The Rise of Emotionally Intelligent AI Is Altering the Landscape of CX

The use of AI is no longer just a trend — it really has to be a thoughtful process. Understanding your company’s goals and objectives in driving human experience is key to understanding how much automation needs to happen in order to engage your customers. Customer experience is everything — and how we incorporate AI into that experience matters.

Despite some skepticism among CX leaders, companies are actively working to advance AI in new ways. To further discuss generative AI, its emotional intelligence and human response, Avaya has organized roundtable discussions to explore those very topics in the context of iteration channels. The insights from these discussions are confidential, but the conclusions indicate that many companies are cautiously exploring AI, particularly in agent-facing applications, and have plans for broader implementation. The goal is to use AI to enhance both customer and agent experiences, focusing on natural language interactions and helping agents with complex issues while enabling virtual assistants to handle routine inquiries.

AI and Human Connection

At the heart of any successful AI deployment is the ability to maintain a strong human connection. I recently experienced this firsthand while apartment hunting. I received an email that felt so personal I didn’t realize it was generated by a bot. The transition from bot to human was seamless, and it reinforced the importance of creating AI interactions that feel natural and engaging. This kind of emotional intelligence in AI can foster loyalty, as customers who feel connected to a brand are less likely to shop around.

When implementing AI, it’s essential to keep the customer experience front and center. If the focus is solely on cost-cutting without considering the impact on the customer, the AI strategy is bound to fall short. The goal should be to enhance the experience, not just streamline it.

The Current State of AI

The primary objective is to improve the human agent's experience using AI to analyze customer interactions and provide personalized responses to enhance customer satisfaction. AI should be designed to empower agents, enabling them to tackle complex issues rather than replacing their role, creating opportunities for upselling and revenue generation. Beyond these initial implementations, the introduction of AI is expected to lead to further digital innovation.

However, challenges accompany the deployment of AI in contact centers. These challenges include data management, security and measuring ROI, especially in highly regulated industries like banking. Organizations also face challenges due to the evolving nature of AI models and regulatory variations across different regions. Overcoming these challenges requires a strategic approach and a deep understanding of the AI landscape.

To address these challenges and ensure successful AI deployment, organizations should focus on robust data management and security protocols, as well as fostering adaptability and continuous learning within their teams. Understanding company goals and objectives and encouraging emotional intelligence among agents is also crucial. Agents who are emotionally intelligent are more likely to accept AI as a tool that enhances their capabilities, rather than a threat to their jobs.

Roll Out

Our key findings from the roundtable discussions indicate:

• A preference for partnering with AI specialists rather than developing in-house capabilities.
• Private cloud solutions over public cloud options for data security and control.

Additionally, there is a widespread sentiment that AI should empower agents rather than replace them. This underscores the need for a balanced approach to AI-human integration. It's not about AI taking over but about enhancing the capabilities of human agents, thereby improving the overall customer experience.

Balancing Innovation and Humanity

Incorporating AI into customer experience requires a thoughtful approach that balances automation with the human touch. By focusing on emotional intelligence, companies can create AI-driven interactions that feel personal and engaging, fostering customer loyalty. As AI continues to evolve, organizations must strategically address challenges such as data management and security while empowering agents to embrace AI as a tool that enhances their capabilities. Ultimately, the goal should be to use AI to enrich the overall experience for both customers and agents, driving innovation and satisfaction across the board.

Exploring best practices for deploying AI in contact centers is critical to success. By analyzing real-world examples and proven strategies, companies can ensure a smooth rollout and steer clear of common pitfalls that derail AI initiatives.

See how Avaya can help you beat the odds of today’s 20-30% project success rate with our “innovation without disruption” approach.