The Dynamic Duo: How AI & Human Talent Can Coexist to Elevate B2B Customer Service

As we enter Q4 2024, the transformative shift in B2B customer service is in high gear. Long gone are the days when the concerns of customers were solely about quality, price and delivery. Today, the emphasis is all about the “experience” with the expectation that their B2B journey mirrors the convenience, responsiveness and personalization they’ve grown accustomed to in their B2C interactions.  

And it is an expectation: More than 70 percent of customers say they would happily consider other vendors if their “must haves” (omnichannel options, consistency across channels, real-time and always-on customer experience, etc.) weren’t met during the buying journey or if the experience was poor.¹

Facing the prospect of damaged customer loyalty and fewer revenue opportunities, many B2B customer service teams are shifting away from the traditional and embracing the digital — specifically, Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

In this blog, we’ll explore where traditional customer service processes fall short, what types of AI capabilities work best in customer service environments, and how modern technology and human talent can coexist to deliver the best customer experience possible.

Limitation of traditional Customer Service processes 

A recent study found that 1 in 4 businesses lack the necessary technology to engage with customers and deliver consistent experiences across multiple channels.² To anyone familiar with manual customer service environments, this should come as no surprise. Because despite the ubiquitous use of ERP, EDI and CRM tools within organizations, it’s not uncommon for teams to spend a sizeable portion of their day:

• Sifting through a shared inbox to classify incoming inquiries and orders
• Crafting inquiry responses — often with limited context and clarity 
• Fielding status calls and emails from customers (Where’s my order?!?)
• Manually entering order data into the ERP system 
• Tracking down missing order data
• Handling change orders, investigating claims, creating quotes, etc. 

Not only do these manual activities prevent customer service teams from meeting the shifting preferences of today’s B2B customers, they also impact the ability to retain employees. Top talent won’t hesitate to change jobs if their current one is dull, repetitive and unfulfilling. And when you consider that replacing an employee can cost a business up to 90% of their salary,³ retention and attraction of talent is essential. 

AI’s role in B2B customer service

The use of AI in a customer service environment may seem counterintuitive or even antithetical to the very concept of serving customers (We’re not about to replace our team with bots!). In this context, however, the use of AI doesn’t mean replacing humans with algorithms. Instead, it’s profiting from the best of both worlds — an environment where AI handles the error-prone, low-value and time-consuming tasks, while humans can focus their time on tasks that have greater impact. 

Below are some of the most customer service-friendly AI capabilities being used today with great success:

• Email triage: When emails arrive, natural language processing (NLP) algorithms go to work, automatically classifying inquiries and routing them to the appropriate parties. What’s more, orders are forwarded to the applicable software, while inquiries can be separated out and routed to the team for further processing.
• Automatic data capture: Machine learning and deep learning technologies are used to capture key data on incoming orders regardless of how they arrive (email, EDI, fax, etc.). User corrections are remembered by the algorithms, helping to improve their accuracy over time. 
• Order prioritization: Whether you’re dealing with orders with a tight delivery date request or simply want to prioritize your most strategic customers, AI can be used to capture priority orders automatically by utilizing data recognition capabilities to quickly validate and move orders along to the ERP.
• AI-assisted inquiry response: GenAI technology helps CSRs answer customer inquiries quickly and accurately by analyzing incoming emails, extracting key information, and querying different systems to suggest an answer for the CSR to review and use. Best of all, it’s hosted in a secure environment so your data isn’t used, saved or shared by third parties. 
• Anomaly detection: Delivering and processing returns of incorrect orders drains time and costs. The AI will detect unusual quantities or amounts by analyzing historical order data and sending questionable orders back to the CSR for verification.

AI & human talent: working together for better customer journeys 

The demands and expectations placed on today’s B2B customer service teams show no signs of relenting. But to properly nurture, develop and maintain critical relationships with B2B customers and meet their expectations, organizations must rethink how their team spends its time and what technologies are best suited to facilitate their success. 

In AI, they have a digital coworker that shoulders the menial and mundane tasks so they’re free to focus on high-value work like: 

• Relationship building and nurturing customer experience initiatives
• Reengaging with inactive and/or formally disgruntled customers 
• Cross-selling and/or upselling 
• Proactive communication regarding shipment status, partial payments, etc.

If you’re ready to transform your B2B customer service team into a more productive, proactive and positively impactful department, watch our latest on-demand webinar on the topic here.

1 Future of B2B sales: The big reframe. November 2022. McKinsey & Company. 

2 The State of Personalization 2021: From nice-to-have to necessity for intelligent customer engagement. June 2, 2021. Twilion. 

3 The Cost of Replacing an Employee and the Role of Financial Wellness. 2022. The WELL Blog, Enrich.org.