Dive Brief:
- Google introduced an updated AI-powered contact center platform featuring conversational virtual assistants called Customer Engagement Suite with Google AI, the company announced Tuesday.
- Google’s latest solution features customer-focused virtual agents that combine rules-based controls and natural language processing to handle customer inquiries. The platform can power AI assistants for live agents as well.
- Customer Engagement Suite stands out from competing solutions due to its omnichannel capabilities, including functionality across mobile, voice and email, according to Julie Geller, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group.
Dive Insight:
Google is joining competitors like Salesforce and Microsoft in the race to gain an early foothold in the AI-powered contact center market. It may not be the first tech giant to introduce a conversational AI assistant for contact centers, but the company has the potential to become a top vendor in the space.
“Google’s edge lies in its advanced AI and cloud technologies, providing a solid foundation to compete,” Geller told CX Dive in an email.
Customer Engagement Suite builds on the foundation of its Contact Center AI, which launched in 2018, and is a natural next step, according to Geller. The more advanced solution may be attractive for companies already working within the Google ecosystem.
The launch could prove timely as well. There are signs that customers have become more open to generative AI assistants in recent months, even when the option for live help is still available, according to Geller.
“While consumers have been gradually primed for these technologies, the key has always been connecting the touchpoints throughout the customer journey,” Geller said. “Ultimately, most consumers just want to feel empowered by these tools to resolve their issues quickly without losing the option for personal connection when needed.”
However, the contact center industry has more work to do before generative AI customer service reaches true acceptance.
Research published in the Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management shows that customers aren’t fully comfortable with the technology.
Some of the features of Google’s solution, including a smart reply feature that analyzes recorded conversations and suggests replies for agents, could run afoul of consumers’ privacy concerns.
Google is facing a lawsuit in California that claims the tech company recorded and analyzed customer service calls to Home Depot in violation of state law. The suit alleges that Google used AI to record conversations without their permission and suggested possible replies to agents in real time.
