If you’re like many support leaders, you’ve introduced AI recently, or not too long ago, and the shine may have worn off a bit. If this is you, you’re not alone. Generative AI and its business use cases are still fresh so everyone is learning! Before you decide to switch vendors, or trash your AI strategy altogether, there are a few important questions to ask and levers you can pull to help get things moving in the right direction.

Right now, nearly every BPO is rolling out AI tools as part of their service offerings, leaving online retail brands with a strategic question: Should you use your BPO’s AI tools, or adopt your own solution that your BPO may or may not manage?

There’s pros and cons to each. Let’s break them down so you can consider what the right approach may be for you.

Success depends on more than selecting the right partner. By understanding varying support levels, evaluating internal resources, designing a balanced partnership, appointing a dedicated relationship manager, and fostering a strong brand connection, you can set your BPO up for sustained success.

A lot of CX leaders in online retail are asking the same question right now. 

“Zendesk has AI… Gorgias has AI… Gladly has AI…. Aircall… Five9…. They all have AI. So why would I need a separate tool?”

Here’s why you might or might not be interested in adding a standalone AI solution to your tech stack. 

Not sure how you’re going to make it through BFCM this year? You may be considering hiring an outsourced partner, or launching an AI solution as your last-minute plan. In AI Vs BPO For Your Holiday Sale Volume, I walk you through a few things to consider when making your decision.

AI is everywhere in customer experience right now. Every vendor promises they’re going to save you money, boost efficiency, and make your customers fall in love with your brand.  For CX leaders in online retail who haven’t evaluated or purchased AI solutions before, this is overwhelming, and the stakes for choosing the wrong solution are high.  If I were in your shoes evaluating vendors, here are the first 10 questions I’d be asking.  

Companies with superior customer experiences achieve higher customer loyalty and more revenue growth. A CX Audit can help you see your brand from your consumer’s eyes, and benchmark your service operations. Book a CX Audit.

A customer experience (CX) consultant focuses on optimizing every touchpoint a customer has with a business - not just the service interactions. From the first website visit, to product delivery, and filing a claim or return, A CX consultant’s job is to ensure each step meets or exceeds customer expectations. The result? Happier customers, higher loyalty, and better business outcomes.

Success depends on more than selecting the right partner. By understanding varying support levels, evaluating internal resources, designing a balanced partnership, appointing a dedicated relationship manager, and fostering a strong brand connection, you can set your BPO up for sustained success.

Creating meaningful reports requires moving beyond out-of-the-box dashboards. Leaders need to leverage platform data and build custom customer experience reports tailored to the unique needs of their organization. These reports enable them to make well-informed decisions and drive meaningful improvements.

Generative AI will be the next agent of change, shifting how customers get their information, and evolving the nature of work for customer service team members.

At some point in your online store’s upward success, you may become frustrated with your contact center quality. They used to be great, but now they’re not. It may have to do with how well the brand scaled alongside the center.

While there isn’t a definite answer to which strategy is better, there may be one that makes the most sense for your business in its current state.

Businesses are changing how they operate, and fast. It’s left some customer service agents wondering if this revolutionary advancement will completely replace their roles.

With this in mind, I surveyed 100 Owners and CEOs of online retail brands between 10 and 250 employees to better understand their priorities for their CX Department with the introduction of generative AI.

There’s lots of opportunities to continue developing your customer service team such as through accessibility training, DEI training, improv training, and mindset training for better performance results.