3 things to look out for when choosing AI for customer support

If you’ve rolled an eye or two at the parade of companies promising to completely transform your customer support operations overnight with AI, we don’t blame you. There are a lot of sensational claims out there, and support leaders like yourself are right to be skeptical.

It's your job to thoroughly vet every new CX tool before letting it anywhere near your customer interactions. The last thing you want is rogue AI leading agents astray or trapping customers in chatbot hell, bouncing between automated responses that never really solve anything. And with budgets tighter than ever, every dollar you invest needs to pull its weight in gold — or at least in efficiency gains you can see and measure.

Too many customer support AI tools feel like a mysterious "black box" you're supposed to switch on and watch work miracles. But how does it really work? And how can you be sure it’s working the way you need it to? In this article, we’ll walk you through three key considerations when evaluating AI tools so you can stay in control and get the most out of your investment.

Be wary of hasty AI implementations

Think rolling out AI is just a flip of a switch? Yeah, we don’t think so either. You wouldn’t expect a new support agent to master everything on day one, and the same should go for AI. But how do you know you won’t spend months burning through resources to train the AI for what amounts to little return on your investment?

Anyone trying to sell you on a new AI-powered tool for customer support should be able to clearly outline what you can expect over the course of your AI implementation. And any successful AI deployment will be gradual and structured, providing incremental value at every step of the way.

This is the phased approach we’ve taken with Assembled Assist, an agent copilot and issue resolution engine powered by generative AI:

• Right out of the box, Assist takes the first step by providing your agents with instant answers pulled directly from your knowledge base.
• Then, once you're comfortable with the basics, Assist will auto-draft responses that your agents can tweak and finalize.
• Finally, Assist will automate a significant chunk of interactions using the insights and trust you've built up in the AI during the first two phases of implementation.

By the time implementation is complete, Assist is handling specific types of interactions confidently and competently, freeing up your human agents for more complex queries.

Having your AI implementation structured in deliberate phases ensures that each stage delivers results while setting the stage for more advanced applications. The goal isn’t to rush through — it’s to build momentum wisely so AI can become a true powerhouse ally in your customer support arsenal.

Demand full transparency of how the AI operates

Trust isn't given, it's earned — especially when it comes to AI in customer support. If you can’t see what your AI is doing, how can you trust it to provide care to your customers?

The best AI for your customer support organization will offer visibility into every aspect of the AI’s operations — from the answers provided to agents to the responses drafted for customers. Knowing when and why each automation is activated will allow you to ensure that the AI remains an asset rather than a liability.

Your AI for customer support solution should also provide regular quality checks, which are essential to maintaining this transparency. Routine reviews of the AI’s interactions will allow you to catch issues before they escalate and improve the AI’s responses over time.

With Assembled Assist, for example, users get full visibility into AI-generated answers. In the early phases of implementation, this exposes gaps and inaccuracies in your knowledge base, which can then be fixed to instantly improve the quality of answers provided to agents. Assist also lets you see the auto-generated responses and where agents are modifying them. This transparency into both answers and auto-drafts is what powers confidence in fully automated processes down the line.

By seeking transparency from every aspect of your AI solution, you ensure that every step is not just about deploying technology, but about integrating a reliable, understandable tool that works tirelessly for your team. This approach doesn’t just mitigate risks — it capitalizes on opportunities to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Ensure clear, robust, and actionable reporting

The value of an AI tool is only as good as the improvements it brings to your operations, and you can't improve what you can't measure.

A sound AI investment will offer clear, easy-to-understand reporting that goes beyond mere data collection. These reports should include visual dashboards that make it easy to grasp complex information at a glance. Whether it’s response accuracy, customer satisfaction, or efficiency gains, these visuals help you quickly understand where the AI excels and where it may need fine-tuning.

With Assembled Assist, for example, the focus is on providing comprehensive reporting that not only informs but empowers your team to make faster, more informed business decisions. Assist’s reporting tools are designed to be user-friendly and highly informative, providing dashboards that deliver real-time insights into crucial aspects of AI performance.

Here’s how Assist helps users keep a pulse on operational effectiveness:

• Assist Scorecard: This feature tracks AI accuracy and knowledge expansion over time, allowing you to gauge the precision of AI responses. By understanding trends in AI performance, you can pinpoint areas for improvement or investment.
• Agent Usage reporting: Get a detailed breakdown of how your agents are interacting with Assist. This report shows you the volume and types of interactions managed by AI, offering a clear picture of agent adoption.
• Automations report: This includes CSAT ratings directly linked to responses generated by Assist. It allows you to see how well the AI’s interactions are received by customers, providing a direct measure of customer satisfaction with AI engagements.
• Auto Drafts report: Gain insights into the outcomes of responses drafted by Assist. This data helps you understand which types of queries are most effectively handled by AI and which might still need a human touch.

By demanding comprehensive reporting from your AI tools, you can not only see exactly how the AI is performing, but you can also easily see (and prove!) the impact and value of your AI investment.

Embrace customer support automation with confidence

Choosing the right AI tool for your customer support is about more than just adopting new technology — it's about making a strategic investment that grows with your organization. Assembled Assist not only offers a gradual and structured implementation but also ensures transparency and provides actionable insights through comprehensive reporting. These features are designed to empower your team, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive operational efficiency.

Ready to see how Assembled Assist can transform your customer support operations? Schedule a demo with a member of our team.