Dive Brief:
- Nearly three-quarters of “CX Leaders” saw an increase in customer retention or loyalty in the past 12 months, a survey released Tuesday by Merkle found. CX Leaders are considered companies with strong commitments to customer-centricity, AI adoption and customer retention metrics.
- Technology may help drive their success. More than 7 in 10 CX Leaders have already invested in and implemented AI-driven customer experience solutions, compared to one-third of all respondents overall.
- However, executives shouldn’t invest in AI just to appease the C-suite, according to Merkle. They need the fundamentals in place, like a solid foundation of data and organizational alignment, to help AI systems deliver for businesses.
Dive Insight:
Leaders aiming to enhance their customer experiences with AI can maximize the impact by looking for areas where the technology will generate practical improvements.
The process starts with a needs assessment to identify specific operational challenges within the company, according to Julie Geller, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group. Leaders should also ensure there is plenty of time to run pilots, gather feedback and measure outcomes.
“Ensure you have a solid business case for AI investments, choosing solutions that are scalable and flexible,” Geller told CX Dive in an email. “This strategic, no-nonsense approach ensures that AI implementations genuinely enhance customer experience and align with higher-level business objectives.”
AI brings up other considerations as well. Security, with regards to both consumer data and privacy, was the most cited AI concern, an issue for 31% of all executives in Merkle’s survey.
Safe, ethical use of data requires measures designed to keep operations transparent and prevent bias, according to Geller. This includes integrating DE&I measures early in development to mitigate risk of biased outcomes.
“Above all, keep human oversight on AI decisions, especially in critical situations, and establish clear processes for addressing errors,” Geller said. “This approach helps companies build trust and responsibly improve customer experiences.”
Customer experience teams aren’t alone on any AI journey. Companies should make sure any ethics guidelines are clearly communicated and integrated across the organization, according to Geller.
