Data supporting the need for AI in self-service | Away with Words

By Catherine Heath (Freelance Technical Writer and Marketing Advocate)

Catherine is a freelance writer based in Manchester. Blogs. Copy. Documentation. She believes in ditching the jargon – just give her plain writing.

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In collaboration with Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani (a Python developer and data scientist),

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Self-service tools can benefit from AI in a number of ways. If you’re at all interested in the concept of self-service, consider using an AI knowledge base or similar tool to boost your customer support efforts. AI doesn’t have to be complicated and there are already tons of intuitive tools out there to help you with AI self-service. 

Consider Document360: 

Or Notion: 

Now we’re aware of the concept of AI in self-service, let’s look at why AI is needed in self-service. 

Why AI is needed in self-service

1. 24/7 assistance: Customers want help anytime, not just during business hours. AI knowledge bases and chatbots are always available to assist your customers, even when your agents are off the clock. (Source: Salesforce)

https://www.salesforce.com/ap/resources/articles/what-is-customer-support

2. Reduced Costs: Chatbots powered by AI can reduce customer support costs by 30%, so making use of this kind of technology allows you to reinvest back into the business instead of spending so much on support. (Source: IBM)

https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/unlocking-the-power-of-chatbots-key-benefits-for-businesses-and-customers

3. A self-service platform powered by AI can automate 80% of routine customer enquiries, meaning that your agents spend less time on mundane tickets and can devote more time to high-level tasks that require human assistance (source: McKinsey).

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/the-next-frontier-of-customer-engagement-ai-enabled-customer-service

(4) Improved customer experience: 70% of customers prefer self-service options, meaning that if you use AI self-service you’re actually giving customers what they want. Customers now expect self-service from businesses and resent having to contact support (Source: Microsoft)

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/blog/business-leader/2016/06/29/increase-customer-experience-with-self-service-portals

Challenges in traditional self-service:

1.60% of customers struggle to find answers online, meaning that companies fail to make their information available. AI can help with information discovery and make customers happier. (Forrester)

Consumer Expectations For Customer Service Don’t Match What Companies Deliver

2. The average customer expects help within five minutes, and the speed of AI resources makes this possible. (Source: LivePerson)

https://knowledge.liveperson.com/agent-manager-workspace-agent-tools-for-messaging-agent-workspace-for-messaging-user-guide.html

3. Inaccurate responses: 40% of customers report that self-service apps provide incorrect information, which can be rectified by AI tools. (Source: Accenture)

Click to access Accenture-End-to-Endless-Customer-Service.pdf

The case for AI-based self-service solutions

1. A majority of companies plan to invest in chatbots for customer support, suggesting that this is a good route to go down. (Source: Spiceworks)

https://community.spiceworks.com/t/does-your-company-use-chatbots-why-research-suggests-they-might-be-a-secret-to-business-success/967784

2. Virtual helpers: Customers can benefit from AI-powered virtual assistants, so you should offer them for your customers. (Source: Microsoft)

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business-insights-ideas/resources/benefits-of-ai-in-your-workplace

3. Smart knowledge bases: AI-powered knowledge bases provide precise responses, allowing customers to find the resources they need quickly in your knowledge base.

(Source: Zendesk)

https://www.zendesk.com/service/help-center/ai-knowledge-base

Data on AI Adoption in Self-Service

1. By 2025, 80% of customer interactions will be managed without the use of human customer service representatives. (Source: Gartner)

https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-01-12-gartner-predicts-80–of-customer-service-organization

2. Approximately 70% of businesses intend to invest in AI-powered customer service solutions. (Source: Oracle)

https://www.oracle.com/pk/erp/financials/ai-finance

3. 60% of customer service leaders believe artificial intelligence will improve the customer experience. (Source: Deloitte)

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consulting/articles/ai-in-customer-experience.html

Away with Words: The Main Points

1. AI-powered self-service can improve the customer experience while also lowering costs.

2. Traditional self-service platforms have limitations, such as lack of information and incorrect responses.

3. These challenges can be addressed using AI-powered solutions such as chatbots or smart knowledge bases.