What is the link between artificial intelligence and customer experience?

“Business culture” in companies

Companies have long favored a business culture focused on processes and technical skills. But when the first customer losses occur, one observation becomes unavoidable: technical expertise is no longer enough. Measurement tools now make it possible to gauge feelings. In fact, the results are clear: the quality of human relationships determines satisfaction and impacts retention through the power of delight.

This principle also holds true internally. People rarely leave a company; more often, they leave a manager.

Prioritizing customer experience

The customer journey lends itself to a methodical approach, but customer experience follows a different logic: that of emotional management. In a world that has become unstable and anxiety-inducing, emotions are more present and more heightened.

Emotional tensions, often deep and unspoken, are at the heart of satisfaction. The fundamental expectation remains universal: to be considered, to be recognized in one’s uniqueness. The more uncertain the world becomes, the more intense this need for recognition grows.

AI: a tool in service of the human

It would be a mistake to pit artificial intelligence against humanity. AI is revolutionizing professions and represents a working tool that allows things to be done differently. It saves time on repetitive tasks in favor of those with high added value.

AI processes data, analyzes, synthesizes, and accelerates processes, but it feels nothing. However, in customer relations, an AI capable of understanding a need and quickly connecting the customer with the right person is far more useful than an impersonal voice server.

Rethinking the human-technology balance

The persistent need for human contact

One cannot deny it: customers need increasing autonomy in their relationship given the reality of omnichannel: being able to access services 24/7 and carry out operations independently. But they also want to be able to speak to a human being when the need arises. Analysis of customer feedback is unambiguous: dissatisfaction often stems from a lack of human contact at the moment the customer needs it. And human contact is the only one capable of creating genuine delight.

AI excels at analyzing expressed sentiments: positive or negative perceptions, emotional intensity, weak signals. But it must never distance the customer from the person serving them. Nothing is more frustrating than a fully automated service when a human exchange is what is needed.

The managerial challenge at the heart of transformation

The challenge is therefore not only technological, but emotional and managerial. AI can reduce costs and improve responsiveness, but it must also serve to deliver a quality customer experience and emotional connection. It can, moreover, help train and raise awareness among people to better understand customer emotions. But where should we start? With the front office, which is always in direct contact with customers, or with the back office, which needs to better understand why emotions are central to satisfaction?

We believe it is more beneficial to approach the subject differently, because the quality of the customer experience is very often linked to the quality of management, and especially to front-line management. Our recent work with several clients (retail, automotive, banking, insurance, and energy) shows a direct and very strong link between the customer orientation of front-line managers and financial performance.

Yet too many companies do not focus enough on the importance and quality of front-line management: front-line managers are often under intense pressure and lack the room to support their teams. AI could be a very effective relay to help them optimize the customer experience, both in contact centers and within distribution networks.

Complementarity or subsidiarity?

AI is here to enhance the human, not to replace them: we might speak of an augmented relationship. It can accompany, guide, automate, analyze, and alert. But the fundamental need remains: to feel welcomed, so as to return and spread the word.

Author : Julia MARC