AI can now handle more and more on its own. It does not just answer questions, but can also book an appointment, look up an order or pass on a request. AI agents like these are coming up more and more often in teams that want to speed up their customer service.
At the same time, not every customer query is suited to automation. Sometimes a customer simply wants to speak to a person. In this article you will find a sober look at where an AI agent works well today, where it pays to be cautious and how to make a sensible start.
How an AI agent differs from a chatbot
An ordinary chatbot answers based on fixed rules or a piece of text. When it meets a question it does not recognise, it gets stuck. An AI agent goes one step further.
An AI agent is software that is given a goal and decides for itself which steps are needed to reach it. It understands a question in everyday language. It then carries out actions in your systems.
For example, a customer asks where their parcel is. The agent looks up the order, checks the status and gives a clear answer. If a return is needed, it can create that too.
To do this, the agent needs connections to your other software. This is often done through an API, which is a standard way for two systems to talk to each other.
Note that an AI agent is not a person and it makes mistakes. It can sound confident while being wrong. Keeping this in mind helps you deal better with both the opportunities and the risks.
Where it works well
AI agents are strong at tasks that come up often, have a clear answer and involve little emotion. When a mistake is small and easy to put right, the risk is limited.
These are typical tasks to start with:
- Frequently asked questions: opening hours, shipping costs, returns conditions and other answers that are already written down somewhere.
- Order status: the agent looks up the order and gives the current position.
- Scheduling appointments: booking, rescheduling or cancelling based on your calendar.
- Gathering information: the agent first asks for the name, order number and problem, so that a staff member can start straight away.
- Passing on requests: placing a form or request in the right place, for example in your CRM (the system where you store customer data).
A major advantage is speed. The customer does not have to wait and gets an answer in the evening or at weekends too. Your staff are then left with more time for queries that genuinely need attention.
Where to be cautious
On some subjects a customer wants a person. In other cases, the consequences of a mistake are too great to leave to software.
Be cautious with:
- Complaints: an angry or disappointed customer wants to be heard. A standard reply often makes things worse.
- Price agreements and discounts: these involve tailored solutions and commitments that bind you.
- Refunds and cancellations: actions that are hard to reverse are better approved by a staff member.
- Sensitive situations: think of a bereavement, an illness or money worries.
- Complex questions: when the answer depends on several factors, the chance of an error is greater.
A good rule of thumb: the greater the consequence of a mistake and the more emotional the subject, the sooner a person should take over.
The agent can still help here, but in the background. It summarises the conversation, pulls up the order history and suggests a reply. The staff member reads along, adjusts the reply and makes the decision.
What to put in place before you start
An agent is only as good as the information it works with. If your knowledge base is out of date, the agent will give out-of-date answers. It is therefore worth getting your foundations in order first.
Check these points beforehand:
- Up-to-date answers: check that your frequently asked questions, terms and procedures are correct.
- Clean data: make sure orders, customers and appointments are properly recorded in your systems.
- Limited permissions: give the agent access only to what it really needs. Reading is safer than writing.
- Clear handover: decide when the agent passes a conversation to a staff member and what information it sends along.
- Privacy: look at which personal data the agent can see and make agreements with the supplier. This falls under the GDPR, the European privacy law.
Also tell customers that they are talking to an AI assistant. It is honest and it prevents irritation. Customers appreciate knowing where they stand.
Start small and measure the results
It is tempting to automate everything at once. That rarely goes well. It is better to choose one task and learn from it first.
- Choose one task that comes up often and carries little risk.
- Record beforehand how much time that task currently costs your team.
- Let the agent carry out the task, first with a small group of customers or with a staff member watching.
- Measure the outcome: time saved, the number of conversations the agent resolves on its own and customer satisfaction.
- Read back through conversations, improve the answers and only then expand.
A common scenario: an online shop receives many messages every day asking where a parcel is. Staff look up the same details each time and type almost the same reply. This is repetitive work and customers sometimes wait hours for an answer.
The shop lets an AI agent handle order status only. The agent has read access to the orders and the carrier data. If it does not understand the question, or the parcel is lost, a staff member receives the conversation immediately, with all the details attached.
After a few weeks the team looks at the figures. How many conversations did the agent resolve on its own? How quickly did the customer get an answer? What did customers think of it? If it goes well, the next task is taken on, for example creating a return.
Always make one thing possible: the route to a staff member. A customer should be able to ask for a person with one click or one sentence. So do not hide that option.
Frequently asked questions
Will an AI agent replace my staff?
In most cases it will not. The agent takes over repetitive work, so that your team has time for difficult questions and personal contact. Your staff’s work changes, because they check, improve and take on the complex conversations.
How do I prevent the agent from making mistakes?
You cannot rule them out entirely. You limit the risk with good sources, limited permissions and clear rules for handover. For sensitive actions, have the agent ask for approval first, and read back through conversations regularly.
Do I need to tell customers they are talking to AI?
Yes, that is sensible. It is honest and customers feel more comfortable with it. Also always offer the option to speak to a staff member.
Book a free 30-minute introductory call
Would you like to know which tasks in your customer service are suited to an AI agent? We would be glad to help you think it through. Adventio Marketing from Amersfoort helps you with AI and automation that fit your team, your systems and your customers.
In a free 30-minute introductory call, we will discuss your current queries and tools. You will hear which task lends itself well to a first trial and what you need to arrange beforehand. No obligations and no complicated jargon. Contact us and book your call.
