Workforce Management Featured Article
AI and Automation Natural Fit for CRM
The use of AI and automation is on the rise, and the CRM and customer service space is a natural fit for these technologies. AI is increasingly being used for routine customer interactions across a broad range of channels, helping human agents and freeing up their time and resources to focus on more important and complex issues.
Customers are demanding better and more complex levels of service on their own terms, through whatever platform they prefer. And a bevy of CRM tools augmented with AI and automation are becoming available to meet that demand. For instance, Salesforce recently rolled out its Einstein Search for Sales and Service, which uses AI to reduce clicks and page loads by an estimated 50 to 80 percent for popular tasks. Microsoft, Oracle (News - Alert) and Adobe have also made major strides with using AI to enhance their offerings with the goal of improving CRM and customer service.
On the customer-facing front, the airline industry is proving to be one of the early adopters of AI for CRM. PredictHQ recently rolled out its Aviation Rank offering, which alerts airlines about important events and then correlates the relative importance of an event to actual demand using demand intelligence technology. This enables airlines to raise and lower their fares more accurately in times of fluctuating demand.
Volantio’s Yana platform helps airlines rebook customers to maximize revenues by re-selling seats at better prices and offering incentives to customers to switch flights. The technology is being used by Alaska Airlines and Qantas Airway. Delta is also using Apple’s (News - Alert) Business Chat-based support through text and iOS Messages to augment its human customer service agents.
AI is being integrated with CRM solutions in other markets as well, providing a variety of benefits. The St. Louis Blues hockey team, for instance, has been taking advantage of the technology for several years in the form of Facebook (News - Alert) chatbots that help fans better engage with the team while simultaneously driving revenues. The chatbots provide a personal customer service experience and also give the team important data about fans and their interests for upselling and cross-selling opportunities. The team is also working with Pico, an Israeli company specializing in AI-based games used to enhance CRM and customer engagement.
To learn more about how AI and automation are changing CRM and customer engagement across a broad range of channels and vertical markets, TMC (News - Alert) is hosting its Future of Work Expo in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The event, which will take place from February 12-14, 2020, will explore how AI and machine learning may be used to improve business communications, collaboration, sales and marketing and contact centers and customer service.
Edited by Maurice Nagle
