Going the extra smile: 5 ways agents and AI work together for exceptional CX

Customer Service Appreciation Week shines a spotlight on the unsung heroes of our industry: the dedicated agents behind every customer smile. These professionals bring warmth, patience, and problem-solving skills to each interaction. But in today's digital age, they have a powerful new ally in delighting customers—artificial intelligence (AI).

AI isn't here to replace the human touch; it's amplifying it. Imagine an agent equipped with AI-driven insights, transforming a routine inquiry into a moment of customer elation. For instance, when a frustrated customer calls about a delayed shipment, AI instantly provides the agent with tracking data as well as real-time guidance on how best to be empathetic and build rapport, turning frustration into a seamless experience. By handling workflows, knowledge, and data, AI frees agents to focus on what they do best - adding that personal touch that turns a satisfied customer into a loyal one.

At NICE, we're passionate about empowering customer experience with cutting-edge AI tools. Our solutions don't just boost efficiency; they give agents the superpowers they need to create unforgettable "wow" moments.

Ready to discover how AI is helping your team build customer loyalty through exceptional service? Here are five ways agents work alongside AI to elevate experiences, ultimately bringing extra smiles to customers’ faces.

1. Agents do more of what they do best

They say there’s strength in numbers and when it comes to customer service, that power is amplified when agents and AI work together.

Handling an increasing volume of customer inquiries can be overwhelming, but AI can step in to streamline routine tasks, provide real-time insights, and predict customer needs. By scaling up operations, optimizing call routing, and providing real-time support to agents handling these critical interactions, AI helps agents focus on what they do best.

They can handle more inquiries efficiently and with greater precision, maximizing the customer's help and ensuring no one is left waiting. Together, agents and AI are transforming service into a seamless, high-touch experience.

AI and agents in action: United Way of Connecticut quickly scaled operations to handle critical customer calls

In the high-stakes world of crisis management and community support, United Way of Connecticut stands as a beacon of hope. It operates the state's vital 211 and 988 contact centers and the Care4Kids program. Agents handle calls from people in various states of need, some facing life-threatening crises. Recognizing the intense nature of these interactions, United Way has prioritized not just caller satisfaction but also employee well-being by implementing innovative initiatives like decompression rooms and person-centric coaching.

At the heart of this operation is CXone as the AI-powered engine driving their frictionless customer experience (CX) journey.

The true test of United Way’s AI-enhanced capabilities came in 2022 with the launch of the federally mandated 988 crisis phone number. This new service demanded a rapid scaling of operations—a two-thirds increase in team size within weeks. The challenge was daunting: meet the federal expectation of answering 95% of calls within 15 seconds, while handling crisis calls that typically last at least 15 minutes. It was here that the AI-powered CXone platform proved invaluable, enabling United Way to seamlessly scale up its operations, optimize call routing, and provide real-time support to agents handling these critical interactions.

United Way of Connecticut met the stringent federal requirements and excelled to where they won a crisis hotline award in 2022. This achievement underscores the power of AI in creating frictionless CX, even in the most challenging environments.

By leveraging AI for intelligent call routing, real-time agent assistance, and predictive analytics, United Way significantly reduced wait times, improved first-call resolution rates, and, most importantly, provided timely, life-saving support to those in crisis.

This case study demonstrates how AI can be the ticket not just to frictionless CX but also to more efficient, effective, and empathetic customer service in even the most critical scenarios.

Read the full United Way of Connecticut case study.

2. Deliver seamless customer journeys

Agents around the globe are making holistic customer journeys possible, with AI helping to orchestrate each interaction.

In the ever-evolving landscape of customer experience, the race to achieve perfect synchronization across all touchpoints has become a hallmark of business success. From smooth handoffs between channels to a level of consistency that makes it seem like your entire company is connected, AI-driven CX shapes seamless, cohesive experiences for customers around the globe.

With AI, organizations can make every customer interaction a harmonious experience that resonates across digital and voice channels alike.

Across industries, and across the globe: Organizations are syncing their CX journeys

Picture a world where customer experiences are no longer fragmented or disjointed, but flow with the ease and grace of a well-conducted orchestra. This is the world NICE is creating, empowering organizations to deliver extraordinary and hyper-personalized customer experiences that transcend the boundaries of traditional service channels.

With NICE, we approach customer service with a view for holistic experiences —one where every touchpoint, whether digital or voice, from any location, comes together in perfect harmony, creating a crescendo of customer satisfaction that echoes long after the interaction has ended.

Learn how these major brands have reached new heights by incorporating the latest CX technology:

• Alteram
• Banco do Brasil
• Carnival UK
• CVS
• Dutch Railways
• ECSI
• iQor
• Pfizer
• Sony
• Vera Bradley

3. Elevate your team to become service superheroes

By bringing AI to your team, you can transform your customer service agents into CX superheroes with powers beyond imagination.

With AI as their trusty companion, agents are no longer constrained by time-consuming tasks, the limits of human memory, or the pressure of split-second decisions. Instead, they're empowered with tools that unlock their full potential, turning routine calls into opportunities to create unforgettable experiences.

It's as if each agent has been given a pair of CX rocket boots, allowing them to leap tall problems in a single bound and stick the landing like everyone’s favorite GOAT gymnast, Simone Biles. The result? A team of super agents leaves a trail of beaming smiles in their wake.

One team, all smiles: Kaiser Permanente accelerates efficiency and improves CSAT

Kaiser Permanente's Northern California pharmacy call center handles 2.5 million contacts a year and needed to manage high call volumes while maintaining quality customer service.

Its small quality team struggled with limited, manual review processes. This scenario is familiar to many organizations striving to balance efficiency with customer satisfaction.

The game-changer? Kaiser Permanente implemented NICE Enlighten AI for Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and Real-Time Interaction Guidance. With AI in their contact center operations, they were able to streamline in-call and post-call experiences for customers, agents, and supervisors. The results were impressive: improved service levels, reduced handle times, and a significant boost in customer sentiment.

AI-driven insights are also facilitating ongoing workflow automation improvements, showcasing how technology can transform employees into customer service heroes by removing tedious tasks and inefficient processes.

The improvements and insights uncovered through Enlighten AI analysis are credited with helping Kaiser Permanente in its push to reach and maintain a 240-second average handle time (AHT) goal and 80% answer rate within a 30-second service target.

“We’re going to be able to sustain our headcount and achieve our service goals,” said Joenil Mistal, Kaiser Permanente senior managerial consultant.

Read the full Kaiser Permanente case study.

4. Brew up lasting customer relationships

Building a strong connection with customers to encourage their continued loyalty requires a genuine collaboration between agents and AI tools. For example, predictive analytics help contact center teams to anticipate customer needs and resolve issues before they escalate.

AI also bolsters knowledge management for agents and customers. For agents, AI-driven knowledge management equips them with the information they need to assist customers effectively. Smart knowledge management also means customers gain access to resources to find answers and solve problems independently throughout their journey.

Customer Service Appreciation Week provides an opportunity to celebrate this collaboration between agents and AI—which allows businesses to elevate customer satisfaction, cultivate loyalty, and shine brightly in today’s competitive landscape.

The ultimate agent “pick me up:” Nespresso adds richness and depth to CX

With a global presence across several major markets, Nespresso recognized that the key to maintaining its premium brand status lay not only in its products but also in the quality of its customer interactions. This realization led to a collaborative effort among customer service leaders across various territories, leveraging NICE Interaction Analytics to distill valuable insights from their vast ocean of customer data.

The power of this approach became evident as Nespresso standardized sentiment queries across regions. This unified method allowed leaders to gain a nuanced understanding of market-specific needs while simultaneously uncovering shared challenges. Whether it was identifying behavioral patterns or technological gaps among different outsourcing providers, the insights gained proved invaluable.

From their AI-driven interaction insights, Nespresso turned its attention to a specific product line due to its surprisingly high and consistent rates of negative feedback. The data showed that some customers were calling up to eight times for support within a short timeframe—a clear signal that something needed to change.

By diving into their Interaction Analytics data, Nespresso quickly found what issue needed to be resolved before customers called, and also identified new cross-sell opportunities in their sales calls. This dual approach of problem-solving and opportunity identification exemplifies Nespresso's commitment to not just fixing customer relationships, but truly brewing them to perfection, ensuring that every interaction adds richness and depth to the customer experience (much like the perfect cup of coffee).

Read the full Nespresso case study.

5. Turbocharge your business with AI and automation

With AI and automation, your agents are empowered to work more effectively, allowing them to provide exceptional service while speeding past the competition.

The synergy between AI and human agents gives your organization a significant edge. Agents become champions of customer experience, resolving issues swiftly and efficiently. This powerful combination allows your team to respond to customer inquiries with unprecedented speed and accuracy, enabling you to outpace the competition and solidify your brand’s reputation for exceptional service.

Ultimately, as your agents thrive in this AI-enhanced environment, your business succeeds in fostering long-term relationships that drive growth and success.

Efficiency engine: Tripadvisor accelerates on a unified platform

Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform, faced a monumental challenge: how to maintain a consistent, high-quality customer experience across its numerous subsidiaries while managing explosive growth.

The company’s rapid expansion led to a complex patchwork of contact center solutions and vendor agreements, threatening to undermine its goal for consistent experiences. Recognizing the need for a transformative solution, Tripadvisor embarked on an ambitious journey to consolidate its globe-spanning customer support and telesales services onto a single, centralized omnichannel platform: NICE CXone. This bold move was centered on turbocharging the entire business with cutting-edge AI and automation.

Implementing NICE CXone proved to be a masterclass in efficiency and strategic execution. In just 12 months, Tripadvisor successfully migrated over 2,000 agents to the new platform without disrupting business continuity—a feat that showcases the power of well-implemented AI and automation solutions.

The results were immediate and impressive: customer effort was significantly reduced, with IVR interactions dropping, leading to substantially increased first-call resolution (FCR). This transformation catapulted Tripadvisor’s customer effort score (CES) to an industry-leading level, consistently exceeding 70. By leveraging AI to streamline customer interactions and automate routing processes, Tripadvisor revolutionized the entire customer experience.

Tripadvisor’s multi-million-dollar savings and increased revenue illustrate how AI and automation turbocharge business operations. With a new CX platform, powered by intelligent automation, Tripadvisor slashed administrative tasks and accelerated new user creation by an astounding 63%. By harnessing the full potential of AI and automation through NICE CXone, Tripadvisor transformed its business to be future-ready by creating a flexible, efficient, and customer-centric organization capable of thriving in an ever-changing global market.

Read the full Tripadvisor case study.

Start going the extra smile with CX AI

As we celebrate Customer Service Appreciation Week, it’s clear that the future of CX isn’t just bright—it’s dazzling.

Agents are the heartbeat of the contact center. Incorporating AI and automation in agents’ toolsets makes them integral to achieving big goals that weigh on CX leaders: increasing conversion rates, personalizing customer experiences, selling smarter, growing revenues, and driving contact center performance.

It's time to harness the power of AI and watch as your customer satisfaction scores hit new highs. In this brave new world of CX, every week is Customer Service Appreciation Week, and every interaction is an opportunity to go the extra smile.