The rise of generative AI has permeated various aspects of daily life and industry, with customer support being a prime area for potential impact. Generative models like GPT-4 have emerged as a groundbreaking force, potentially transforming how companies interact with customers.

Many companies are intrigued by the promise of generative AI, but they also have their concerns. Below, we explore ten compelling benefits of employing generative AI in customer support. We also debunk some common concerns or myths about using generative AI in customer support.

Generative AI Benefits in Customer Support

Benefit 1:  More Accurate Support Responses

When used in Agent Assist mode, Generative AI has the capability to understand context, syntax, and semantics, allowing for the automated drafting email and chat responses.

These drafted responses can be employed by live agents, significantly reducing the error rate and providing accurate, relevant information to customer queries. Generative AI used in combination with human agents can combine the best of both worlds – fast, accurate responses with human oversight and judgment.

Benefit 2:  Faster Agent Onboarding

Training customer support agents is often time-consuming and resource-intensive. Generative AI can fast-track this process by simulating customer interactions and offering real-time suggestions. Agents can quickly learn how to navigate common queries and become proficient in company products and processes, dramatically reducing ramp time and cost.  

Benefit 3:  Faster Time to First Response

In the customer support realm, every second counts. Traditional models of customer service can involve long wait times, but generative AI can always provide immediate responses and reduce response time.

With the power to analyze vast sets of data in fractions of a second, generative AI ensures that the average time to the first response is drastically reduced, often to mere seconds.

Benefit 4:  Greater Availability

Generative AI isn’t bound by office hours or time zones; it’s available 24/7/365. This around-the-clock availability ensures that customers can receive assistance at any time, eliminating the frustration of waiting for a support center to open (in a different time zone, no less).

Benefit 5:  Multi-Language Support

One of the most remarkable features of generative AI is its ability to comprehend and respond in multiple languages. With the ability to support 100+ languages, generative AI support bots enable companies to offer global customer support effortlessly, breaking down language barriers that may have previously either hindered customer support interactions and/or created significant recruiting/retention challenges.

Benefit 6:  Faster Time to Resolution

Effective customer service is not just about answering questions; it's about solving problems. Generative AI can be designed to perform specific actions, like processing refunds or tracking orders, which speeds up the problem-resolution process. This level of automated, action-oriented support sets the stage for a more satisfying customer experience.

Benefit 7:  Higher Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Scores

By offering immediate, accurate, and comprehensive solutions, generative AI directly contributes to higher Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores. Reduced wait times and faster resolutions make customers feel like their time is valued, thereby increasing brand loyalty.

Benefit 8:  Improved CSM Satisfaction and Engagement

Customer Support Managers (CSMs) often find themselves bogged down with routine queries that can be monotonous to answer.

Generative AI can handle these repetitive questions, improving customer service efficiency and freeing up CSMs to focus on complex issues and escalations. This shift in responsibilities can lead to increased job satisfaction, lower turnover rates, and higher engagement levels among CSMs.

Benefit 9:  Improved Customer Support Operating Efficiency

By automating a significant portion of customer queries and actions, companies can manage a higher volume of customers with the same-sized support team.

This improved customer service efficiency can be particularly beneficial during high-traffic periods, such as holidays or sales events, ensuring that the quality of service remains consistent.

Benefit 10:  Improved Customer Support Scalability

Generative AI doesn't just make a customer support team more efficient; it makes it more scalable. As your business grows, your generative AI doesn’t need to grow. This means you can support an increasing revenue base without proportionally growing your customer support team, fueling sustainable growth for the company.

Debunking Common Myths

As generative AI makes significant strides in transforming customer support, misconceptions and myths about its use continue to proliferate. While it's essential to scrutinize any new technology critically, it's equally important to distinguish between fact and fiction. In this article, we'll debunk five common myths about generative AI in customer support.

Myth 1:  Generative AI Hallucinates and Won't Be Accurate Enough for Customers

Myth: Generative AI is notorious for generating inaccurate or 'hallucinated' information, making it unfit for customer-facing applications.

Debunked: While it's true that large language models (LLMs) can hallucinate, best-of-breed customer support AI chatbots shouldn’t hallucinate at all. In customer support chatbots, AI responses can be automatically controlled and supervised to ensure an extremely high level of accuracy and relevance. Moreover, generative AI can be combined with manual oversight for the best results, particularly for complicated or sensitive issues.

Myth 2:  OpenAI Will Keep and Train from My Data

Myth: Sending data to OpenAI or any other LLM allows the AI company to keep and use my data for future model training.

Debunked: Most reputable AI companies have strict data usage and retention policies. OpenAI, for example, as of my last update in September 2021, does not use the data sent via its API for training purposes. Always be sure to read and understand the privacy policies of any service you use, but know that keeping and training from your data is generally not standard practice.

Myth 3:  My Content/Data Will Become Public Record

Myth: The data or content that you send for AI processing will be made public or can be accessed by third parties.

Debunked: Reputable AI service providers maintain stringent data security protocols to ensure that your data is not publicly disclosed. Only authorized personnel with a specific need can access it. Always scrutinize the privacy and security policies of the AI service you're using to make sure they meet your standards.

Myth 4:  Generative AI is Impersonal

Myth: Generative AI lacks the personal touch that a human agent could provide in customer support.

Debunked: While AI may not completely replicate human emotions, advanced generative models are designed to understand context and nuance. This enables them to generate responses that can be surprisingly empathetic and contextually appropriate. Moreover, generative AI can be programmed to mimic a company’s specific tone, style, and values, making the interaction feel more personal.

Myth 5:  Generative AI is Boring

Myth: Conversations with AI are dull and lack the engaging elements that human interactions offer.

Debunked: On the contrary, generative AI can be as engaging as you want it to be. It can tell jokes, share interesting facts, or engage in light banter, all while maintaining a professional tone when required. The level of creativity and engagement can be tailored to match the brand's persona, making interactions anything but boring.

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In conclusion, the many benefits of integrating generative AI into customer support operations are multifaceted and compelling, and the common myths about generative AI – while understandable – are easily debunked. This is why upwards of 75% of surveyed CS/CX leaders are looking to implement generative AI over the next 12 months.

From ensuring accuracy and speed to enhancing customer and employee satisfaction, generative AI is becoming an indispensable tool for any customer-centric organization. As AI technologies continue to advance, it is only a matter of time before they become the gold standard in customer support, setting new benchmarks for efficiency, accessibility, and quality of service.

Request a demo of Gleen AI, or create your own free generative AI chatbot with Gleen AI now.