a knowledge base on the provider’s Sales Cloud platform.
Elms previously led one of the first implementations of Einstein during his tenure at Vodafone. “They’re using it as a global trial with my workforce, which is around the world, about 1,500 people,” he said. “We went through Salesforce’s learning journey about Einstein, both good and bad. Now, my mission this year is to implement this technology at Expereo.”
While Expereo’s GPT-powered knowledge base will be used to respond to queries faster, customers who prefer to talk to a human will receive support through a multi-channel approach. In all areas of service delivery, Elms wants to provide clients with deeper information.
“I’m investing heavily in applying artificial intelligence to expereoOne so that I can provide future predictability to my clients,” he said. “Based on our intelligence, we hope to be able to come up with alternative network infrastructure and architecture. It’s very future-focused, but that’s the investment I’m making.”
Control Artificial Intelligence
These innovative approaches show that artificial intelligence will have a huge and lasting impact on customer experience. However, Bev White, chief executive of recruitment firm Nash Squared, said artificial intelligence should not be seen as a panacea for CX challenges. Like Expereo’s Elms, she stresses the importance of human agency.
“When we buy something online and interact with automated technology and artificial intelligence, we don’t always want to be handled by a chatbot,” she said. “Sometimes, we need to talk to people. If you’re buying something complex or expensive, like a car, you don’t want to rely solely on interacting with technology.”
High-quality CX will always involve a careful blend of interactions between artificial intelligence and human professionals, White said – a sentiment that resonates with Simplyhealth’s Eddie. While his company is already benefiting from the use of next-generation artificial intelligence in customer service, he said emerging technologies can only enhance the customer experience if they are used to augment professional talent.
“I don’t think artificial intelligence is the future; I think it will play a role in the future,” he said. “Success still depends on the people involved in understanding the complexity of our customers’ needs. We will continue to test and learn and develop the capabilities we have. But human expertise will always be at the heart of all the great things we do.”
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