How Generative AI is Disrupting the Call Center World with Richard Smullen

Shep Hyken
3 min readNov 14, 2023

Using Generative AI to Provide a Personalized Customer Experience

Shep Hyken interviews Richard Smullen, CEO of Pypestream, an AI-powered self-service automation platform. He talks about how automation and generative AI can enhance the customer experience and the potential for self-service interactions.

Top Takeaways:

  • The future of customer service is being transformed by AI-powered technologies that can automate and enhance customer interactions. Technologies, such as ChatGPT and generative AI, are revolutionizing how businesses interact with their customers.
  • AI is redefining customer support. While there will still be a need for human agents in certain high-touch situations, the majority of customer interactions will be handled by AI-powered systems.
  • The future of customer service is heading toward self-service and personalized experiences. By providing intuitive and easy-to-use interfaces, businesses can guide customers toward the desired outcome without human intervention.
  • Companies that embrace AI in their customer service operations are not necessarily reducing their workforce. Instead, they are using AI to augment human agents and improve customer service experiences.
  • According to Martec’s Law, technology changes exponentially, but organizations change logarithmically. The longer organizations delay their adoption and experimentation with technology, the greater the gap will be, and ultimately, they’ll never catch up.
  • Plus, Shep and Richard share their predictions on how generative AI will transform customer service and what happens to businesses that fail to adapt. Tune in!

Quotes:

“In three to five years, I don’t believe that I’m still going to phone a call center except for very high touch, high value, emergency type of situations that need that human interaction on the other end.”

“Organizations may not see a reduction in headcount if they are using AI to augment humans, not replace them.”

“AI uses all the available data to create personalization and make a much more meaningful recommendation for the end user.”

“The customer is not going to believe that they are building a relationship with the AI. They are going to believe that they are building a relationship with the business that happens to be using AI. That level of connectivity and personalization that AI can help a business provide is what is going to drive loyalty.”

About:

Richard Smullen is the founder and CEO of Pypestream, an AI-powered automation platform. Pypestream connects businesses to customers through self-service automation and smart messaging.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:

  1. How is generative AI disrupting the customer service world?
  2. How are AI and technology affecting customer support employees?
  3. Will companies hire fewer employees because of AI implementation?
  4. How can AI be used to augment human agents in call centers?
  5. What is the impact of generative AI and immersive digital experiences on cost and operations?

Originally published at hyken.com on November 14, 2023

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Shep Hyken
Shep Hyken

Written by Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken, customer service expert, business speaker and New York Times bestselling author, helps companies deliver AMAZING customer service and experiences!

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