Given the need for customer service teams to optimise their performance and deliver efficient assistance to their customers, some are turning to AI-driven tools to reach these objectives. With nearly half of UK customer service workers using AI-enhanced customer service software today, here's what you need to know to integrate this into your business.

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As businesses seek to improve efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, and stay ahead of their competitors, many seek new tools and tactics to deliver optimal service to their customers. In the first part of our series on customer service technology, we provided insights for businesses on how to optimise their customer service strategies. Now, we will focus on how companies are using technology and software, specifically AI, in their customer service.

The adoption of technology in customer service, like call centre software and artificial intelligence (AI), represents a shift for businesses in their approach to catering to customer demands in a digital-first environment. To develop customer service strategies that effectively harness AI, businesses must comprehend the challenges and benefits of using this technology. To find out more, Capterra surveyed 194 UK customer service professionals who use software in their operations to explore how they use technology in their services.*

CRM and call centre technology are the most used tools in customer service teams

There are different technologies customer service teams can use to support customers. The reasons for using each technology may vary depending on the stage of the customer lifecycle the customer is in and the channels they want to use.

The most commonly used technology to support phone queries is customer relationship management (CRM) software (64%), closely followed by call centre software (57%). These platforms have features that can complement each other to improve customer service operations.

Technology used to support customer service

How can different software help customer service teams?

  • CRM software: Nearly two-thirds of customer service employees say their company deploys CRM software. This software focuses on managing interactions with current and potential customers. CRM tools centralise customer data from across various touchpoints with the aim of providing a more personalised experience and thus increasing sales effectiveness. 
  • Call centre software: This technology is specifically designed to manage inbound and outbound calls within a structured environment. This is important, as consumers prefer using the phone over any other channel when contacting customer support. While it can complement a CRM, the key benefits of call centre software can optimise call handling by reducing wait times and improving routing.  
  • Live chat software: With this software, customer service teams can maintain real-time communication between customers and agents via text-based chat on websites and apps. This can facilitate fast responses to queries, reducing wait times while supporting multitasking for agents who handle multiple tasks simultaneously. 
  • Telephony software: This software manages voice communications, such as phone calls. Telephony software differs from call centre software in that the latter’s capabilities extend beyond basic telephony and voice communication infrastructures to optimise call handling and agent performance within a call centre environment. 
  • Help desk software: Customer service teams can manage and track customer inquiries and support tickets. This can help streamline customer support processes, track issues efficiently, and maintain a centralised database of customer interactions, among other features.
Nearly half of call centre software users plan to upgrade their services
Call centres are a popular choice to help customer service teams resolve issues and manage customer queries. Of the percentage of respondents who say their company uses call centre software, 49% say they plan to upgrade their call centre software. This may be to improve the quality of their customer service by incorporating new features, automation capabilities, scalability, reporting, or integration with modern technologies such as social media or AI. For those companies not using call centre software, over a fifth express that they have formal plans to incorporate this technology.

46% of UK customer service workers say their company uses AI-enhanced customer service software

Businesses may require new capabilities and features within their customer service tools to help them improve their productivity. One such feature is the inclusion of artificial intelligence. While humans are generally preferred for more empathetic tasks like personalised interactions, issue resolution, and upselling, according to our respondents, AI can outperform humans in several tasks like multiple language conversations or analysing data and generating insights. 

Currently, 46% of the professionals surveyed say the customer service software their company uses has built-in AI capabilities. AI in customer service can include chatbots, natural language processing (NLP) for understanding customer queries, voice assistants for hands-free interactions, predictive analytics for personalised recommendations, or task automation.

Looking ahead, there may be a growing reliance on AI in customer service, with expectations that AI will manage nearly half (48%) of customer inquiries in the next five years. This may indicate a gradual shift towards AI-driven solutions to meet evolving customer expectations and operational demands. 

Additionally, alongside those surveyed customer service teams who have yet to deploy AI-driven customer service tools, 69% of all respondents believe the introduction of AI capabilities in customer service software has impacted customer service positively or very positively.

AI-enabled customer service software can speed up response times and save costs, but trust and accuracy issues prevail 

As with many technologies, AI has its benefits and challenges. According to our surveyed customer service representatives, AI can benefit customer service by increasing cost savings, speeding up customer response times, and improving customer satisfaction.

Benefits of adopting AI-enabled customer service software

However, concerns regarding customer trust (58%) and ensuring information accuracy (40%) remain prominent challenges to adopting AI in customer service.

Top challenges of adopting AI-enabled customer service software
5 ways businesses can address AI challenges in customer service
  1. Seek AI-powered solutions that also uphold stringent data security measures: Businesses should understand and comply with regulations such as GDPR. At the same time, businesses should collect and process only necessary customer data and ensure its secure storage and handling.
  2. Ensure accurate information: A majority, (72%) of all respondents expressed concern about the accuracy of information provided to customers by AI-enabled software.Businesses should ensure their systems are trained on high-quality data to minimise errors and biases and provide regular updates of their AI models to reflect changes in products, services, and customer needs. Importantly, customer service teams should implement human oversight to verify AI responses and intervene if errors are detected. 
  3. Build customer trust through communication: Customer service teams should communicate AI’s role in customer interactions. At the same they should deliver personalised services based on customer preferences and history  There are several ways businesses can inform consumers about the use of AI. Nearly half (49%) include a notice or labelling during interactions, and 46% provide a notice in their policies or terms of service.
  4. Prevent customer alienation by making AI assistance optional: Customers may rue not having the option to interact with human agents and consequently feel alienated when they need assistance. Businesses should balance AI automation capabilities with opportunities for customers to interact with human agents, especially in complex or sensitive situations. Over half (52%) of customer service teams using AI tools provide customers with an option to choose between AI or human-assisted interactions. Additionally, businesses should encourage and act upon customer feedback to continuously improve their AI interactions, prevent negative experiences, and ensure the customer feels heard. 
  5. Ensure training and test AI implementation: While implementation and training are considered a challenge for all respondents, 74% of customer service workers who are using AI-driven customer service tools have received some form of training. Businesses should provide thorough, regular training to their customer service teams on how to work alongside AI systems and conduct pilot programs to test their AI implementations on a smaller scale before full deployment.

AI-enhanced customer service software improves productivity and customer satisfaction, according to current users

Despite the challenges and concerns companies may have about deploying AI-enhanced software in the customer service stack, the impacts on companies that are already using AI-driven customer service tools are notable.

AI-enhanced software’s impact on company customer service operations

Companies leveraging AI report improved productivity (71%) and higher customer satisfaction (57%). At the same time, 57% say it reduces employee stress levels, and over half report reduced query handle times. The metrics underscore the transformative impact AI can have on enhancing customer service delivery and operational efficiency.

AI-enabled customer service software represents a significant opportunity for businesses to elevate their customer service standards, drive operational efficiency, and improve employee performance and well-being. 

While AI is being adopted across many industries, the results are often mixed. However, among these varied outcomes, customer support and fields focused on customer experience are sectors that show promise and are already delivering value.

Consequently, by understanding the benefits, addressing challenges proactively, and investing in appropriate technologies and training, businesses can position themselves as leaders in delivering exceptional customer experiences.

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Survey methodology

Capterra's 2024 Customer Service Technology Survey was conducted online in May 2024 among 2,307 respondents in the U.S. (n=199), Canada (n=200), Brazil (n=188), Mexico (n=184), the U.K. (n=194), France (n=196), Italy (n=183), Germany (n=187), Spain (n=191), Australia (n=193), India (n=200), and Japan (n=192). The goal of the study was to explore how emerging call center technologies are enabling brands to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Respondents were screened to be full-time employees at organizations with 1 to 2,499 employees. They must be involved in customer service operations, use or buy customer service software, and handle customer service phone call in house or externally.