The Freshworks Experience event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, revolved around a few key themes – customer experience, employee experience and AI. During a media briefing, insights from Freshwork’s execs like offered a keen look into the evolving landscape of customer experience.

Malaysia in recent times has made many announcements about large corporations investments into its AI future. Here and now, Freshworks’ managing director in Asia, Simon Ma, called out that many global businesses based in the country, especially in the global business services (GBS) and call centers’ industry, recognize AI’s ability to automate and enable self-service.

Simon Ma

Simon said there is a lot of interest in automation of repetitive tasks and he believed that now “AI has the ability to make it even much faster.”

He also noted another trend, that of a shift in user interfaces or UI to becoming more “conversational as opposed to clicking and typing.” This enables faster and quicker access to insights which is especially handy for the service industry.

Compared to long tedious processes to collect, clean, and prepare the data for analytics, what happens today with generative AI is that it actually gives end users and employees actionable insights, at the point of action. For example, a customer service agent would know the person at the other end of the line has bought a certain item and is probably calling to change it, or ask for a refund.

The highlight of the media briefing was a sharing by Freshworks customer QI Group’s IT Ops Lead, Kavitha Arumugam, about unifying the different platforms used by different departments onto a single standard platform.

The result of this has been easier tracking of HR, or Finance, or IT issues faced by a single employee in the organization. Ultimately, she believed that this not only provides visibility, but enables automated processes that can resolve issues faster and lead to better employee experience.

The Evolution of Customer Service and Expectations

Another interesting trend that emerged from the briefing was the shifting landscape of customer service expectations. Sandie pointed out that even giants like Amazon have had to adapt to customer’s demand for interactions with brands. “Five years ago, it was impossible to reach anybody for anything, and now you actually can.”

Sandie Overtveld

This shift reflects a broader trend in customer expectations. As consumers, we’re demanding more direct communication channels with the people we buy from via the ecommerce platforms we use.

“Self-service is the highest CSAT raiser, because you don’t wake up in the morning thinking, ‘Today, I’ll call Amazon to see if they can irritate the hell out of me.’ Everybody has a question they need to find the answer for. If I can find the answer myself, I am the most highly satisfied.”

Perhaps the most exciting development discussed was the potential of AI to revolutionize customer service. As Sandie explained, “Everyone’s trying to figure out how you use AI to provide customer service because it can provide it instantly.”

The goal is to leverage AI to offer immediate responses while maintaining a high level of service quality. Interestingly, self-service options, when done right, often lead to the highest customer satisfaction rates.

Sandie noted, “Self-service is the highest CSAT (customer satisfaction score) raiser, because you don’t wake up in the morning thinking, ‘Today, I’ll call Amazon to see if they can irritate the hell out of me.’ Everybody has a question they need to find the answer for. If I can find the answer myself, I am the most highly satisfied.”

The APJ and MEA general manager also opined that self-service is the ultimate capability to be able to give customers. “But self-service depending on your tech capability and experience, can be a fantastic experience or a terrible experience if you don’t understand how the technology (ie. AI) works.”

The promise of generative AI lies in its ability to provide natural, human-like interactions that can handle increasingly complex tasks. This not only improves the customer experience but also allows human agents to focus on more engaging, high-value interactions.

Understanding customers and balancing Efficiency with Experience

Malcolm Koh, Freshworks’ Head of Customer Experience Advisory in APJ and MEA, brought attention to the proliferation of customer service channels, noting that there are now “on average, eight to 10 channels” through which customers can interact with a brand. This multiplicity of channels presents both opportunities and challenges for brands seeking to provide consistent, high-quality experiences across all touchpoints.

Malcolm Koh

“You could argue that self-service and automation is the fastest way to go (to provide customer service and support). But there are some people who like high-touch models, for example super luxury brands. They are all about experiential service, they are going to fly you places and show you things; Aston Martin now has a hotel in Dubai, for example.

“So, it’s still about understanding customers, understanding the customer segments you have, and understanding how you interact with those segments.”

The CX expert gave the example of Apple which is heading in the direction of becoming a health company now that their signature earphones, AirPods, are fitted with health features to aid hearing. “It’s just a weird pivot, but at the end of the day, it’s about adding value and understanding your customers.”

Another crucial insight from the session was the need to balance efficiency with customer experience. While technology can drive significant efficiencies, customer-centricity has to guide it.

Malcolm summed it up well, “I think this new trick is to find this balance, and that’s what CX has been about, this balance between efficiency and driving the experience.”

Understanding the Customer: The Eternal North Star

Despite all the technological advancements, the core of great CX remains unchanged: understanding the customer.

This understanding goes beyond just knowing customer preferences. It involves segmenting customers effectively, understanding how different segments interact with various channels, and using technology to augment these interactions.

AI and advanced analytics will play an increasingly central role in shaping customer experiences. However, the human touch – the ability to understand, empathize, and connect with customers – will remain invaluable.