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Navigating the digital transformation journey
Discover how industry leaders are leveraging AI to reshape customer engagement and drive efficiency.
Maia Capello
February 07, 2024 • 5 minutes
The business landscape is evolving, driven by digital innovation, changing customer expectations, and the need for effective digital conversations. At the heart of this evolution is an AI-first transformation journey, where businesses integrate digital technology into all areas of their operation, fundamentally changing how they operate and deliver value to customers. It’s not just about adopting new digital technologies; it’s about rethinking old models to drive growth and efficiency into a digital-centric world.
Reflecting this shift, a striking 84% of business leaders report they are currently using artificial intelligence to engage with customers, underscoring the widespread recognition of AI’s transformative potential in customer service.
In a recent peer exchange hosted by LivePerson, industry leaders gathered to discuss a critical aspect of a successful digital transformation strategy: the integration of AI and automation in fostering efficient, digital customer conversations. This is where LivePerson’s Conversational Maturity Assessment becomes crucial, providing a framework for businesses to assess and enhance their use of AI in a way that maximizes their impact and aligns to their overall digital transformation goals.
Following are the key takeaways from the conversation:
Takeaway #1 – Understanding the foundation
The importance of knowledge management and the “Garbage In, Garbage Out” principle
In the realm of AI and automation, the adage “garbage in, garbage out” underscores a fundamental truth: the quality of the digital solution’s output is directly influenced by the quality of the input. In the context of AI model training, this translates to a critical need for robust knowledge management frameworks.
The foundation of effective AI-driven customer support (and most other business processes) lies in the data used to train these models. If the information feeding into the AI chatbot is flawed or irrelevant, the responses and decisions it makes will be equally so. This is why establishing a strong knowledge base is paramount. It’s not about the quantity of data, but the quality and relevance of the information.
A practical approach to enhancing this knowledge base is focusing on refining the top 10-20% of support articles. These are the articles that consistently prove most beneficial in supporting customers. By ensuring these articles are accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive, businesses can significantly improve the effectiveness of their AI-powered digital tools. This strategy is directly aligned with the ‘Understand’ phase of the Conversational Flywheel™, where analyzing and comprehending digital customer conversations is key.
By investing in this foundational digital transformation initiative, businesses set the stage for more accurate, efficient, and satisfying customer interactions.
Takeaway #2 – Connecting data with strategy
Starting your digital transformation journey via testing and expanding automation
Beginning an automation journey in customer service, especially in the realm of digital customer conversations, is like setting sail into uncharted waters — it requires both a reliable compass and a willingness to adapt to changing tides. This journey ideally begins with a small, yet reliable set of data for a strategic approach, allowing businesses to test the waters of automation with a manageable scope.
Starting small in digital transformation efforts like this has its advantages. It enables companies to closely monitor the impact and effectiveness of their automation strategies. This initial phase is crucial for measuring the immediate ROI of automation initiatives. By analyzing how well a limited set of data performs in real-world scenarios, businesses can gain valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t.
As confidence in the system grows, so does the scope of automation. Gradually expanding the data set allows for a controlled scaling of automation efforts. This methodical expansion is essential for maintaining quality and efficiency as the complexity of automated interactions increases. It aligns perfectly with the ‘Connect’ phase of the Conversational Flywheel, where the focus is on integrating and optimizing digital channels to enhance customer engagement.
By carefully testing and expanding automation, businesses can ensure that their journeys toward successful digital transformations are also sustainable, leading to more connected and efficient customer service experiences.
Takeaway #3 – Assisting with precision
Unveiling LivePerson’s conversational AI maturity framework
In the digital transformation journey, having a clear roadmap is key. LivePerson’s Conversational Maturity Assessment can help guide businesses through the evolving landscape of digital customer engagement. It’s a strategic tool designed to evaluate and enhance a company’s approach to integrating AI and automation in customer service.
How the assessment shapes customer-centric automation strategies
The assessment is instrumental in developing strategies that are both efficient and deeply focused on enhancing digital customer conversations. It helps businesses understand their current position in the digital maturity spectrum and provides insights into advancing their capabilities. More than a matter of adopting new digital technologies, it’s about refining how these technologies are used to interact with customers, ensuring each engagement is as effective and personalized as possible.
The real-world impact of the assessment
Designed to bridge the AI gap in your CX strategy and digital customer engagement, the assessment helps businesses address common challenges and identify opportunities for growth in the digital world. By applying the insights from this model, companies can make informed decisions about how to enhance their customer service operations, making them more responsive, cost-efficient, and attuned to the needs of the modern consumer.
This AI maturity model framework is more than a conversational assessment tool; it’s a catalyst for transformation, helping businesses navigate their digital transformation journey with confidence and strategic foresight.
Takeaway #4 – Automating for the future
How to thrive in the age of conversation
The digital transformation journey culminates with a strategic embrace of automation. LivePerson’s approach focuses on intelligent automation, where conversational AI solutions play a pivotal role in enabling faster resolutions that align with customer expectations.
By harnessing the power of large language models (LLMs) and advanced AI chatbots, these solutions go beyond merely responding to customer inquiries. They proactively anticipate and meet customer needs, delivering assistance in a manner that is both natural and effectively helpful. This level of automation transforms the customer experience, offering quick and personalized responses, allowing businesses to focus on complex interactions and build deeper customer relationships. In essence, it’s about leveraging technology to make every digital customer conversation more meaningful and cost-effective.
Mastering digital transformation is essential in today’s customer service landscape. Elevate your business model’s approach with LivePerson’s Conversational Maturity Assessment. This tool not only evaluates your current standing, but also guides you in optimizing AI and automation for superior customer engagement. Start your assessment today and pave the way for a transformative customer service experience in the digital age.
