THE NEXT-GEN CX AGENT: EMPOWERED, UNSCRIPTED, AND AI-SAVVY
AI is here, and the role of the customer service agent will never be the same. With artificial intelligence handling routine inquiries with greater success, the modern CX agent must step up to deliver exceptional service when human intervention is necessary. This new breed of agents - empowered, unscripted, and AI-savvy - represents the future of customer experience. Here’s why and how the next-gen CX agent is redefining customer service.
THe IMPACT OF AI
In my article on why AI is not hype, I outline how AI technologies are now delivering on their promise of handling customer inquiries with higher quality. They provide quick, efficient responses to common questions in a human way. Companies that have correctly implemented AI are seeing drastic reductions in customer questions making their way to human agents. This might send a chill down the spines of every CX professional, but it shouldn’t have to. In this new world, there are opportunities to train your current employees to fill a role that AI can’t yet.
As AI takes over routine interactions, customers now expect a much higher level of service when they do reach a human agent. In this environment, CX leaders must find innovative ways to leverage the human touch that remains within their teams and use it to drive business results. IKEA has used this strategy when it implemented its AI service bot, “Billie”. While Billie has handled 47% of the contacts to their contact center, IKEA has been up-training agents as interior design advisors, a successful strategy that has increased revenue.
The NextGen CX Agent skills create a baseline from which CX leaders can tailor a training and coaching program that takes full advantage of the human talent they have within their organizations.
Key Skills for the Next-Gen CX Agent
While each organization should define the new role of CX agents, these 5 skill categories should be considered the foundation that every CX agent should possess in the future.
Advanced Communication
Clarity: Communicates clearly and concisely; uses plain language that’s easily understood by the customer and matches the brand’s voice.
Multi-Channel Proficiency: Can utilize multiple channels to convey information, including email, chat, phone calls, video conferences, and short videos tutorials recorded by the agent.
Positive Focus: Leads and focuses with what can be done instead of dwelling what can’t be done. By doing this, they keep the customer positively engaged.
Creative Problem Solving
Curiosity: Eager to understand the customer’s issue and its root causes. Takes little on face value and asks effective questions to dig deeper. Tip: Teach them to act like a researcher and turn your CX team into a customer intelligence powerhouse.
Innovative Thinking: Has one focus: solve the customer’s problem. Comes up with creative, novel solutions to do that.
Resourcefulness: Expertly navigates tools, data, and people to get the customer’s issue solved.
Networking: Creates relationships with key people in the organization and leverages those relationships to share customer feedback or get issues resolved.
Emotional Intelligence
Empathy: Is aware of emotional cues given by customers and responds appropriately to help the customer feel heard and understood.
Building Rapport: Gives the customer confidence that they understand them and are working on their behalf.
Resilience: Is aware of their own emotional state and can manage those emotions. They understand what they need to always be at their best.
Conversation Management
Interaction Guidance: Charts a path for the interaction and leads the customer through it, giving confidence that they are in control working with urgency.
Conflict Resolution: Handles conflict with patience, empathy, and a win-win attitude. Uses negotiation skills to find acceptable outcomes even in difficult circumstances.
AI Interaction
AI Collaboration: Can interact with AI tools and agents effectively through prompt engineering. Internal AI assistants will become more common and will increasingly expand the capabilities of what a service agent can do.
AI Optimization: Actively contributes to the improvement of AI systems by providing feedback on AI-generated responses, tagging issues, and identifying areas where AI might be enhanced. Agents skilled in AI Optimization help fine-tune AI tools over time, making them more accurate and effective in assisting with customer inquiries.
Empowerment: The Key to Success
Training agents on these skills is only the first step. Leadership must also empower employees by giving them the authority and tools to make decisions that benefit the customer. This involves:
Decision-Making Authority: Allowing agents to solve problems without needing constant approval from supervisors.
Access to Resources: Providing agents with the tools and information they need to resolve issues effectively.
Continuous Training & Coaching: Offering ongoing education in both service and technical skills and providing them with effective coaching to help them refine their expertise.
Conclusion
The future of customer service lies in the hands of empowered, unscripted, and AI-savvy CX agents. As AI continues to handle routine inquiries, the human touch becomes even more critical. Next-gen CX agents equipped with advanced communication skills, creative problem-solving abilities, empathy, the right tools, and AI interaction skills are essential to delivering the high level of service that today’s customers expect. By embracing this new approach, businesses can ensure they meet the evolving needs of their customers and stand out in a competitive landscape.
I’m ready to help you with this transformation. Contact me today to learn more about how we can empower your CX agents and revolutionize your customer service.
