Automation covers technologies across many processes and fields. In regard to customer service it's using technologies instead of people to accomplish both customer facing and back end tasks. Customers are leaning into automation according to McKinsey research. Though the majority surveyed (79%) use the telephone to connect to service, it's also the channel that most (75%) don't want to use in the future. Instead, 81% are more interested in using email and 62% in website/self-service in the future.

How insurance chatbots use decision trees and natural language processing to meet insureds' needs The insurance industry's sales and customer success teams are under pressure to deliver positive customer experiences faster than their competition. Customers expect an honest and positive experience in all end-to-end transactions like quoting, policymaking, and policy activation. Today, rising costs and long wait times have led carriers and brokers to deploy insurance chatbots to meet increased demand. So, what makes a positive customer experience? A recent report by PwC says nearly 80% of all American consumers point to speed, convenience, knowledgeable help, and friendly service as the most critical elements of a positive customer experience.

When customers reach out to the company for service, they expect instant responses to their problems. However, a customer care provider can only cater to a certain number of cases at a time. How do you scale support? Have you thought about the customers? There are so many service horror sagas that customers have experienced like long wait lines where the agent is unavailable, one where the agent is unable to deliver answers to customer's questions, agents ghosting on a customer on call, and inconsistent answers provided by service agents.

As we enter into a new decade, the need for innovation in customer experience will continue to be a top priority for many businesses. With the rise of e-commerce, digital banking, and other online services, AI has become a standard part of many customer service strategies. However, just because AI has been deployed, does not mean that customers are satisfied, nor have businesses necessarily seen material results. While 80 percent of companies believe they deliver a superior CS experience, only 8 percent of customers agree (Hyken, 2018; Forbes), an enormous disconnect. The expectations of customers will continue to force companies to comprehensively change how they engage, manage, and deliver support.

Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) can have a positive effect on your business operations, brand and bottom line. AI has the ability to help call center agents analyze behavioral data and anticipate customer churn for more proactive service.

True--the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) hold huge promise in helping us better engage and satisfy our customers. But that promise still depends heavily on our ability to process and act on the data we're gathering in a way that is meaningful and positive for our customer base. Research shows that within a few years, 89% of businesses will compete primarily on customer experience. Luckily, in the age of digital transformation, today's start-ups have a whole new world of tools to help them create and maintain the types of relationships their customers so badly want, and in record time. Below, I offer a few tips on incorporating effective, meaningful IoT, and AI into your overall business strategy.