Digital Engagement Blog

The pace of change, and particularly AI adoption, is skyrocketing - moving at a magnitude that enterprises are challenged to meet. Today’s most active digital consumers and largest segment of the workforce, Millennials and iGen, are challenging that rate of change based on their technology adoption, behaviors and preferences. The Blockbuster Video bankruptcy remains a key example of why enterprises must adapt to consumer expectations, and it’s more evident and validated 5 years after their closure. Three critical expectations that impacted the Blockbuster Video failure also influence today’s adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). In this intelligence economy, meeting consumer and employee expectations can mean the success or failure of the business.

The real challenge to meet the expectations of artificial intelligence (AI) has little to do with technology.

It’s all in the approach…the mindset.

The environment you create has a significant influence on just how much you can capture of AI’s vast and growing potential.

That’s why this checklist is not about whiz-bang features and wicked-cool capabilities. Those exist—for sure—and they’ll continue to expand as innovation does in the months and years ahead.

No, this checklist is concurrently more and less than that…

This is the hottest technology to jumpstart customer engagement.

You’ve heard it before. Heck, you live it.

Data is Not the Hottest Technology

And, truly…we’re all swimming in it, right? With the immense amount of data shared with your organization increasing exponentially every day (Hour? Minute? Second?), it’s become easy to get overwhelmed. It’s become easy to ignore the treasure trove you’ve acquired simply by getting with the times and building online relationships with your customers.

The Nooks and Crannies of Customer Engagement

When it comes to delivering truly modern customer engagement across all the nooks and crannies of an enterprise, one thing is clear.

It’s not clear.

With all the innovation and movement in the customer engagement space these days…not to mention the incredible chasm that exists between technology early adopters, the mainstream, and the laggards, what one organization may consider modern, another tried seven months ago…and yet another 18 months ago.

So what is clear?

Three Customer-Centered Actions

On an otherwise normal Friday, one thing happened that shifted the world as we know it.

Though we all knew this day was special, it passed more or less without fanfare. But, looking back, it was the catalyst for how today’s leaders engage with their customers. It changed us all.

It has shaped every day since, and its significance will be felt for decades to come.

On June 29, 2007, the Spice Girls announced their reunion tour.

More importantly? The first iPhone went on sale.

On June 29, 2007, technology started our digital transformation. In time, it made us all feel smarter…act faster…and become FAR less patient than at any time in history.

It opened up a world where continually increasing customer expectations would forever challenge companies to keep up:

• Where technology would expand at a pace few could fathom.
• Where old approaches struggled to address new challenges.
• And where new leaders would rise, replacing the stalwarts who couldn’t…or wouldn’t…adapt.

Which brings us to today.

The self-service channel will experience more change in the next five years than it has in the past thirty.

And really…it’s not so much a change as it is a transformation.

The classic IVR—you know—the interactive voice response system that drives the self-service voice channel? In a few years…when you look back…it may seem as old as that rotary telephone…as antiquated as the phone booth.

So what will happen? What will this transformation look like?

Heresy? Hear me out.

I have a bold thought that’s gotten me into trouble on a few memorable occasions:

The best customer care is NO customer care.

I believe this deeply, but don’t get me wrong! I mean no ill will!

I don’t mean companies should prevent their customers from contacting them.

Rather, companies should strive to provide such high-quality service that customers never feel the need to reach out in the first place!

The Sami people, who live in the northern tips of Scandinavia and Russia, use at least 180 words related to snow and ice. And as many as 1,000 words for reindeer.  

What does this have to do with NLU?  Read on... 

Before we dive into these use cases, you might want to bookmark these recent posts that provide additional background info and perspective leading up to the NLU use case discussion: 

• This post about conversational interfaces discusses about good and bad use cases for conversational agents and speech IVRs.
• This NLU Cheat Sheet post is a great backgrounder to boost your general understanding of natural language.

Ready?  Let's dig into the best use cases for an NLU Router:

NLU is a hot topic these days as it it powering many conversational interfaces. 

So I asked our speech experts to help explain NLU.

But first to Breaking Headlines:

• Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
• Ban on Nude Dancing on Governor’s Desk
• Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
• Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
• Stolen Painting Found by Tree
• Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
• Local HS Dropouts Cut in Half
• Hospitals Are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

LOL.

These headlines show that language is complex, ambiguous, flexible, and subtle.

A contact center agent can understand the headlines but does a machine/computer/IVR/chatbot have any hope of understanding what is said?

NLU to the rescue!

One technology that can help is NLU.  It can understand the meaning of conversations, dialogs and spoken interactions. 

If it's not already, NLU should be in your customer engagement strategy toolbox.

In this NLU Cheat Sheet, we cover definitions and basics for NLU.