Alice Chambers |
The future of customer service will require a strategic blend of human and virtual agents, says Capgemini.
The report – Unleashing the value of customer service – found that whilst virtual agents are favoured for their speed and convenience, consumers overwhelmingly (70 per cent of the 9,500 consumers surveyed) prefer human agents for their empathy and creative problem-solving skills. The preference varies by age though, with younger consumers showing greater inclination towards chatbots and older consumers preferring human agents.
Another key finding was that almost 60 per cent of consumers view customer service as extremely important in shaping their perception of a brand yet less than half (45 per cent) express overall satisfaction with the service they have received.
“With over half of consumers prepared to leave a brand due to poor customer service, even if their purchase is good, business leaders now recognise that exceptional customer service is no longer a luxury but a strategic imperative,” said Franck Greverie, chief portfolio and technology officer, and group executive board member at Capgemini. “Organisations are navigating multiple headwinds, including a lack of call centre agent engagement, poor coordination between departments and outdated legacy systems. Reimagining customer service with generative AI requires businesses to transform their digital solutions, operating model and data foundations; leaders who embrace this change will not only enhance customer satisfaction and operational efficiency but also unlock commercial opportunities for competitive edge in the market.”
Capgemini found that 90 per cent of the 506 surveyed customer service agents and supervisors say that generative AI is helping them to provide prompt responses to customer enquiries but at the same time, only 49 er cent of organisations consider themselves prepared for offering AI-powered customer service. This gap highlights the challenges businesses face in fully integrating AI into their customer service strategies, despite its clear benefits in improving response times and efficiency.