OK, we have covered the workflow automation versus AI hype, the AI speed challenge in large organisations and more holistic design principles when experimenting with AI. This brings me to another topic that is often thrown in the mix when it comes to AI.
“The expectations of customers are ever increasing!”
They are not.
They are still the same humans with the same needs as they were 100 years ago.
They still like to get personal attention.
They still like to know what the status is of something they bought.
They still like someone to give good service if something is wrong.
So no, the expectations are not ever increasing.
What is increasing?
The complexity of the organizational context for meeting those same expectations!
Customers used to just go to the physical store, ask storemanager Pete how long the order took and go back to Pete if something was wrong.
Now you need to answer questions via e-mail, Whatsapp, chat, send your orders after online purchases through another party who delivers your order, which could be from one side of the world to the other.
The context in which you need to deliver these expectations is what is changing at a super fast pace.
Not the needs of the humans who function in those systems.
Not of customers, not of employees.
Employees still want to feel that they are making a difference.
Employees still want to feel valued for what they do.
Employees still want to be facilitated to help their customers or colleagues in the best way possible.
Except now, a call center agent has to look into 10 different systems to answer a question.
They are completely disconnected from other departments.
This is where almost zero innovation has taken place in the last 100 years.
The organization system.
Almost all organisations are still organised around the same Taylor-like principles.
Small tasks.
Separate departments.
KPI steering.
Control based.
What is now clashing the most?
This 100 year old system and the super fast changing context.
Not the needs of the customers or employees.
We need to bring back the human aspect into the transformation.
And use AI to strengthen the human experience.
How do we do that?
Knowing that most large organisations have very challenging systems (IT and non IT).
Knowing their data quality is a challenge to say the least.
Knowing that they impact most customers and employees.
We need to use common sense and not let the technical side of AI overwhelm us.
Not be swept away by AI suppliers’ promises of mountains of benefits.
Not be swayed by the fear of missing out, the fear being too late.
Not give in to the fear of having to say “we are not doing everything with AI (yet)”.
Not let the ego take over that we need to be doing sexy innovations.
Not waste a lot of money without clear benefits.
It would be such a joy to see organisations place value before hype:
“No, we are not yet implementing AI, we are still checking where we can add the most value to our business, customers and employees. AI is one of the many options we are looking into just like workflow automation, journey redesign and other valuable interventions.”
Would be super refreshing don’t you think?
OK I think I made my point.
One final thought.
I know there are many amazing use cases for AI, I’m not disqualifying those.
And I’m a person who sees AI as a huge tool for human flourishing.
For more purposeful time spent.
More time spent between employees and customers.
More time spent by nurses and doctors with patients.
More time spent by teachers with students.
More time spent by parents with their kids.
More time spent on actually making a difference for each other.
Let’s just make sure that we focus on that part.
The part where AI helps companies thrive by enabling humans – employees and customers – to flourish.
This blog is part of a new blog series by dr. Zanna van der Aa
AI and CX: Demystifying the Hype
