These days, the world of business is all about digital transformation. Regardless of sector or industry, organizations are looking for ways to automate operations and processes. There are different digital tools for varying requirements. In terms of customer service, AI assistants are proving to be immensely popular.Â
AI assistants are a boon to businesses in multiple ways. They increase efficiency and improve customer experience. They are available 24/7 and offer personalized service. They can also be scaled up easily and at minimal cost. However, very few organizations have the capacity to develop an AI assistant from scratch. Besides, it seems almost irrelevant to have to do so, given that there are plenty of third party providers around. If a company wants to introduce an AI assistant as a part of its services, all that needs to be done is to partner with a vendor.Â
Looking at the lengthy list of AI assistant providers can be mind boggling and the question arises as to which vendor to choose. In actuality, making a decision is not so complicated as there are just two primary considerations: technical prowess and domain expertise. The vendor who fulfills both these criteria is the one to sign up with.Â
Technical prowess
In addition to artificial intelligence, which is indicated in the ‘AI’ part of the title, AI assistants use machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to simulate real-life conversations. Developing this ultra sophisticated technology requires the in-depth knowledge and capabilities of specialists. The AI assistant provider should have a dedicated AIML team. The vendor must have a group of experts who have the technical knowhow and the competence to both create the software and adapt it in line with technological advancements. ÂIn order to be able to keep up with said technological advancements, the AI assistant provider needs data scientists committed to research. An in-depth understanding of customer behavior patterns, preferences and pain points, and a detailed knowledge of industry trends will enable the vendor to make the most suitable adjustments to the tech and release newer, more effective iterations of the AI assistant.Â
Therefore, in terms of technical capabilities, it is absolutely essential for an AI assistant provider to have an accomplished AIML team and skilled data scientists.Â
Domain expertise
An AI assistant is able to respond accurately to a customer because of its ML training. The more the ML training, the better the AI assistant’s performance. An experienced AI assistant vendor will have a larger quantity of ML training data and so they will be able to create a superior product that will be able to respond appropriately to complex and even nuanced customer inputs.Â
There is also something to be said about third party providers with a vast client base spanning multiple industries. Their awareness and knowledge of varying use cases creates a better understanding of the myriad ways in which the software could be used. Their broad expertise enables the creation of tailor-made solutions that closely match the specifications of an organization.
Reaping rewards
The banking sector is an example of how partnering with the right AI assistant provider – one with both technical prowess and domain expertise – can yield swift results. Some renowned banks have widened the scope of their digital banking to include the popular messaging platforms WhatsApp and Viber. Through the use of an AI assistant, these banks now offer their services via these new-age communication channels.ÂThanks to the competencies of the AI assistant provider, WhatsApp and Viber banking is available to both customers and non customers. People with accounts at the bank have a wide range of banking services literally at their fingertips – they can check their account balance, transfer money, request a checkbook, open an account and do so much more. Everyone, regardless of whether they are a bank customer or not, can access foreign currency and fixed deposit rates and make other inquiries. And most importantly, through the technical proficiency and domain expertise of the AI assistant provider, all queries and transactions are 100% secure. The number of registrations and the frequency of usage bears testimony to the success of this new mode of banking.
Making the right choice
There is no doubt that an AI assistant can up the ante on customer service. The question is, who is the most suitable vendor to partner with. There is only one answer to that: the AI assistant provider to select is the one who has both technical prowess and domain expertise.
