Zendesk, Inc. recently released its annual Customer Experience (CX) Trends Report, the findings of which signal a rapid transition towards intelligent CX.
Indian businesses are realising the potential of generative AI with 81% percent of CX leaders in the country saying their teams are under significant pressure to leverage generative AI in CX.
In this era, the shift to AI-driven service will create a big divide between companies that use AI to create the best customer experiences and those that miss the mark on implementing, or worse, don’t embrace AI at all.
Businesses with the ability to bridge this AI divide will completely transform CX, delivering personalisation at scale and elevating service quality while reducing costs.
In India, 85% of CX leaders are increasing their investment in generative AI for CX within the next year.
“We’re on the verge of the most significant inflexion point we’ve ever seen in CX with the latest advances in AI,” said Adrian McDermott, chief technology officer, Zendesk.
“Businesses will need to rethink the structure of everything, from their tech stacks to their teams to how they deliver support. Companies that thrive will shift to a much more intelligent CX strategy, using AI to manage volume, lower costs, increase quality and ultimately improve customer satisfaction,” he said.
The report reveals CX leaders in India are charging ahead with generative AI adoption – 83% have already begun experimenting with or implementing the technology into their customer journey, the highest in the Asia Pacific.
This adoption has real benefits – 91% of CX leaders in India using generative AI in CX report positive ROI, proving these changes set a new standard for successful CX.
The report also places a spotlight on some defining elements of the era of intelligent CX which include Chatbots evolving into advanced digital agents, Generative AI and evolved chatbots are revolutionising consumer interactions by facilitating personalised, instant and interactive experiences.
Live and immersive interactions will redefine experiences
As consumers expect more engaging and interactive experiences, CX leaders will need to transition to tools like conversational commerce, live streaming and voice.
“In the era of generative AI and data privacy, businesses in India show a positive outlook towards intelligent CX adoption. New and emerging technologies have intensified customer expectations, and it’s now pushing businesses to deliver instant, personalized experiences in real-time while anticipating customer needs even before they arise. This places massive importance on real-time data,” said Vasudeva Rao Munnaluri, RVP India & SAARC, Zendesk.
“However, AI adoption must be done thoughtfully, ensuring employees are given adequate training while customers are offered greater transparency. As businesses expand their AI capabilities, maintaining transparency and explainable AI decisions is crucial. It ensures customers understand the data that’s driving AI models and helps build trust,” he said.
Chatbots evolve into advanced digital agents Eighty – four percent of CX leaders in India believe chatbots can build a stronger emotional connection with their customers.
This is largely due to AI chatbots evolving into skilled digital agents, playing key roles in customer service and the overall customer experience.
Their ability to mirror brand styles and evaluate their customers’ feelings and desires enables them to deliver tailored, accurate responses.
A vast majority (89%) of CX leaders in India believe that bots are becoming skilled architects of highly personalised customer journeys.
Customers too are expanding their range of inquiries, with 88% of Indian consumers asking AI/bots more varied types of questions than before.
The transformation of chatbots into digital agents aligns with escalating expectations – 80% of consumers believe chatbots should have the same level of expertise and quality as highly skilled human agents.
Furthermore, 88% of customers agree that interacting with bots is a great way to discover new products and information about a company.
Businesses are grasping the importance of upgrading chatbots into digital agents and plan to boost their AI investments to speed up this process.
In India, 73% of CX leaders report increasing their investment in AI for CX within the year. – CX Today
