Old Dog, New Tricks – How Everyone in your Organization Should be Using AI

My mom just turned 76. Normally, when I ask her what she wants for her birthday, she says “nothing,” and I end up sending flowers or a gift card to PetSmart. But something odd happened this year. She called me a week before her birthday and said, “I want to see Ed Sheeran for my birthday.” Expectedly, I laughed it off as a joke since this is my aging mom, mid-stage Parkinson’s, wheelchair-bound – how did she even know who Ed Sheeran was? As any good adult child would do, I went about my day; completely ignoring her request. 

The next day she sent me a text message: Please make sure to get a wheelchair accessible seat and a companion seat. Oh! She’s serious? So, for once in my life, I might actually get my mother something she would like for her birthday.  

I received wonderful photos from the concert. She genuinely appeared to be having a great time. A few days later, I asked her about the experience. She told me that it was “the greatest concert she had ever seen.” Now, none of you know my mom, but it was at this point I felt obligated to remind her that growing up in Baltimore in the 60s, she had the opportunity to see The Beatles in 1964, The Doors in 1967, Chubby Checker, Elvis Presley, Etta James and countless other icons of the era. She was steadfast. Somehow Ed Sheeran has replaced all of them at the top of the list. It must have been an amazing concert.  

It's dangerous to remain stuck in our ways. Tastes change – musically and in the workplace; your workforce, clientele, and operations are evolving. We know the contact center landscape is changing, transforming both agent roles and executive decision-making. The tools and analytics used by the front-line workers to enhance customer experiences, optimize operations, and drive business success are the same tools executives can leverage to provide valuable data-driven insights and empower them to make informed decisions that benefit their call centers and overall organizations. If you’re not afraid to be an old dog, then you shouldn’t be afraid of new tricks. If everyone in your organization isn’t using AI, you’re doing it wrong. Here are some ways your organization should be using AI from the top down. 

Personal Assistants 

AI-powered personal assistants, similar to chatbots or smart assistants, can revolutionize the way your entire organization can manage their schedules and tasks. With the ability to schedule meetings, set reminders, and handle routine administrative tasks, liberating agents from the tediousness of manual planning, and freeing executives from time-consuming responsibilities, enabling them to concentrate on more critical business matters. Integrating these assistants into everyday platforms such as Slack or Teams can provide real-time information, keeping managers and senior leadership well-informed during crucial decision-making moments.  

Automated Data Analysis and Predictions 

Decision makers are often inundated with a deluge of data from different departments and sources. Training AI-driven data tools to process and analyze large datasets can provide you with valuable insights at an unprecedented speed and scale. Allocate more time to strategizing and acting, rather than getting bogged down in the data-gathering process. 

Predictive analytics can help everyone in your organization anticipate future trends and potential outcomes based on historical data and patterns. Following market trends and customer behavior helps identify opportunities and risks ahead of time.  

Streamline Communication  

Communication tools have always been a pain point in collaboration efforts. New platforms such as language translation services or internal chatbots can facilitate collaboration among teams and departments no matter what location or time zone instantly.  

Personalized Learning 

Old dog, new tricks. Executives didn’t get where they are by relying on knowledge of the past. Leveraging AI for personalized learning experiences to enhance their professional development is something that every single person at your organization could benefit from. AI-powered learning programs are designed to analyze strengths and weaknesses, recommend relevant courses, articles, and resources, and adapt the learning journey based on individual progress. We already use these tools for onboarding new employees and continuing education in training systems. Executives that stay updated with the latest industry trends and best practices foster growth in their teams and remain relevant to their organization through a constant improvement in leadership skills and overall efficiency. 

AI presents a tremendous opportunity for executives, senior management, administrators, and agents to transform processes, driving their organizations towards greater efficiency, profitability, and competitiveness. AI is not a replacement for anyone in your org but rather a powerful tool to empower them, making them better equipped to navigate the complexities of the business world. Embracing AI-driven solutions and leveraging its capabilities will position executives at the forefront of innovation and leadership, while providing your workforce with comprehensive insights into customer preferences, needs, and behavior.  

Innovation takes effort. You can’t remain relevant by shutting yourself off to new voices. Every single person in your contact center is facing increasing demands and responsibilities that require optimal time management and efficiency. Ultimately, these new tricks can help everyone gain a deeper understanding of customers, and allow us old dogs to make strategic decisions that continuously align with new and evolving customer tastes and expectations.  

Want more details about how AI can help your organization realize more operational efficiency and consistency? Contact us to learn more.