History of Customer Service
Customer service has its origins in the early days of commerce, when traders and merchants provided their clients with individualized services. To increase consumer loyalty, these services included everything from making product recommendations to offering customer support after the sale.
The contemporary idea of customer service, however, did not emerge until the late 19th century. The rise of department stores and the demand for a uniform approach to customer care were the main drivers of this. Marshall Field’s in Chicago was the first department store to set up a specific customer service desk in 1890.
Growth in any entity is good, but when moving from attending to just a few customers a week to countless customers a day, customer service needs to adjust by incorporating tools that aid equal focus on quality services and continuation of highly satisfied customers. Hence, the ideal customer-centric strategy needs to incorporate both face to face service delivery, combined with technology, in order to accommodate growth, service efficiency and excellent customer care.
The question now arises on how to actually automate customer service and ensure that it remains as effective in generating excellent customer care. Is Chat GPT, and AI the next route to excellent customer care?
Let’s first remember what excellent customer care looks like:
In order to get on track, some of the most important qualities that an effective customer service essentially entails are:
- Professionalism, the aim is to protect the brand of the company.
- Patience, keeping in mind that each customer is unique, there is need for flexibility when attending to each one.
- “People-first” mentality, where fully understanding that the human connection is of utmost importance in the transaction.
Although every customer’s experience with customer service is different, as long as you are following these guidelines, you are headed in the right direction.
Is AI the solution?
The question still remains, with the evolving world and the fact that clearly, ‘The future is Tech’, will AI still accomplish these ideal customer service blocks?
In regards to discussions of ChatGPT, Chabot and all the other types of AI, Can they deliver on the three P’s and generate Exceptional customer services?
- Does and Can AI Listen effectively and pay close attention the demands and problems of consumers?
- Can AI show empathy and emotions demonstrating an understanding of the customers needs & feelings?
- Can AI react quickly and anticipate responses to grievances?
AI is programmed with an element of GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out). It therefore can take in information and promptly provide a response. Hence, it can ‘listen’ and ‘respond’ on time. But can AI be humanised to satisfy customer experience in terms of empathy?
ChatGPT, for instance, is programmed to decline inappropriate or harmful requests. In addition, ChatGPT and other AI can definitely play an important role in regards to ideal customer services in the future.
Conclusion
In today’s business world, customer service is more important than ever, and companies that prioritize it are more likely to succeed in the long run. Natural selection still applies. Thus changing with the changing times is the only way to stay in business.
Our next conversation will delve more into AI and Customer Service
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