Digital CMO Digest, US: Cognizant’s Global Delivery Leader, Enterprise Application Service Discusses the Use of AI to Enhance Customer Experience

“We are in the age of ‘customer relevance’, where organizations need to reinvent themselves to stay relevant to the ever-changing needs of customers,” says Rajesh Balaji. “Crafting superior customer experiences is a key differentiator and a strategic priority for all businesses.” Excerpts:

“Customer support has evolved from the traditional telephony-centric, reactive processes of the 1990s, to an omni-channel digital customer engagement center. Customer support today is in the soul of an organization’s ability to define and deliver a consistent customer experience.

The emergence of digital channels and rapid advances in technologies like AI and Machine Learning have enabled progressive organizations to find newer ways to engage with customers for the ‘Always-On’ support experience across channels that they desire. The emergence of virtual assistant and the rise of cloud-based cognitive contact centers are key trends fuelled by technology advances.

As per industry analysts’ predictions, by 2020, 85% of customer interactions will be handled without human intervention. AI-based chatbots are central to transforming customer experience for next-gen customers. Cognitive technologies empower them to provide a human touch to their conversation and help organizations reduce response time while also providing a round-the-clock presence, and ultimately improve the overall customer experience.

While there is a prevalence of automation, we must not underestimate the power of emotions. There are still many occasions where customers want to talk to real humans instead of an automated service. The personal touch of a competent customer service agent aided by the speed of AI would make a powerful combination.”

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