Leveraging AI in the Omnichannel CX Space: Latest Advancements, Challenges, and the Way Forward for SMEs

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and omnichannel experiences are transforming the landscape of Customer Experience (CX). From predictive analytics applications to chatbots to automated content moderation programs, AI plays a significant role in creating high-quality customer experiences. A third of those surveyed by TELUS International mention AI and machine learning as core investments for 2023, with generative AI’s recent rise in popularity likely to bolster this investment further. Generative AI, with its ability to create high-quality content at rapid speeds, is revolutionizing the chatbot experience and enabling the rapid scaling of personalized content across emails, web pages, ads, and imagery, making the impact of AI on digital customer experience boundless​¹​.

An omnichannel experience, where customers interact with brands across multiple touchpoints, has become crucial in today’s business environment. The ability to seamlessly shift between mobile and desktop or from social media to websites is now expected by customers. As reported by Salesforce’s 2022 State of the Connected Customer report, 78% of customers have used multiple channels to start and complete a transaction. Hence, providing a consistent and connected experience across these channels is key to effective customer engagement. This involves collecting and consolidating customer data across channels to build a complete customer profile, enabling personalized and streamlined interactions​¹​.

Here are some initial steps that a small to medium-sized business can take to leverage AI in the Omnichannel CX space:

1. Start with a Strategy: Define clear goals for what you want to achieve with AI in your customer experience. This could be reducing customer support response times, personalizing customer interactions, or predicting customer behavior to anticipate needs.
2. Invest in the Right Tools: There are many AI tools available that can help enhance the omnichannel customer experience, including chatbots, predictive analytics software, and customer data platforms. Do your research and choose tools that align with your goals.
3. Leverage the Cloud: Cloud technology plays a crucial role in facilitating omnichannel experiences by ensuring continuity and access to digital CX tools and data across teams, wherever they are in the world. This makes the cloud a valuable investment for businesses looking to improve their omnichannel CX.
4. Ensure Data Privacy: In today’s digital age, data privacy and security are paramount. Make sure you’re transparent with your customers about how you’re using their data and ensure you’re compliant with all relevant data protection regulations.
5. Test, Learn, and Iterate: Implementing AI in your CX strategy is a process. Start small, learn from your successes and failures, and continuously iterate on your strategy to ensure you’re providing the best possible customer experience.

While AI and omnichannel experiences can greatly enhance the CX, it’s important for businesses to approach these technologies strategically. By clearly defining goals, investing in the right tools, leveraging the cloud, ensuring data privacy, and continuously iterating on your strategy, businesses can successfully leverage AI in the Omnichannel CX space​¹​.

What are SMEs searching for in 2023 to make themselves more aware of CX trends in 2023:

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: AI plays a significant role in creating high-quality customer experiences. Brands are building predictive analytics applications to gain insights into their business, chatbots to streamline customer support, and automated content moderation programs to aid in keeping the digital world safe. A third of those surveyed say AI and machine learning are core investments for 2023. The generative AI market, which can create high-quality content rapidly, is anticipated to reach $109.37 billion by 2030​¹​.
2. The Cloud: Cloud technology is ranked as one of the top digital customer experience trends for 2023. Brands are adopting the cloud to improve both customer and employee experiences. The flexibility of the cloud allows brands to scale computing resources based on demand in a cost-effective manner, and the hyperconnectivity facilitated by the cloud aids in the development of omnichannel experiences. It ensures continuity and access to digital CX tools and data across teams, wherever they are in the world​¹​.
3. Privacy and Data Protection: The privacy and data protection regulatory environment is changing. Brands can build loyalty and trust by implementing customer-centric identity management and more transparency. Nearly half (49%) of the business leaders surveyed indicated transparency and data security as one of the most important characteristics of the digital CX providers with whom they work​¹​.
4. Interactive Voice Search and Navigation: Interactive voice/visual response (IVR) tools are increasingly popular among brands looking to streamline the customer journey. Around a quarter (22%) of businesses surveyed say they will be investing in IVR this year, with the wide-scale adoption of voice assistants like Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, and Apple’s Siri driving this trend​¹​.
5. Omnichannel Experience: Today’s customers follow a non-linear path to checkout — shifting between mobile and desktop or social media to websites — making designing omnichannel experiences critical for brands. Customers need to move easily between channels without encountering silos or conflicting experiences​¹​.

Finally, how is social media playing an increasingly important role in the digital customer experience in 2023.

In the increasingly complex landscape of digital platforms and influencers, it can be challenging for brands to accurately interpret signals and trends. However, the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) can help brands manage reputational risks and opportunities while keeping abreast of industry trends that matter​¹​.

Platforms like Storyful Intelligence provide features that allow brands to decode online narratives and identify influential voices, empowering businesses to uncover opportunities, monitor sentiment, and manage the spread of information effectively. This rapid analysis of online data can be crucial in a digital environment where a company’s outlook can change within moments due to the vast amounts of conversations and communities​¹​.

Social media can also inform growth and strategic planning. By understanding customer segments and needs, brands can inform new product development, enhance the impact of their marketing, and uncover new opportunities, or “white space”, for their brand​¹​.

The management of reputational risk is another crucial role that social media plays. This includes monitoring and protecting the brand’s platform, identifying and managing reputational risks, addressing disinformation or misinformation, and identifying threats​¹​.

Storyful’s approach combines expert human analysis with bespoke technology, providing businesses with a holistic view of brand signals across multiple channels and sources. This includes access to exclusive data sets, dark web and fringe data. Their experienced analysts source, authenticate, and contextualize data from a combination of social and digital sources to provide unique perspectives​¹​.

Conclusion

Remain focused on your AI/CX vision and its expected outcomes / results, start with a plan that is actionable, flexible and measurable – a shotgun approach is not advised, but if you have expectations that are realistic and obtainable, the organization will ultimately be successful in their mission.