It’s clear that AI technologies are the future, but how can channel providers maximise the opportunity today?
Interestingly, most of us are already using AI-technology on a regular basis but many may be unaware that it is embedded in existing tools and propelling business applications to the next level.
ChatGPT has become extremely popular and is known for being an ‘AI tool’. Other applications are less obviously powered by AI technology, such as within chat bots, where they seamlessly answer questions or direct enquiries to a human being. In social media and email marketing tools it is increasingly present – it’s even within Snapchat, which shows it has become mainstream.
However, whilst already in use, it is important to recognise that the term AI itself can be a barrier to adoption by customers due to a fear of AI, the need for adhere to security policies and a lack of understanding of its benefits.
To communicate the role of AI to customers, channel providers need to position AI as an enabler and a tool, rather than a solution on its own. It must be distilled into business use cases so that it is clear to the average business how it can help them to improve their specific processes and achieve their end goals.
The channel also needs to train their people to build knowledge on the power of AI. It is important to understand any concerns that customers may have that stem from the fear of AI and educate sales teams on how these concerns can be allayed, focusing on the wide range of clever applications and the practical advantages that can be applied to a business’ specific needs.
AI and analytics
A key use case for AI is analytics. Knowing what end customers need, how they behave and how they buy is critical to any customer experience (CX) strategy. AI within analytics solutions can be used to identify trends, distil the insights that matter most, and predict customer behaviour; all of which take value-added channel offerings to the next level.
Not least, applications powered by AI can also help providers to differentiate their services, demonstrating a provider’s progression in line with market trends and giving confidence to their customers that they deliver ‘future-proofed’ solutions.
Of course, opportunities to differentiate and add value are always in demand, but this has never been truer than in the rush to capitalise on the market shift towards Microsoft Teams for telephony. This dynamic makes AI-enabled technology the perfect partner for channel players looking to make their mark in this market.
As a result, we’ve seen a massive increase in demand for AI as part of Tollring’s portfolio. Our latest innovation in this area is within our cloud call recording solutions, which use AI to gauge sentiment, spot topics and analyse important conversations in an automated way. The AI element adds a new dimension where qualitative insights can become quantitative, enabling a business to be more effective at seeing clearly what their customer service looks like at scale – and, critically, where to make improvements.
This platform-agnostic call recording service is available for use on Microsoft Teams under our Analytics 365 brand as well as on BroadWorks and Webex Calling. They all facilitate compliance and deliver automated analysis of customer experience, at scale, with a consistent user interface. This allows partners to operate multiple calling platforms whilst continuing to offer market-leading analytics and recording across the whole portfolio – with no need to skill up or reinvest.
It is also important to ensure these tools are as easy as possible for providers to sell, provision, support and bill via comprehensive APIs and the ability to buy direct or via Microsoft’s marketplaces.
Over the next 18 months, services that incorporate AI-based technologies will become increasingly mainstream, delivered as defined and tangible services that are increasingly faster and more accurate. These solutions will enable businesses to further improve customer interactions using the intelligence in their existing data.
As knowledge around the benefits of AI powered solutions continues to grow, the lifecycle of AI will quickly move from the early adopters to early/late majority. The practical business applications of AI technology will also become more understood with clear evidence of the benefits. And similar to the adoption of cloud computing, the level of security, deployment and compliance options will become better articulated and accepted.
For further information, please visit https://www.analytics-365.com/