Last month more than 3,000 customer service practitioners and suppliers (vendors) to the customer service and support industry met in Las Vegas for the 25th anniversary of CCW (Customer Contact Week), the largest customer service conference in the world hosted by market intelligence firm, Customer Management Practice. There were informative and entertaining speakers throughout the four days. In this article, I want to give you a brief overview of the most significant topic of our time—AI—and several other lessons I heard from speakers outside of the industry.
The Workshops and Presentations
Every day and in every presentation, AI (generative AI, ChatGPT, etc.) was mentioned—even if the presentation had nothing to do with AI. It is evident that this technology is transforming the industry—and the world. AI is not new. It’s been here for decades. In the past 10 years or so, AI started to find its way into the customer support and CX world. IBM’s Watson product had a significant influence on the industry. At the CCW trade show, dozens of companies were touting their AI-infused solutions.
First, AI is not replacing humans. It is taking care of the customers’ “lower level” issues and questions, such as, “I lost my password,” “What is the status of my order?” and other commonly asked questions. More sophisticated AI solutions can go beyond the basics to the next level, but the overall consensus is that live agents/experts need to handle more complicated issues. According to CMP 95% of customers still expect to be able to speak to a live person. As AI technology improves, and it will at a breakneck pace, the experience and capabilities will also improve. I still stand by what I’ve been saying for years: AI will not replace humans—at least for now. Consider that the ATM (Automated Teller Machine), first introduced by Barclays Bank in 1967, was seen as a replacement for bank tellers. It hasn’t happened yet.
Mark King, CEO of Taco Bell
The conference’s opening keynote speaker was Mark King, CEO of Taco Bell. He shared some interesting and intriguing insights. Taco Bell is a well-known fast-food brand with a successful track record. When King took over as CEO, the formula for success was “crave-able” food, value pricing and four-minute drive-through time. He was told, “Don’t mess this up. Don’t experiment. Just focus on “same-store sales.”
All was going well until Covid-19 shut down the world. Taco Bell found itself late to the technology game. They didn’t have a digital app or a loyalty program or offer pick-up and delivery. But, like many companies, it successfully adapted. It was an important lesson that made leadership realize they must be more innovative.
King shared what innovation meant to Taco Bell. They have an internal incubator. Once a quarter, an idea is broadcast to all Taco Bell employees. The first 60 people who respond get to participate in the project. King tells them, “We don’t want you just to do your job. We want you to participate in creating our future.” I love the idea of allowing employees from all parts of a company to come together and participate in the growth of their organization.
As he was wrapping up, King applauded the customer service industry, giving it credit for what keeps companies and brands in business. He said, “No matter what business you’re in, the most important thing is the customer. Without customers, you don’t have a business.”
Abby Wambach
A dose of motivation is always welcome at a conference like CCW. Abby Wambach was an interesting choice for a speaker at a customer service conference. While she didn’t talk about customer service or CX, she had much to share. Her message was inspiring and well-received.
For those who don’t know, Wambach was a member of the Women’s U.S. Soccer team, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee and a six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award. She is recognized as the all-time highest-scoring player in the sport. And not just women players, but all players. In 2015 she was included on the Time 100 list as one of the most influential people in the world.
In 2016, Wambach created controversy with her comments after receiving ESPN’s special Icon Award alongside two other superstars, Kobe Bryant and Peyton Manning. All three played at the top of their respective sports, but the pay gap allowed Bryant and Manning to retire wealthy, while Wambach had to continue working after retiring as one of the greatest in her sport.
Her message about equal pay goes beyond sports and crosses into the business world. “It was never just about soccer. The women’s team proved we shouldn’t just compare ourselves to other women. No matter where you are in your position, job, city, state or wherever you come from, equality is coming. The Women’s National U.S. team proves this.”
Moving away from the subject of equal pay, Wambach talked about strengths and weaknesses on a team, which is something business leaders should pay attention to. On any successful team, there will always be an overall leader, be it the captain of a sports team or the CEO of an organization. Typically these leaders are surrounded by talented people specializing in particular skill sets. Not everyone is equally as strong.
Wambach believes in utilizing weaknesses to enhance the team’s strength. One superstar surrounded by mediocrity will not win the game. Everyone must demonstrate and deliver on a strength that contributes to the win, but not everyone has to be equally strong in all parts of the game. For example, Wambach admits she wasn’t as fast as others. She was sharing a stage with teammate Mia Hamm and discussed her weakness. Wambach asked, “What if I had been faster?” Hamm responded, “Then there wouldn’t have been room for me to help set us up to score and win.”
The lesson is powerful and applies to any sport and any business. Don’t just play to your strengths. Recognize your weakness and surround yourself with others that can make up for that weakness and support your strengths. This can be applied to customer service and CX among your team, and, to bring it back to the main topic of the conference, AI can—and should—be used to support the people who support the customer.
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