What impact does AI have on Customer Service?

A survey by the Politecnico di Milano's Observatory (*) shows a strengthening connection between AI and omnichannel customer experience (OCX). Among 133 large and medium-large Italian companies, 63% had already begun AI projects aimed at omnichannel customer experience. Telecommunications, retail, utilities, banking and insurance were identified as the most advanced sectors. Importantly, most companies already investing in AI for OCX said they had either planned further investment (63%) or were planning it (37%).

This significant result highlights how relevant and strategic the technology is becoming for companies, with applications across an increasing number of areas and sectors.

What impact does AI have on customer service? And how can it support an omnichannel customer experience? A detailed analysis by the Politecnico di Milano's Observatory (**) offers a possible answer. AI in customer care can optimise ticket handling through intelligent automation and advanced analytics, improving both the customer journey and customer service teams' work.

AI can, for example, automatically capture all the information in a ticket needed to handle it and classify it correctly; assign a priority level; suggest solutions to an operator based on similar cases; and recognise and link a new request to one already being handled. Using agreed parameters such as sentiment, AI also routes sensitive or unusual requests to the teams specifically responsible for them.

AI in customer service not only optimises workflows but also directly supports human operators. By automating repetitive, lower-value activities, it allows operators to focus on more strategic and creative tasks. This operational improvement increases overall efficiency and contributes to a higher-quality customer experience.

(*) Survey 2023, Omnichannel Customer Experience Observatory (**) Smart Experience: how AI can enhance omnichannel service (05/2024)