The Evolution of Customer Engagement, with AI

Roughly 71% of companies believe AI (artificial intelligence) offers the best ROI (return on investment) for customer engagement—but are we running too fast and furious at a solution that might not ultimately yield the best results? That is the question I would like to explore this week.

Apply Digital surveyed 500 senior leaders from large enterprises across North America about what customer engagement tactics are proving most successful. Certainly, AI entered the conversation and was cited as the most valuable. But where AI is being used in customer engagement is interesting to consider.

The Role of AI in Customer Engagement

As mentioned, the largest majority believe the best ROI is with customer engagement. The research also highlights that organizational misalignment, and siloed data are the primary hurdles to achieving better outcomes from customer engagement strategies.

Here’s the hard reality: Many large enterprises struggle to unify their client data, which makes it difficult to deliver the types of cohesive, personalized experiences that drive revenue—and that is exactly what is missing here! That personal touch. More thoughts on this point shortly.

Interestingly, this survey shows only 15% of organizations say loyalty and rewards programs offer ROI. As a result, more than a third of respondents say they’re planning for zero to moderate spending on loyalty programs in the next two years. What’s more, almost half believe customers are losing interest in loyalty programs.

Despite reduced investment in this particular area, 47% of respondents still view loyalty and rewards programs as effective tools for driving repeat business in general. However, closer analysis reveals a notable split in opinions; while 43% of senior leaders believe customers are losing interest in loyalty programs, an equal percentage disagrees.

The Reality of AI in Customer Engagement

Based on all of this, here is my question for today: how upset will customers be in the coming year if they lose that personalized experience with customer support and engagement? I, myself, experienced this, and ultimately, I ended up not getting customer help. The company said to use the app and it’s not user friendly, especially if you are in a hurry.

Sometimes, we need a personal touch to experience wonderful customer service. Personalization and care are key to customer service—and that is just not something AI is able to offer, yet.

What are your thoughts about the role of AI in customer engagement? Certainly, there are clear benefits of streamlining processes and creating greater efficiency for the companies, but are we losing the individualized touch?

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