Angel Cheung: Welcome everyone. Thank you for joining our session today as we explore practical AI in the customer journey. I'm Angel, a product design advocate at Pendula.com, and I'll be your moderator today.With AI growing at a staggering rate, it's expected to reach 407 billion US dollars by 2027, with projected annual growth of over 37% in the next six years. So, with AI being a critical driver across industries, how can you leverage AI to drive business growth and enhance customer engagement?Today, our industry experts will explore through real-world examples and actionable strategies. Let’s start by hearing from our panelists. Could you please introduce yourselves and describe the level of AI usage within your organization? Low meaning just starting, medium indicating it's used throughout the business, and high representing expertise and leadership in AI usage.
Brad Hoyle: I'll go first. I'm Brad, the Operational Excellence Manager at Discover. I've been here for 8 years, aiming to create a world-class customer experience. In terms of our AI journey, we're at a medium level, exploring different opportunities, working to implement and extract value, and aspiring to become experts.
Michael Lansdown: I'm Michael Lansdown, Director of CX and Personalization at Amaze. I'd also classify us as medium. We're past the initial stages, but claiming we're experts would be exaggerated. So, medium fits us well.
Angel Cheung: Wonderful. With that context, I'd like to set the scene. Currently, almost every business is experimenting with AI, but few progress beyond the pilot stage. Only 11% of companies use Gen AI at scale. Why do you think this is, and what misconceptions hinder businesses from leveraging AI effectively?
Brad Hoyle: 2023 was the year everyone became aware of ChatGPT and AI. Boardrooms wanted to adopt AI quickly. But largely companies only dipped their toes in with limited trials. Misconceptions persist, such as AI completely replacing jobs, when realistically, AI will augment roles, enhancing processes and customer interactions. The challenge is changing perceptions to fully leverage AI's potential in customer journeys.
Michael Lansdown: I agree. ChatGPT provided a user-friendly glimpse into AI's capabilities. However, people mistakenly thought it applies quickly to business contexts. Often the missing piece is defining the use case—understanding what you want to achieve. If exploration is the goal, acknowledging that is crucial, rather than mixing it with broader aspirations. Starting with clear intentions, whether exploring or aiming for direct value, yields clearer and faster results.
Angel Cheung: I hear a lot about resetting perceptions and gaining clarity. A report says over 60% of business owners recognize AI's potential to enhance customer relationships. Do you resonate with this? Can you share successful AI usage examples in your organizations' customer journeys?
Brad Hoyle: Absolutely. We've implemented something called our Pulse Check Engine. It analyzes incoming customer interactions in real-time, assessing sentiment and intent, and recommending actions. It helps prioritize work, routing urgent items effectively. Another example is our call compliance system, which evaluates calls across various criteria, flagging those needing attention, thus optimizing resources.
Michael Lansdown: We've seen every vendor communicate an AI strategy, and interacting with them provides exciting possibilities. A great example is AI's ability to focus on customer attention. Instead of simply reaching more customers, AI should ensure we communicate with those likely interested, thus preserving attention span and enhancing customer experience.
Angel Cheung: How about addressing ethical concerns surrounding AI, particularly regarding customer data privacy and ethical use? How do your organizations handle these issues?
Brad Hoyle: We start with an internal governance plan, ensuring AI aligns with existing operations and compliance flows. Also, building explainability in models is crucial to avoid black-box scenarios. For example, if AI predicts loan denial, it should clarify the reasons so humans can understand and verify, aligning AI actions with business ethics.
Michael Lansdown: Indeed, having guiding principles is vital since unintended consequences can arise. Observing global examples, like the EU, illuminates areas of ethical concern. The advent of cloud technology faced similar anxieties. Staying proactive, understanding external views, and adhering to internal principles safeguard against risks.
Angel Cheung: Despite concerns, over 60% of consumers trust businesses using AI technology. How do you see AI evolving across customer journey stages?
Brad Hoyle: Companies are increasingly adopting an AI-first approach. Reimagining existing challenges with AI is common. Plus, digital agents will soon be widespread, closing the gap between human interaction and digital customer service, enhancing seamless experiences.
Michael Lansdown: Customer service centers will transform, becoming smaller and more distributed. AI enables proactive solutions, tackling simple queries efficiently. Moreover, regionalizing into new markets becomes simpler, facilitating globalization of products and services, maximizing customer benefit.
Angel Cheung: With AI supporting the customer as the foremost priority throughout their journey, its growth potential is vast. Thank you, Brad and Michael, for your insights and experiences. To everyone joining us, we hope you gained valuable takeaways about balancing ethical AI usage and driving growth through meaningful customer experiences. Enjoy the rest of your day.
.webp)
