There is no better way to say this, but one of the main reasons companies all around the world are opening up to an idea of embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) with open arms, is that they know the magnitude of loss of revenue human error can cause. Studies show that about 42 percent that interact with companies end up purchasing a service or product after a positive customer service experience. Nevertheless, more importantly, about 52 percent potential customers end up leaving the point of sale if they face some sort of negative customer service interaction. From a purely business perspective, it simply makes more sense to reduce the chances of human error in customer support. That is where AI takes over.

One of the most common reviews of great customer support is how the problem got solved very quickly. American Express, one of world’s most renowned companies when it comes to providing state of the art customer support to its consumers, who are mostly people who use Amex credit cards, has always been ahead of the curve in this department. Nevertheless, while their service reps are completely trained and experienced in solving problems quickly for their users, even then the company is now investing in AI.

Why? Because even the best can do better. Callers, who eventually reach the reps on the phone, usually spend a minute or so in queue to reach an actual person. But with AI, that uses Natural Language Processing capability, the same way Alexa, Siri and Cortana work, not only can that wait time be eliminated, but the average handling time (AHT) can be drastically reduced, as the voice on the other hand can simultaneously look at the customer’s data, make split second decisions and offer solutions for any problem the caller might be facing.

When it comes to offering online customer support, AI-powered chatbots are changing the face of the game for companies. Platforms like Facebook Messenger are now letting companies directly chat with users through chatbots, without involving any human. Moreover, since people are already accustomed to an idea of spending time on social media, such chats with companies are almost like chatting with a subject matter expert who’s online exclusively for you. Are these chatbots perfect? Probably not yet, but that is where experienced customer support professionals come in. There will always be a business requirement for people who can help making the machines better.

A few years into the future, we might even be looking at more evolved customer support role for people who can constantly monitor the performance of the machines and help make them better. That is yet about to be seen.