AI could help companies connect with customers like never before

New research from Salesforce has claimed companies that explicitly detail how they use AI writers and other related tools could prove more popular among customers.

The research of 14,300 consumers and business buyers from 25 countries comes from a company that has not been shy about its intentions with artificial intelligence, and one that has used the technology across many of its own services.

The results suggest that AI has raised the bar for customer service, however customers still have very clear expectations when it comes to suitable human interaction.

Is AI good for customer service?

Almost four in five (78%) of the customers surveyed said that they expect faster service now that artificial intelligence is being used across the industry, with just as many (81%) believing that a company’s customer experience is equally as important as the products it provides.

That being said, more than half (58%) of the British customers surveyed believe that greater visibility into a company’s use of AI tools would deepen their trust in that company.

An overwhelming majority (90%) believe that knowing when they are communicating with AI or a human is important, with security, ethics, and human oversight all playing considerable roles in the call for transparency.

Despite concerns and some skepticism over artificial intelligence, three-quarters (74%) of UK customers expect to be met with someone immediately upon contacting a company, which serves to concrete the time-saving tech’s place within the industry.

SVP and GM for Commerce Cloud at Salesforce, Michael Affronti, said: “Leading with strong values and ethical use of emerging technologies like generative AI will be a key indicator of future success.”

Moving forward, it has become clear that artificial intelligence is set to play an important role in customer service by helping to reduce response times and improve response accuracy, however in order to pull it off successfully, companies are being urged to be totally transparent to their customers.