Customers all want the same thing: to feel heard and understood. But we’ve all been in a situation where getting help feels like a long, roundabout process – we make a call to customer support looking for a simple solution, but end up doing more work trying to get connected through different channels, sifting through a myriad of solutions.

Such an experience can be detrimental to a business’ reputation. But by introducing Voice AI into the customer experience process, these frustrations can become a thing of the past.

Voice AI technology is still relatively new, and so businesses may have questions about how it works, or how it fits into the whole customer journey. In this article, we’ll share two use case scenarios based on real-life experiences that illustrate how Voice AI can create a more pleasant customer experience and help meet customer expectations. One customer engages with businesses that implement voice AI, and one that doesn’t.

Read on to learn more about the Voice AI difference!

Financial services: Applying for a loan as a new customer

Customer A: Too many channels, not enough answers

The rainy season is here, and our house has been experiencing persistent roof leaks. I’m a little short on money, so I decided to take out a personal loan to hire a contractor who could put an end to the problem for good, and as soon as possible. I wasn’t sure which loan product to choose and had some questions about their required documents, so I called up the bank first.

I was led to an automated answering system, where I had to listen through and select multiple options for several minutes, then I was put on hold for 15 more minutes until I just decided to put down the phone.

Later, I sent their Facebook page a message asking about their loan products as well as some questions about my requirements. While the chatbot was able to share more information about their loan products, it could not understand my questions about my documents.

The conversation ended with the bot telling me to fill out a form and send my requirements to an e-mail address, after which it said I will have to wait five to seven days for processing. I could not wait that long, and they didn’t even answer my questions! At that point, I just gave up and decided to look for another provider who could help me right away.

Customer B: Fulfilled promises

The last few weeks have been very stressful. I blew half of my monthly paycheck on bills and groceries last week, but I still needed a big sum of money to get my roof repaired right away. The weather report said to expect more heavy rains in a few days, and I’d still been reeling from the leaky disaster in my bedroom during the storm last week. I looked up loan providers online and decided to go with a loan provider that promised fast approvals.

Before registering, I wanted to talk to somebody about some questions I had, so I called up their number. I was connected to an agent immediately. I explained my situation and told her how much I needed to borrow, and she told me the different types of loan products they had available. She inferred that it might take me a while to pay off the loan, so she told me about the different instalment options they had available.

I told the agent I was interested. She confirmed my selected product and terms and proceeded to ask me a few questions: my name, date of birth, citizenship, and employment status. After that, she told me they’ll send me an SMS link after the call where I could confirm my personal details and upload my required documents. I would later find out that the call was being made by an automated voice – which was a big (and pleasant) surprise to me, considering how seamless the process was!

True enough, I received a link where I completed the rest of the requirements. In a few minutes, I received an SMS confirming my loan was approved, and that it would be transferred to my bank within the day. Awesome! After receiving the money, I scheduled an appointment with the contractor for the weekend. My bedroom is still a damp mess, but now I can rest a little easier.

E-Commerce: Returning a wrong item

Customer A: Tied up in knots

I’ll be attending a friend’s destination wedding in less than two weeks. The couple said to come in beach attire in shades of green and brown. I didn’t have time to go to the mall so I placed my order from an online store.

The package arrived today, but my order was all wrong – the shirt was a lot smaller than expected, and the pants came in blue and not brown.

That afternoon I logged on to the app and tried to chat with their customer service. I processed the two items for returning but I also wondered if I could request a replacement right away. The chatbot didn’t seem to have that option available from the menu, so I sent it a question asking about replacements. It responded with another selection of service requests which didn’t have what I needed.

I tried going through those menu items again for five more minutes until I just decided to request to be connected to an agent. Finally, after getting connected to a human, I explained my situation only to find out that the items I ordered were already out of stock in those sizes and colours. How frustrating!

I had to cancel an appointment just so I could go to the mall to buy my outfit. My bad for shopping at the last minute, but I bought my clothes online to save time and not have to go through this frustrating process! I don’t think I’ll ever buy from that store again.

Customer B: The perfect fit

I’ll be speaking at my first in-person conference since before the pandemic in a couple of weeks! I’ve been so busy preparing for the event, so I went online to buy a bright blue blazer to wear onstage during my talk. My order arrived after three days, but it was too big for me – apparently, the brand had different sizing standards! I should have checked the sizing guide first.

I had no time to figure out how to return my order on the app, so I decided to call their customer service. I told the agent I wanted to return the item. She asked for my name and verified my mobile number. After that, she confirmed if I was processing the last order I had on record. I said yes, and told her I wanted to have it replaced with the right size for me.

The agent on the line – which to my surprise was a voice AI agent – told me to stay on the line while it connected me to a human agent. A minute later, a human agent picked up my call and confirmed they still had a smaller size in their inventory. I gave them my measurements and asked if the size they had available was the right one for me. She said yes!

The agent then asked me to return the item in the package they provided, and one of their couriers will pick it up the next day. The agent also assured me that I will receive my replacement in three to five days after the returned item goes through quality checking. That’s fine, I said.

Thank goodness, that whole process was a lot easier than I thought it would be. And true enough, I received my new blazer in the right size four days later. It fits perfectly! Looking forward to being on stage again.

Meet customer expectations with AI Rudder

Voice AI technology can be used to improve customer experience across a wide range of industries and use cases, including customer onboarding, payment collections, and telemarketing!

Wondering how Voice AI can be used to improve customer service for your business? Contact us today to schedule a product demonstration.