The Economist: Can artificial intelligence rescue customer service?

INC. – OCT. 16, 2024 – Customer service is at a crossroads, and generative AI is emerging as both a disruptor and a potential solution to long-standing challenges.  A recent article in The Economist explores how companies like Sonos, Crescendo, Sierra, and tech giants such as Amazon and Salesforce are deploying AI to address inefficiencies, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction.

The article highlights notable successes, such as Sonos using Sierra’s AI-powered bot to resolve technical glitches that frustrated customers during a product update, and Crescendo’s Augmented AI solution, which brings together advanced AI and human expertise to deliver exceptional customer experiences and outcomes. Meanwhile, Twilio, Crescendo, and other industry players are developing and deploying AI systems capable of not just typing responses but listening and speaking to customers in real-time.

Despite the promise of these advancements, critical questions remain regarding the risk of alienating customers with these new AI tools, and the impact to customer service jobs, of which there are 3 million in the U.S. alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Read the full story on The Economist.