“The small part that connects to the big part isn’t connecting!”

If you’ve worked in customer service, chances are you’ve heard a customer call in with this kind of…well, “question” isn’t the right word. Chances are you’ve heard a customer call in with this kind of very non-specific frustration. And if you haven’t had the right kind of customer service training, then you probably don’t know exactly how to handle it. And it can get pretty scary.

Customer service representatives are on the front line of dealing with people. And people, as we know, can be confused about what is troubling them. They don’t know all the lingo. They don’t know exactly how to describe their issue. And chances are, they are upset and frustrated and want to be reassured as much as they want their problem solved.

That’s why they want to speak with a person who understands the issue and actually understands them. It’s why most people prefer to speak with a person. But that person needs to be able to help them. And that means that organizations have to enhance their customer service training to be people-oriented, for staff and for customers alike.

Be Automatic, Not Automated

There has been over the last generation a push to automate customer service. The recent explosion in AI capabilities has turbocharged that push.

Automation is great for a number of duties. If a customer is changing their password, looking up account information, checking on warranties, paying a bill, or anything else that doesn’t need a human element, automation works really well. There’s no need to tie up a representative to do tasks that don’t require their intervention.

But there are a lot of issues that do require a human being stepping in. Let’s take the example that we led off with. Imagine a conversation between that person and a chatbot.

“The small part that connects to the big part isn’t connecting!”

I’M SORRY, I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE. IS IT ONE OF THESE?

• Issue with device
• Issue with billing
• Issue with warranty
• Upgrade my account!

“It’s the device! The problem is the connections!”

I UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE DEVICE. LET’S GET THAT SOLVED. WHAT PART OF YOUR DEVICE SEEMS NOT TO BE WORKING?

• The Frenulator
• The Dual-Port Monoport
• The Retractor Complex

“I don’t know! It’s the part that connects!”

I WILL CONNECT YOU TO AN AGENT PLEASE WAIT 14 MINUTES

Do you see the problem here? The customer doesn’t even have the language to make their way through the automated customer service, which doesn’t have the ability to read minds or parse through the nuance.

That’s why, according to a November 2022 study put out by the Journal of Business Research, 86% of people prefer to work with a human representative. When you get into more specific industries, such as banking, nearly half (44%) are uncomfortable giving sensitive information to a chatbot. Whether this is a rational fear or not, it is real, and it isn’t going away.

Now, talking to a customer service representative might not be a perfect solution. A person might not understand the vague problem with connections either, at least not without the right training. But a well-trained CSR will be able to read between the lines, talk to the person, show important levels of empathy, and figure out a solution.

When they are well-trained enough, the help a customer service representative can provide is automatic.

How AI Coaching Makes Customer Service Training More Effective

This article has talked about the limitation of artificial intelligence in customer service. And while that technology is improving, there is a clear need for companies to invest in customer service training in order to make their frontline workers more confident, prepared, and reliable. Customers want to deal with people and will for the foreseeable future.

The human need to interact with humans puts a limit on the role of AI in customer-facing positions.

But for training? Well, not only is artificial intelligence incredibly effective, but it can help make your people even better at being people.

How can AI do that? Because the right AI coaching platform can replicate real customer experiences – with all their frustrations, confusion, and lack of ability to articulate the real problem.

An AI coaching platform can be used – anywhere, whether in a contact center or for remote employees – to run through essentially unlimited interactions. This far surpasses working with a trainer from a script. After all, the script is written with a solution in mind, whereas real interactions are more open-ended. And no matter how realistic, the trainee is working with someone they saw in the lunchroom that day. They know they aren’t dealing with a customer.

They also aren’t dealing with a real customer with the AI coaching platform. But it will replicate on a call or on chat the exact experience, consolidating hundreds or even thousands of conversations to improvise, adapt, and make a realistic conversation where Point A does not always lead seamlessly to Point B.

Not only that, but the platform can also offer real-time feedback to the employees and managers, so they will know the areas in which they need to improve. The tool understands hard numbers, like time of call, but also soft skills, like empathy and building rapport.

The result? Here are some tangible measures.

• 56% Accelerated agent Speed to Proficiency
• 33% Improved CSAT Scores
• 32% Lower Employee Attrition

Underpinning those numbers are more confident agents. They might not have been trained on the exact scenario above, but they have gotten a lot of low-pressure reps, have grown more confident with their product or service knowledge, and have gotten better at thinking on their feet.

They can build rapport. They can move the caller toward a better explanation. They can be empathetic so that the customer actually feels heard. And they can use their customer service training to understand that the customer wants to connect the monoport to the Retractor Complex. It’s as simple as that.

An AI platform for customer service training might not use real people. But it can help your people learn how to truly understand others.

Contact our team today to schedule a demo to learn more about how you can incorporate Zenarate AI Coach into your agent training program. We will answer your questions and show you how you can help your organization develop confidently prepared agents while delivering exceptional experiences to the ones that matter most – your customers.