In brief
- “AI Cornerstones” is a straight-talking series of blogs that turns AI hype into business action. We aim to help CIOs and others create a comprehensive IT strategy that ensures their enterprise makes the most of AI developments
- Users treat AI like any other channel, expecting it to support their customer journey completely, not just answer discrete questions. CIOs must map and analyze these journeys to ensure that the company's technology strategy covers a sizeable portion of their expectations
- CIOs must focus technologists on CX. Artificial intelligence is a challenging frontier, but AI itself is not enough. An experience strategy and design team must support these activities. Once initial journeys are completed, AI can provide multiple tools for monitoring usage and recommending enhancements
Smart CIOs are experimenting with and implementing customer-facing AI technologies. Those initiatives either produce customer-facing content with generative AI, integrate AI deeply into existing applications, or provide another engagement channel.
If you’re building a B2C AI initiative, you should be asking:
- How will customers engage?
- What is the right way to integrate with other channels to provide the best experience?
- How can I maximize the quality of their interactions?
Concentrate on journeys, not on questions
Customers will treat AI like any other channel; they expect the channel to be able to support their user journey completely, not just answer discrete questions. CIOs should map and analyze customer journeys and ensure that their company's technology strategy supports a good portion of their demands.
When customers visit your site with a question in mind, that represents a segment of their purchase or service journey. It is critical to ensure these channels are well-integrated and mutually supportive. Customers should be able to complete their journey seamlessly, regardless of the channel they're using.
A simplified savings account journey
For example, an AI chatbot conversation with a retail bank could start simply with “What are your savings account interest rates?”. This would begin a journey that ends with opening and funding a savings account. A quick survey of the current state of B2C AI in retail banks reveals a series of dead ends (e.g., PDF downloads, rates provided for only one account among many offered, or assumptions of deep knowledge regarding account types). Only one of the banks reviewed offered “Opening an account” as a next step. Not only is this a dead-end experience for the customer, but it’s also a lost transaction.
Design an interface that augments the AI
Literacy rates in the United States and other wealthy countries have reached a point where having a constructive conversation with an AI would challenge half the population. The solution is also rooted in the user journey. Use the journey to anticipate user needs and work with them beyond the conversational experience. Citibank’s search interface is a great example of the support needed:
Citibank’s search interface
Besides the search interface, a series of “quick actions” and FAQs identify the most common tasks from the user journey and directly address them. Ironically, “View bank account rates” gives a much better answer for account rates than the results from a search for this information. In addition to deep linking to a page that eventually provides those rates, there is an interface for opening an account. The entire customer journey is supported.
Recommendations for moving forward
B2C AI is a useful tool that enables companies to engage with new customer segments. Defining a customer-friendly chatbot is a straightforward process:
- Define the audience segments
- Model each segment’s user journey
- Consult the journeys to drive the requirements for your chatbot from both question/process and experience design standpoints
- Monitor user interaction with the chatbot and learn from them
As CIO, it is vital to focus technologists on the user experience. AI is an exciting frontier, but AI itself is not enough. An experience strategy and design team can support these activities. Once the initial journeys are completed, the AI will provide rich tools for monitoring usage and recommending enhancements.
Find out more
To learn more about how to ensure AI is engaging your customers, visit our website or contact us.
Barry Bassin
Barry is a strategist and product design expert with over 20 years of experience, specializing in user interface design, user research and product implementation. He is renowned for leading successful projects in SaaS, mobile, and cloud computing while driving innovation in customer experience strategies and team leadership.
