AI and CX: opportunity vs risk

Where AI improves CX

Working in Client Experience for a media agency, AI can be of massive help in summarising data, providing technical information, or doing market research. Using enterprise-grade AI tools within secure, governed environments, such as Microsoft Copilot, we can incorporate relevant company information to give outputs better context, effectively adding an intelligence layer based on our data and client understanding. This helps improve the quality and relevance of the results.

With AI taking over a lot of repetitive administrative tasks, our time as CX team members can be dedicated to developing strategy and delivering outcomes. This has a clear and positive commercial impact, because faster insights lead to quicker responses and more frequent and in-depth campaign reviews, which can ultimately improve media performance.

AI is indeed a time-saving tool, however the key is using it to complement our work and knowledge, rather than letting it do it all for us. To work successfully with AI, training is required and new skills need to be developed; hence the importance of roles like our AI & Performance Lead, Paula, who regularly schedules updates on the latest AI technologies and how to integrate them in our roles.

The importance of human touch

When complemented with human intelligence, AI can augment the quality, accuracy and precision of one’s work. This is where social skills become essential for an effective use of AI, as the content it generates needs to be revised by a human who has all the context, emotional intelligence and critical thinking required to understand the situation. An example would be the presence of cultural diversity and biases in the workplace, which AI is not yet trained to deal with. AI usage needs to be accompanied by common sense and expert knowledge, without which the relationship with the client can be compromised over a lack of human touch.

As much as AI can make the experience personalised, it cannot substitute a human being when it comes to building bridges between companies, and providing a quality service that involves reassurance, experience and diplomacy. Ultimately, working in CX is about creating a bond with the client, understanding their needs and wants, and going the extra mile to meet these. This does not just mean providing them with the answer, but also listening to them, picking up sentiments, and putting your personality into every email and call. This cannot be automated, and it is essential for client retention ad growth; in fact, human expertise is a key differentiator within the competitive agency environment.

Ethical issues with AI

Another key issue that emerges with the use of AI in the workplace is accountability. A bot cannot be held accountable when things go wrong, unlike humans who can be held responsible for their actions, and have promises or expectations to live up to. Dealing with a bot would give the client less confidence and trust that someone cares for their needs, and will follow up on their queries and problems; this is a business risk we are not willing to take. At Space & Time, AI is used within a clear governance and policy framework: we apply human oversight to every output and take full responsibility for our work, which ultimately protects client relationships and brand reputation. Our team goes the extra mile to rectify any unforeseen circumstances that might occur, using our expertise and judgement and keeping in constant communication with the clients.

AI also lacks creativity in novel situations, as its recommendations are based on patterns from existing data and don’t go past these boundaries without strong human direction. Our strategic thinking, expertise, and problem-solving skills allow us to find solutions even in unprecedented conditions. The list of characteristics that are exclusive to human emotional intelligence is long (self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, leadership, …), and it is proven that these are essential in human development, psychological well-being and social interactions. This includes the interaction between agency and client, which is where the role of CX becomes key in building and maintaining a good personal relationship.

Due to the above listed ethical issues, trust towards the use of AI in the workplace can be limited. Despite employees across various industries acknowledging that AI can improve productivity and job quality, there is a general understanding that this increases the need for training on the use of AI, as well as the need for human skills. The latter are essential when working in direct contact with clients, as emotional intelligence helps us identify individual preferences, motivations, and feelings, which is fundamental in providing an effective personalised experience and an extra level of quality control.