Approaching AI for specialized Technical Support vs. generic Customer Service

While we're aware how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is going to change fundamental aspects of supporting customers, it's important know key differences in AI adoption for Technical support vs. general customer support.
This lets us uncovering unique requirements for technical solutions and complex products when delivering efficient and personalized experiences with AI.

It's the long tail of technical issues which are usually context based, unique to each product feature and different customer settings which needs a different approach to bring AI efficiency.
While common workflows of AI-powered customer solutions automate repetitive tasks, provide instant  assistance through chatbots, and self-service portals.
AI for tech support has completely new way to automate covering different modes of operation (app + APIs), different user bases (highly skilled developer and professional users), and varied revisions of product SKUs.

This article explores how AI redefines specialized technical support and general customer support, highlighting key benefits like cost savings, faster response times, and agent efficiency.
We'll examine few AI applications of technical support, uncovering their differences, and explore implementation considerations for leveraging AI in these domains.

AI for specialized Technical Support

Key Capabilities

Technical support for any software or tech devices include understanding full context of customer, analyzing the scenario often with help of logs or application settings, root causing issues following run books, and finally suggesting a change or fixing the bug. This is what usually followed by support agent or tech engineers.
While most support AI's automates basic informational type of queries by referencing knowledge base, help docs. Many tech teams see challenge getting a full-stack of AI solution for their complete ticket triage.

As an example here's how increasingly complex software products require agents to go through. From Application level data and configuration to Platform, SDK documents to analyze, Eco-system and infra issues to known bugs and work arounds.
This naturally impacts customer experience and KPIs like first response time usually over 15 minutes and ticket handling rate which is going upward 24 hours, for many well known tech companies.

Some key capabilities include:

Unique needs and Limitations

While AI and advanced GPTs have capabilities to bring efficiency it's imperative to think about requirements which are unique to tech support. Talking to support leaders and tech agents in B2B space here're few points we've gathered

1. Deterministic AI

• Repeatable Results: It's the ability of AI to provide consistent and relevant answers to the same question over period of time. Whether it's a customer inquiry or a technical issue, the AI need to ensure that agents and customers receive the same or similar responses based on latest available source of truth. This consistency not only saves time but also instills confidence in both customers and support teams.
• Factual Answers: In the world of tech support, accuracy is everything. To make sure AI responses are based on factual information derived from reliable data sources not hallucinated. This means that support agents can trust the answers provided by the AI, knowing that they are grounded in verifiable documents, articles and APIs. By eliminating guesswork and speculation, deterministic AI helps support teams deliver precise solutions to complex problems.
• Traceability: Transparency is key in for gaining customers confidence. With traceability built into its core, the AI should allows support agents to trace each answer back to its source in the data. This not only enhances accountability but also facilitates error identification and resolution. By providing a clear trail of information, deterministic AI empowers support teams to make informed decisions and drive meaningful outcomes.

An example is given below, with AI responses showing exact citation from where answers were sourced. Also referring to only trusted resources within the org, not from outside information (Google, ChatGPT). And ability to keep the answers current and update to agent-in-the-loop feedback.

2. Customizable AI (Tuneable)

In the dynamic world of technology, flexibility and adaptability are key. That's why tech support teams seek AI solutions that offer better control and customization.

• ‍Agent-In-Loop: A vital feature for tech support teams is the ability to fine-tune AI responses. With the human-in-loop approach, agents can make edits to AI answers as feedback. These changes are remembered and used to improve future responses, ensuring accuracy and relevance.
• ‍Override Facts: For fast changing product features or device revisions, facts and source of truth can change rapidly. For example, a new product release may introduce support for integrations that were previously unavailable. Tech support teams must have the capability to update AI with these new facts, ensuring that customers receive the most up-to-date information.
• ‍Persona-based Data Sources: Different support roles interact with customers in distinct ways. For instance, support agents troubleshoot specific scenarios, while sales engineers engage with prospects, and customer success managers work with existing customers. AI must recognize these personas and tailor responses accordingly, drawing from relevant data sources to provide personalized assistance.‍
• Fine-grained Control: Even with persona-based data, there may be instances where certain information cannot be used for specific answers. Tech support teams require fine-grained control to override AI responses and make necessary adjustments. This ensures that responses align with organizational policies and guidelines, maintaining consistency and compliance.

3. Work within Data Constraints

Quality of data is the cornerstone of problem-solving in AI. However, enterprises often face challenges due to the limitations of available data. Delivering effective results within these data constraints is what expected from tech support AI

• Low-Density Data: While documentation and knowledge bases provide a wealth of information, conversation streams such as ZenDesk, SFDC ticketing history, and Slack support channels introduce low-density data. This disparity in data density impacts the quality of AI responses, making it challenging to deliver accurate and relevant solutions.
• Supporting related Product Suites: Technical support often involves dependencies on adjacent products, libraries, and domains. Unfortunately, customer documentation typically focuses solely on the product itself, neglecting these interconnected elements. As a result, support teams frequently encounter "Unable to Answer" scenarios, hampering their ability to provide comprehensive assistance.
• Domain and tech stack topics: While support teams diligently document their own products, they often overlook broader domain topics. These domain-specific subjects are crucial for enhancing the quality of AI responses but are frequently omitted from documentation. As a result, support teams face limitations in addressing complex issues that extend beyond individual products.

AI for General Customer Support

Key Capabilities

AI-powered customer support solutions excel at handling routine queries and tasks, allowing human agents to focus on more complex issues. Some key capabilities include:

1. Conversational AI
   • AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide 24/7 support, instantly addressing common queries and issues. Such as tracking orders for e-shopping, getting flight details for travel or information on stocks.
   • AI in these cases can handle routine tasks, answering from FAQs, account lookups, and basic troubleshooting tips, freeing up human agents for more complex cases.
   • Advanced natural language processing (NLP) allows chatbots to understand and respond to conversational language, improving the user experience.
2. Automated Routing and Prioritization
   • AI algorithms can analyze incoming support tickets and automatically route them to the most appropriate agent or department based on the issue type, urgency, and customer information.
   • This streamlines the support process, ensuring faster resolution times and better resource allocation of customer agents.
3. Sentiment Analysis
   • AI can analyze customer interactions in emails, chat, call and social media mentions to gauge sentiment and identify potential issues or areas for improvement.
   • This valuable feedback can be used to enhance products, services, and support processes, leading to higher customer satisfaction.
4. Predictive Analytics and Proactive Support
   • By analyzing historical data and customer behavior patterns, AI can predict potential issues or support needs before they arise.
   • This enables proactive outreach and preventive measures, reducing the likelihood of customer frustration and improving overall experiences.

While AI has transformed general customer support, it's important to strike a balance between automation and human interaction. Customers often appreciate the empathy and personalized attention that human agents can provide, especially in complex or emotionally charged situations.

Key Differences

Expertise Level

The key difference between customer service and technical support lies in the level of expertise required. Customer service teams act as the face of the company, focusing on building meaningful relationships with customers and ensuring a positive overall experience. They handle general inquiries, complaints, and issues related to products or services.

On the other hand, technical support requires a higher level of specialized knowledge and expertise to troubleshoot and resolve specific technical problems. Technical support agents must have in-depth understanding of the products or systems they support, and their work is more reactive in nature, addressing issues as they arise.

Focus Area

Customer service teams have a broader focus on the overall customer relationship and experience. Their goal is to create a positive impression of the company and foster long-term customer loyalty.

In contrast, technical support teams have a narrower focus on resolving technical issues and ensuring the proper functioning of products or systems. Their primary objective is to provide effective solutions to technical problems, enabling customers to fully utilize the products or services they have purchased.

Proactive vs. Reactive Approach

Customer service often involves proactive efforts to anticipate and address customer needs, such as providing product information, offering personalized recommendations, and addressing potential concerns before they escalate.

Technical support, on the other hand, is typically reactive, responding to specific technical issues reported by customers. Technical support agents rely on their expertise and problem-solving skills to diagnose and resolve these issues efficiently.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the realms of technical support and customer support. While AI excels in automating repetitive tasks, providing instant assistance, and enabling data-driven insights, the human touch remains invaluable for complex issues that require empathy and deep domain expertise. A balanced approach that harnesses the strengths of both AI and human support can deliver efficient, personalized experiences tailored to customer needs.

Moving forward, companies should strategically integrate AI solutions to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences. At the same time, investing in human capital, fostering emotional intelligence, and nurturing specialized technical knowledge will be crucial for success. To gain a sneak peek at practical AI use cases, businesses can explore AI-powered tools that seamlessly blend automation and human expertise, unlocking new possibilities in technical support and customer service.

FAQs

1. How can AI be implemented in technical support?AI can significantly enhance help desk management through various applications such as providing 24/7 support via chatbots, automating ticket sorting, offering self-service knowledge bases, conducting sentiment analysis, routing to the most suitable agent, providing smart suggestions and recommendations, translating languages, and using predictive analytics.

2. What are some ways AI is utilized in customer service?AI is commonly employed in customer service through tools like sentiment analysis chatbots. These chatbots engage in conversations and analyze the tone of the customer using specific phrases. This helps businesses understand customer emotions towards their products and services.

3. What does a customer support system powered by AI entail?An AI-powered customer support system involves chatbots that handle customer inquiries and simulate human-like conversations using natural language processing (NLP). These systems are built on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language understanding (NLU) to replicate human interactions.

4. When did AI first appear in customer service?AI made its initial appearance in customer service in the 1970s with the use of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems by bank tellers to check customer account balances. IVR technology has evolved to be much more intelligent and efficient, continuing to serve in various customer service capacities today.

References

[1] - https://www.zendesk.com/blog/ai-customer-service/
[2] - https://www.salesforce.com/blog/customer-service-ai/
[3] - https://levity.ai/blog/ai-for-customer-support
[4] - https://www.mindmesh.com/glossary/what-is-ai-customer-service
[5] - https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-service-vs-technical-support
[6] - https://selectvoicecom.com.au/blog/ai-vs-human-customer-support/
[7] - https://hiverhq.com/blog/ai-vs-human-in-customer-service