From automated phone services to online support features and, most recently, social media, there’s no doubt that technology has expanded customer support teams’ reach and capacity. But in an industry dominated by customer experience and sentiment, human-to-human interactions are invaluable.

The human touch

According to Forrester, 83 percent of consumers say they prefer speaking to human agents over chatbots because they can better understand their needs and can answer multiple questions at once. Chatbots enable a company to respond to customers at all hours of the night and are useful for answering frequently asked questions that don’t require much investigation. However, bots cannot fulfill complex requests. They fail to personalize the experience and cannot comprehend, let alone de-escalate, confusion, or frustration.

Live agents can think on the fly

AI can streamline the process for a contact center agent and solve the most common customer requests; however, it lacks the intuition and resourcefulness that only humans can provide.

Live agents can solve new problems that arise

AI works based on a set of patterns or algorithms and is therefore limited to solving problems that it recognizes or occur in the same way. AI is at a disadvantage when there are no exact solutions and scenarios to learn from, and that’s where humans fill in the gaps.

Brands with successful customer experience programs recognize the value of human-powered service paired with AI solutions. Combining human agents’ resourcefulness and authenticity with bot solutions’ efficiency is a savvy way to deliver a five-star experience.

Translating human interaction to digital channels

Customer operations leaders who want to surpass the competition invest in the latest customer support technology to improve their CX. Twenty-six percent of the top companies use CX technologies compared to just 7 percent of laggards.

These teams leverage software platforms that can integrate sophisticated customer support tools and encourage engagement from customers.

The complexity of customer interactions has increased with a rise in the number of communication channels. Nine out of every 10 consumers expect a seamless omnichannel experience when moving from phone to text or chat to phone. Companies are increasingly investing in multi-channel experiences, and they must also invest in tools that can create consistency across every channel and device.

Live chat

Live chat is the new standard—63 percent of consumers are more likely to return to a website that offers live chat. When integrated with other support technologies, live chat can improve call resolution by 18 percent and decrease call handling time by 14 percent.

Live chat features offer customers a chance to speak with someone who can provide them with complex answers and recommendations, humanizing the experience. Live chat also allows for quick responses, compared to emailing or calling a customer support line.

AI-powered customer communication

CX teams need sharp communication skills to engage customers positively with the significant value placed on live chat and digital omnichannel communication.

Customer support teams can leverage Grammarly Business to improve their communication beyond spelling and grammar. With features that detect over 40 different tones and provide full sentence rewrites, clear and professional communication is just a click away.

Today, customer support teams are also increasingly distributed, and AI-powered communication tools can help those looking to improve their English writing skills. By correcting misused words and phrases in real-time, CX teams can gradually upskill their English fluency.

Delivering kind, well-written customer resolution tickets can go a long way toward increasing customer satisfaction. When CX teams use consistent language that engages customers and is free of internal jargon, they can create an authentic, brand-forward experience across channels.