Exploring the Impact of AI on Customer Experience (CX) – Insights from Zendesk and Future Trends

Are you curious about the impact of AI on customer experience (CX)? Zendesk, a leading provider of intelligent CX platforms, has been at the forefront of integrating AI into their services. Adrian McDermott, Chief Technology Officer at Zendesk, recently shared insights from their Future of AI-powered CX report at the VB Transform 2024 event.

The report surveyed over 1,300 senior CX leaders and found that the majority believe AI will significantly transform CX in the next three years. While some organizations may not have AI as a top priority currently, the trend towards AI integration in CX is clear.

One key concern for companies implementing AI in customer service is maintaining a human touch. McDermott emphasized the importance of proper journey design and escalation protocols to ensure that human interactions remain crucial in the AI-driven customer service landscape.

To address this concern, Zendesk acquired Klaus, a Quality Assurance company, to monitor the quality of both human and bot interactions. This acquisition highlights Zendesk’s commitment to ensuring that the human experience is not lost in AI-driven interactions.

McDermott outlined three stages of AI implementation in customer service, starting from using AI to assist human agents to eventually expanding automation. He predicts that as more companies gain familiarity with AI in the CX environment, there will be greater adoption and trust in AI-driven customer service solutions.

However, McDermott also cautions that this evolution towards AI in CX will take time and should not be expected to happen overnight. It will be a gradual process that requires continuous monitoring and improvement.

If you’re interested in learning more about the future of AI in CX, consider taking Zendesk’s quick AI survey to share your insights on the current state of AI and what you expect to see in the future. The link to the survey is provided in the blog post.