Just as you were beginning to take steps towards implementing GenAI in your contact center, here comes our new friend Agentic AI. With the pressure to get AI implemented quickly, it’s tempting to dive in without a plan, but this could backfire. A team of frustrated agents and stern words from execs are not what you need in your life right now. We’re here to walk you through some actionable steps for leading AI adoption and upskilling in your business.
Four steps for leading CX AI adoption and upskilling
Without buy-in and support from your leadership and agents, you won’t get far in your AI journey. Here are some steps you can take to help you on your way:
1. Establish leadership buy-in
No new technology, AI or otherwise, will stand the test of time without leadership buy-in. In most businesses, the level of C-suite involvement can be the determining factor in the success or failure of such a large-scale project.
First, ensure the company executives are on board to support funding for AI investments. Next, ask them to champion AI initiatives with internal teams. Ideally they would also be leading by example and using AI in their own day-to-day roles. Lastly, ask for their commitment to clearly communicate the value and impact AI can have on your business. The theme of this communication should be around AI as an organizational asset, not just a technology tool.
This one act of securing leadership buy-in will make AI implementation so much easier in the long run. Executive support will help get your business over the adoption hurdles that can sometimes arise when introducing new technology.
2. Foster a culture of trust and address employee concerns about AI
Linked to getting leadership buy-in, it’s important to foster a culture of trust with your employees around AI. This means addressing any concerns employees may have. Not only is the security and privacy of their data a worry to employees, but there’s a real fear amongst the workforce at large that AI will replace their jobs.
AI adoption will be nothing but a pipe dream if you don’t have your employees' trust and confidence. It’s key to communicate how AI will make their lives easier, not take their jobs away. The goal is to enhance what they’re doing and empower them to do what they do best, rather than eliminate them from the business.
Leaders and those on the AI implementation team need to provide transparency around governance, controls and responsible AI frameworks and demonstrate AI’s role as a job-enhancer. A good way to build much-needed trust is to include employees from all levels and functions during the early stages of AI implementation. Part of these discussions should be about demonstrating new skills and jobs created by AI and how successful AI-driven workflows can be for all employees. Beyond that, regular training can also help elevate employee concerns.
3. Create ongoing adaptive training programs
One and done is not going to work when it comes to AI training. Just as AI is always evolving, so should your internal AI training program. To this end, creating ongoing, engaging training programs that bring your teams up to speed on all the benefits of AI will help increase your chances of AI taking root in your organization. Once they have the foundations down, learning AI should be about having an adaptive growth mindset, rather than focusing on specific technical features that could quickly become obsolete.
We're in the TikTok generation, so training formats that are short, snappy and simple will be more effective. Employees should really be able to wrap their heads around it. Real-world applications will also help your teams grasp and adopt the different ways AI can be used. Meet learners where they learn and combine concept teaching with application environments for experimentation.
For AI to work effectively, it still takes humans working behind the scenes to implement it in the right ways.
4. Balance innovation with human connection
Throughout your CX AI adoption journey, it’s crucial to find the right balance between automation and human interaction. You’re in the business of customer care and that still often requires a human touch. In fact, Zoom’s recent research commissioned with Morning Consult showed that 85% of participants expect agents to be friendly and 82% expect them to be knowledgeable. This shows that it’s important not to lose humans in the mix when implementing AI, but instead to give your agents AI-enhanced tools to do their jobs better.
A good first step is to emphasize AI's role in automating repetitive tasks (such as after-call work with automatic summaries and transcriptions), allowing your employees and agents to focus on differentiated experiences. To find the balance, it’s necessary to ensure your agents are equipped with not only the knowledge, but also the listening and responsive skills to deal with the more complex queries that will come their way.
Getting on the right track to CX AI adoption with a familiar platform
Adopting new technology can be daunting, but if everyone is on the same, familiar platform, life can be much easier for all. Zoom’s AI-first Zoom CX solutions have been built on the recognizable and easy-to-use Zoom Workplace platform, guided by customers' needs.
Join the upcoming Zoom virtual CX Summit for more tips on turning your AI ambition into reality and making every customer interaction faster, smarter and more human.
