Only 13% of firms have no plans to use AI in CX programs
Nearly half of companies have incorporated artificial intelligence as a way to enhance the quality of the customer experience they deliver, while 42 per cent plan to do so soon, according to research published by SupportNinja.
The Austin, Tex.-based provider of outsourcing solutions surveyed more than 400 senior leaders, 60 per cent of whom were at the C-suite level, to produce its second annual CX Outsourcing Report.
While 40 per cent of those surveyed said they are leaning on in-house resources to deploy AI for CX purposes, 37 per cent said they are partnering with outsourcing firms to implement solutions.
The biggest area in which outsourcers are providing AI-powered CX services is data entry and data processing, cited by 52 per cent. When they are looking at potential outsourcers to bring AI and CX together, however, 40 per cent said the ability to streamline operations was a top consideration. This was followed by detecting cybersecurity threats at 37 per cent.
Overall, SupportNina found 77 per cent see AI as a critical factor when choosing an outsourcing partner, up four per cent from when the same research was conducted a year ago.
“The most forward-thinking companies aren’t just selecting vendors based on cost savings; they’re prioritizing AI enabled capabilities that enhance CX, improve efficiency, and drive long term value,” the report’s authors wrote. “Companies with outsourcing vendors that aren’t helping them use AI to its fullest are willing to look elsewhere to gain the benefits of smarter scaling, streamlined operations, and better CX outcomes.”
360 Magazine Insight
SupportNinja’s report is a necessary addition to the growing volume of research about AI and CX. Most other studies suggest companies will be handling AI implementation entirely on their own, or perhaps with some initial support from their technology provider. Outsourcing is often left out of the discussion entirely, despite the fact it has been a mainstay of CX programs for decades.
Much in the way AI has raised fears within brands about potential job losses, outsourcing has also long been a way to offset headcount costs. SupportNinja’s research suggests this will only continue, with 66 per cent of those it surveyed saying they believe AI will increase their outsourcing needs, and a quarter who believe it will stay the same.
If that’s true, outsourcers will have to take on far more sophisticated use cases of AI than merely data entry. In some cases, outsourcers who invest in upskilling and talent development could alleviate the challenges some of their clients are facing with staff who can’t effectively use AI platforms and tools.
SupportNinja accompanied its finding with the release of AI-powered solutions it dubbed Outsourcing 2.0, and it’s possible we’ll see many other outsourcing providers either develop their own tools or specialize in bespoke AI services for niche business needs.
Besides the chapters that delve specifically into AI, there’s a lot of other data in here that provides insight into how businesses are allocating their outsourcing budgets, the guiding principles respondents are using to inform their current business strategies and more.
