1. Start by understanding what customers value in a human interaction
To get this right, you have to start with a basic truth: people crave empathy and personalization. When customers reach out, they’re looking for a solution and a sense of being understood.
Think of times when you’ve had a great customer service experience…
What made it memorable?
Likely, it was someone who listened, understood, and provided a helpful response.
Here are key elements that customers value:
Empathy: Showing understanding for their issue or frustration.
Personalization: Recognizing them as individuals, not just a ticket number.
Context: Remembering their previous interactions, so they don’t have to repeat themselves.
The good news is that AI voice agents, when designed thoughtfully, can uphold these values to a large extent.
2. Strategically define the role of AI voice agents
The trick isn’t to make AI voice agents do everything. Rather, it’s to focus them on the right tasks. Some interactions are best left to humans. Especially those that require a deep understanding or sensitivity.
But many routine or straightforward inquiries? That’s where AI can do a tremendous job.
Examples of tasks for AI voice agents:
Answering common FAQs quickly and accurately
Providing status updates (order tracking, service status)
Assisting with simple troubleshooting
Collecting initial information to save human agents time
When you’re clear on the division of labor between AI and humans, the whole system runs smoother. Customers get prompt responses to simpler inquiries, and human agents are free to handle the complicated stuff where they can genuinely add value.
3. Design your AI for empathy and personalization
An AI voice agent doesn’t need to sound like a robot. Today’s NLP tech is getting stupendously good at sounding conversational. You can make interactions feel more personal by designing your AI to sound empathetic.
Ways to make AI sound more human:
Done well, these touches can make customers feel they’re dealing with a responsive, understanding assistant rather than a boring machine.
4. Create seamless handovers between AI and human agents
Let’s face it. Sometimes an AI voice agent won’t have all the answers. And that’s perfectly fine - as long as it knows when to hand off to a human. A smooth handover is key to maintaining a positive customer experience.
Best practices for handovers:
Program your AI to recognize phrases or keywords that indicate frustration or complex issues.
Ensure human agents are briefed on the conversation so far, so customers don’t have to repeat themselves.
Be transparent with customers. Let them know when they’ll be transferred to a human and how long it might take.
This way, when AI does pass the conversation over, it feels seamless and respectful of the customer’s time and experience.
5. Use feedback loops to continuously improve AI-human collaboration
To keep your AI voice agent performing at its best, feedback is essential. Gather customer feedback after AI interactions so you can refine responses and improve the overall experience.
Tips for effective feedback loops:
Collect customer sentiment data after each interaction.
Regularly review AI responses with human agents to spot areas for improvement.
Adjust responses and handover triggers based on what customers and agents report.
This ongoing process helps the AI learn from real-world interactions and gradually refine its responses to make each conversation more natural.
6. Maintain a human-centric approach in AI training
Even though AI can handle a multitude of tasks, it still needs a human touch in training to stay in tune with customers’ needs. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your AI’s responses keeps it in sync with your brand’s voice and ethos.
Key aspects of human-centric AI training:
Human agents should audit AI’s responses and suggest improvements.
Regular updates to keep the AI in line with evolving customer expectations.
Training that prioritizes empathy, clear communication, and responsiveness.
This way, your AI voice agent doesn’t drift from the values and quality of service that make your brand stand out.
7. Set clear expectations with customers
One of the simplest ways to build and maintain trust is to be upfront with customers about when they’re speaking with an AI. Customers appreciate transparency, and by setting the right expectations, you can avoid frustration or misunderstandings.
Tips for transparency:
Let customers know when they’re interacting with an AI voice agent.
Share information on what the AI can and cannot do.
Provide an easy way for customers to request a human agent.
