Being AI
Just who should be AI at your company?
Let me prompt you with a question
Have you ever wondered who should be AI at your company? Not who should use AI, but who should “be” it? Because I’m not too sure that letting AI be AI all by itself is a great strategy for your brand’s reputation.
Let me tell you a story.
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Battle ‘Bots
I’ve been thinking a lot about artificial intelligence lately - especially whether its promise lives up to the hype. I use it for all sorts of tasks - looking up data, editing a paragraph, and creating lists. It summarizes long reports and articles into key points to remember. And it’s a pretty decent search tool, without all the ads on the portals like Google. Of course, I know AI makes a lot of mistakes - which doesn’t really bother me all that much; I’ve always treated internet content with healthy skepticism.
The real problem is that I find myself frequently doing battle with a ‘bot when a few moments with a person would get the job done.
Representative of AI
Here’s an example that I consider representative of the limitations, and potential hazards, of deploying AI prematurely today.
Recently, I tried to call the front desk of a major hotel chain. An AI system intercepted my call. Unfortunately, it performed so poorly, that it was like watching years of Brand reputation dissolve before my eyes.
For the first seven minutes, I tried unsuccessfully to bypass the ‘bot and reach a human. No matter what prompts I used — asking for “representative” or “change an existing reservation” or “talk to a person” the answer was the same:
“You can save time and find the answer to your question by going online and searching our help section on the website…."
In other words, get outta here, pal!
You’re Supposed to be Helping
I don’t know whether AI gave up first or I did, but I kept saying “representative” and “get help with a reservation” until something clicked and I got connected — to the muzak.
As I waited on hold (not entirely sure it was for the right thing), I wondered if anyone had tested the system before it was deployed. Maybe it was learning from me, as it fought back against every possible request for help I could make. Isn’t that what AI is all about - the ability to learn from experience? If so, then perhaps it could learn what it means to get frustrated as a customer… to understand how bad the experience had to be that —
I was grateful to finally be waiting on hold.
From ‘Bot to ‘Bot: How May I Not Help You?
By the fifteen-minute mark, I reached a real person.
I explained my goal: To purchase a late checkout for an upcoming stay at the hotel. I was informed I hadn’t actually reached the front desk of the hotel, but a central reservation system in a galaxy far, far away.
Nonetheless, I tried to accomplish my task. First, I asked if adding my elite status to the reservation would secure a late checkout (I’d used Expedia not their direct app to reserve).
That’s when the human began acting like a ‘bot, too.
Following a script, they said, “You can request a late checkout. It will not be confirmed until the day of arrival.” So I asked if I could purchase a late checkout or another full day. The script couldn’t handle that, either. “We can add a request to the reservation.” I sighed and agreed, powerless in the face of the “model” that governed our interaction. A moment later I was informed that the system could not save the request. So they would have to put me on hold —
To connect to their support people.
Eventually, the representative came back on the line: “We put in the request for late checkout. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“My goal,” I said, “was to secure a late checkout. I haven’t done that.”
“All we can do is put in the request and see what happens,” said the script.
This is AI-bsurd
As absurd as this all sounds, the trouble is that it was very real. A major Brand had turned over its customer experience - live and artificial - to processes whose learning model was incapable of actually learning.
In fact, it was the opposite of intelligence. It was merely about process, and efficiency. The call center representative was trained as cheaply as possible - using scripts (a type of language model). The AI system was deployed as cheaply as possible - without experience. Both models were the exact opposite of customer service —
Because neither permitted someone to actually deliver it.
I was prepared to give the hotel more money — but the ‘bot couldn’t take it.
I called the “Elite” customer number — to be told to go read the website, like a pest.
It would have taken someone from the 1950s five minutes to handle the call by telephone but instead, the process wasted time, effort, and ultimately, brand capital.
I'm sure this wasn't the plan because nobody intelligent would have let that happen.
Focus on the Real AI
The good news is there’s a lesson or two here for us all.
If you care about your reputation, the lesson is to use AI in the exact opposite manner we’re told AI promises to deliver: driving down costs and driving up efficiency. Clearly neither of those approaches leads to an improvement of customer experience.
On the other hand, if AI had been deployed as a tool in the hands of a human, like a pencil or calculator or software, the problem would have been solved faster, with greater satisfaction. Not turning over the customer to the ‘bot, but letting the ‘bot enhance the employee performance might even have led to more profit.
You don’t need to drive down costs when customers are trying to spend more money with you.
In other words, keep it real. It might be best to leverage AI by keeping it in the back room, not on the front desk. Let it analyze your data, dig through your reports, and crunch the numbers. AI is like any other tool, able to enhance the performance of a real person; but certainly not ready to replace it. Let it produce reports and alerts and insights for a human to take action.
But give it front-row control over your Brand experience?
Not yet; and maybe not ever.
And don’t think me a Luddite: I love AI quite a lot. After all, it’s the acronym of my newsletter — Always Inspiring. I simply remember I’m the one who should be doing the work:
Of being AI.
PS: I called back and…
… pressed the “0” repeatedly when the ‘bot answered.
I still needed to secure a late checkout!
So I defeated its programming and finally reached someone at the real front desk of the hotel.
I explained my request - even my willingness to pay - and was told to wait a moment while a cheerful woman looked up my account in her system.
“No need to pay,” she said, clicking some keys. “You’re all set. See you soon.”
Solved in under two minutes, by a person, using software, able to create the most inspiring outcome of all —
A happy customer.
—M