Could AI boost your customer service offering?

SMEs cannot afford to ignore larger companies' use of artificial intelligence to solve customer needs, but nor should they rush to invest in imperfect computing. The best customer service agent is knowledgeable, always available and knows precisely what your customer wants, but increasingly, they're not human. Chatbots and other artificial intelligence tools could help your SME offer a more comprehensive, personalised customer service without hiring new staff. But, alongside the benefits of computerising customer service, there are risks, particularly as it's such early days for the technology involved. Chatbots let customers type queries – through messaging mediums such as Facebook or WhatsApp – and get an automated response without a human paid employee needing to intervene.