There’s a possibility of winning big – or losing sight of what matters most to your customers when building GenAI-empowered customer experiences, claims Kuudes Senior Service Designer Katariina Tikkala.
As a service designer I concern myself foremost with the human experience of any novelty service in the market. And currently there seems to be a bounty of applications that are built tech-first with limited regard to the customer experience. As businesses race to adopt cutting-edge technology, it’s crucial to navigate GenAIs potential with precision and foresight.
In this blog series we delve into the common pitfalls associated with integrating generative AI into customer service. We also offer some strategic insights for overcoming these challenges and leveraging AI to create outstanding and memorable customer experiences.
Part I: The Pitfall of Settling for Basic Improvements
While AI offers powerful capabilities to improve efficiency, such as 24/7 availability, the elimination of waiting times, and multi-language support, these enhancements often only meet the basic expectations of customers. For instance, Klarna’s new AI assistant, powered by OpenAI, successfully handled 2.3 million conversations in 35 languages in its first month alone. (Image: Klarna)
It demonstrated that AI can perform on par with human agents in terms of customer satisfaction, while reducing the average resolution time from 11 to 2 minutes. Such leaps in efficacy used to be extremely costly and difficult to achieve. However, availability, speed, and precision falls into what we refer to as the “hygiene level” of service—necessary but not exceptional.
Employing generative AI to meet these basic customer service expectations is undeniably beneficial. Yet, it does little to differentiate a brand in a market where consumers seek experiences that not only satisfy but also inspire and engage them. Businesses focusing solely on these foundational improvements will find themselves merely keeping pace, rather than winning the hearts of their customers.
Strategy: Aim to Awe
To truly captivate customers, companies should leverage AI to create awe-inspiring experiences that elevate their brand promise. While the word awe is most commonly attached to natural wonders or transcendent experiences, I do believe that novel technology can also create moments of real delight and excitement to our lives. Especially when it’s harnessed to expand the possibilities of our self-expression.
Examples of such applications include Ripple – a music creation and editing tool turns hummed melodies into full instrumental tracks, enhancing the creative capabilities of musicians and content creators. Such application of GenAI elevates the users abilities and has the potential of becoming an integral part of their content creation habits. (Image: Ripple by Bytedance)
NotCo’s proprietary AI (“Giuseppe”) analyzes the molecular structure of any animal-based food and can replicate it by using plant-based ingredients only. It is trained to look for matches in flavor, texture, scent as well as functionality. Not only does it appeal to the growing market of health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers, but also demonstrates how GenAI can be used in product development. Giuseppe has already been piloted in collaborations with major brands like Starbucks and Burger King. (Image: NotCo)
We at Kuudes are designers of impactful services and customer experiences. If you want to dive deeper into the experiences your customers are after and how to win them over in the future, let’s talk more!
Click here for more of this blog series:
Part 2: The Pitfall of Irrelevance
