Key Takeaways
- Human Connection in Customer Service – Despite the rise of AI, human interaction is still preferred, particularly for complex or emotionally charged issues. Outsourced customer service teams deliver this with personalization and empathy that builds trust, loyalty, and long-term partnerships, which is something AI alone cannot replicate.
- Balance Efficiency with Quality and Cultural Nuance – Outsourcing offers cost-effective solutions with expert agents who understand cultural nuances, provide real-time problem-solving, and maintain quality assurance, which accounts for AI’s limitations in communication and accuracy.
- While AI helps in automation, human oversight is essential for ethical decision-making and nuanced communication. Combining tools with outsourced human teams ensures operational excellence without sacrificing the personal touch customers need and want.
Much of what we buy is a reflection of how we feel, from the look of a product or service to the way we are treated beyond the purchase. Consumers aren’t just buyers. They expect a good experience. As the saying goes, “People don’t remember who you are, they remember how you made them feel.” That’s why at any given point, customer service solutions for a small business are non-negotiable.Providing answers and solutions is at the core of customer service. Without it, coordination between consumers and agents becomes shaky, especially in complex systems like logistics.
Logistics is a massive industry that continues to grow, especially with its rapid growth in the digital sphere. In fact, some of the biggest companies ever are in online retail, namely Walmart and Amazon. It’s with no doubt that customer service in eCommerce is higher in demand that companies are always looking to scale their workforce and keep up.
Hence, outsourcing. This is a widely used strategy to expand without spending too much. That’s the main selling point we see across any platform. However, AI use is rising and it became this shiny new avenue people take on to achieve maximum efficiency beyond human labor.
The faster we serve consumers, the better, right? Well, the situation is far more complicated.
The landscape today shows that despite innovations like AI, there is a consecutive decline in customer experience quality. US brands in particular are actually struggling to connect with customers on an emotional level, which begs the question: Is AI to blame?
We know outsourcing offers many benefits, but how is it advantageous specifically in this current conundrum?
In this article, we’ll explore the growing relevance of outsourced customer service in eCommerce logistics, through the lens of AI’s increasing dominance in the industry.
AI in eCommerce Logistics
AI is a great opportunity for many reasons. It’s a tool for when customer service needs an extra hand in gaining a competitive edge when facing a high volume of calls, especially in busy seasons.
When it comes to the “threat to employment” debate, embracing AI paves a way to learning technical skills and adapting to the changes in tech, both for customers and employees.
AI can also fill gaps in operations. Since a lack of speed and convenience has become one of the primary indicators for consumers to abandon their purchases (with 62% according to Nebulab), operational excellence is closely tied to their experience. And with logistical concerns like tracking the shipment and delivery, customers need to be informed as much as possible.
Many think that AI can also be a cost-saving tactic, and all these combined makes AI seem to be a dream come true… or is it?
Re-Thinking Efficiency
Is overall customer experience really just about efficiency and cost savings? In a world where companies follow where consumers go, it’s the buyers themselves who ultimately decide what works, and the truth is, they go where outsourcing thrives in: human interaction.
We think it’s all about maximum efficiency, but this may not be entirely true. Humans are wired for connection, which inherently requires the right timing, space, flow, and understanding of contexts.
Interestingly, we see a recent shift towards this need in trends like digital detox vlogs, old tech fascination, and even the pushback against brain rot content.
What used to be considered as “cons” like slow waiting times or more manual effort, are becoming a preference in today’s hyper-efficient and overstimulated culture.
And it’s been a conversation for a while now. For instance, watch this TED Talk from modern day anthropologist Kathryn Bouskill discussing the importance of slowing down in a fast-paced society:
This is delicate in and of itself and even more so in the world of customer service, which is something AI is still not fully equipped for.
Outsourcing for Better Customer Service in an Increasingly AI-driven Industry
The benefits of outsourcing cannot be overstated. When you outsource from a country with lower labor costs and a different timezone, you’re looking at expanding your workforce and service time coverage at a much lower rate. All the while, you maintain the same level of quality work in the hands of experts.
And yet, there’s more that meets the eye. Here are 10 reasons why you should outsource for better customer service in an increasingly AI-driven industry:
1. Consumer Preference
AI may have its place in the eyes of companies, but consumer preference truly speaks volumes on the matter. TechSpot survey showed that a huge majority of people still prefer non-AI services, with almost all of them determined to drop a company altogether solely because of their AI usage. We’re looking at an average of 60-75% of customers who trust a human in complex issues more than AI.
Actionable Tips:
- Prioritize human-led outsourcing – these teams deliver relatable, personalized service that builds trust and loyalty.
- Build on the authenticity of real interactions with continued employee engagement and motivation.
2. Connection Above Automation
Understandably, human experiences are too complex for bots to handle. It becomes harder to have an emotional connection with customers, and it can feel dehumanizing for them to deal with an entity that they can’t even relate with.
A lot of situations aren’t clear-cut, and there’s no one way to go about an issue, especially when dealing with customers who have different priorities, emotions, and expectations. Prioritizing bots can get customers stuck in a loop of responses that fail to answer their specific and personal query.
Actionable Tips:
- Outsource to deliver real-time support – Human agents can cultivate a genuine conversation, offering personalized help when problems occur in real-time.
- Leverage the flexibility of outsourcing rather than relying on scripted AI responses.
3. Building Relationships Beyond Transactions
Building a healthy customer relationship is where real long-term value happens. It’s not just about solving their problems. It’s about building trust and loyalty with the customers through continued support. In fact, people are actually more concerned by AI more so because it might affect their ability to reach a person or get the right answers.
While speed is in the picture, it’s not a top priority. According to Mckinsey & Company, a whopping 90% of consumers prefer to wait if it means they can secure on-time delivery. This means satisfaction isn’t completely bound to speed and convenience. It comes from the reliability of the services.
Actionable Tips:
- Outsourcing talks beyond the problem – stay grounded in expert recommendations from those who understand customers and are more reliable.
- Provide intentional support over rushed responses because speed isn’t everything.
- Taking some time shows that you care. It adds more meaning to the interaction.
4. Mastering Emotions
Much of customer service is mastering the art of human emotion. We’ve all used the terms “read the room” and “hold space”. This is exactly what good customer service entails. People need someone to listen and reassure them in times of logistical uncertainty. Things like tone and cues have a lot of nuance to the customer experience. There needs to be room for total creative communications, not cold, automated responses.
Actionable Tips:
- Creative and empathetic communication – through outsourced human agents, you will stand out and be remembered by customers as well as maintain your branding through voice and tone.
5. Quality Assurance
It can be argued that the inefficiency of the inevitable human error can be eliminated through AI. However, AI can only do so much in processing data. Humans are the ones steering the wheel and assuring everything’s in place. AI is still prone to making wrong and inaccurate inputs that human agents have to check and revise.
Actionable Tips:
- Outsource teams who can turn data into nuanced insights – not only can they analyze patterns, but also tailor service improvements.
- Train agents with updated knowledge to ensure responses are accurate, relevant, and aligned with customers.
6. Adjusting Communications and Languages
There are various cultural and lingual nuances, some if not most are not well-documented and available online. This is the kind of unspoken information that AI is yet to keep up with. It takes a certain type of discernment, observation, and subjective experience that humans are more equipped for than AI.
Actionable Tips:
- Bridge cultural and language gaps with human agents – they can pick up on unspoken nuances and adjust communication more naturally.
- Be culturally aware with trained teams who can reduce misunderstandings rather than adding more to it.
7. Costs Aren’t Far Off
Some companies may opt for an AI-first approach to cut down costs but actually, big companies found that AI is not far off from human labor when it comes to pricing.
It’s not an automatic fix, and implementation also requires investing in AI training, which may actually lead to more expenses. In that regard, this innovation is more suited to enterprises capable of implementing it and has more datasets that they need to work with.
Hence, it might not be a priority for small businesses. However, Forbes noted that there are other areas that AI can help with such as resource optimization, marketing content, or personalization. Still, it should not be a rushed decision. It can easily lead to unexpected negative consequences as it’s still a relatively new endeavor.
Actionable Tips:
- Consult with a cost-effective outsourcing company – Working with experts offer more useful support without the high overhead of implementing new tech.
- Outsource as a smarter alternative without hidden tech costs or steep learning curves.
8. Human Supervision
Even though AI is improving at an impressive rate, the fact remains that AI still needs a user to control it and make the right prompts. Trusting AI to completely operate without human supervision is looking to face some serious ethical issues. At the end of the day, someone has to take on the responsibility of making decisions, and AI has yet to develop a proven sense of morality or consciousness.
Actionable Tips:
- Hire through outsourcing to ensure responsible human oversight – A real person can understand the impact of decisions and respond ethically in sensitive customer situations.
- Maintain accountability and prevent missteps by prioritizing human judgment.
9. Legal Reason
Legal regulations or requirements are still yet to be developed. It’s crucial to stay on guard for potential legislation that protects consumers from AI services. This highlights that humans should still be the central foundation now and for the future to avoid legal trouble.
Actionable Tips:
- Outsource for legal compliance – humans can stay more updated on legal regulations and evolving disputes, allowing for better-informed decisions.
- Rely on expert teams to ensure adherence to laws and avoid legal risks.
10. Losing Consumer Trust
One of the biggest consequences of AI services is the fact that the majority of consumers are against it, and when they’re against something that you actively support, the chances of retaining their loyalty and trust can quickly dissipate.
Customer service, afterall, is about genuine interactions at its very essence. When working towards innovative productivity as fast as possible, many companies end up backtracking and doing more cleanup.
Actionable Tips:
- Work with trusted experts backed by proven results – teams with trustworthy testimonials and a solid track record tend to succeed.
- Focus on delivering authentic interactions with people, offering reliable than rushed solutions.
AI and Humans: Best of Both Worlds?
Time and time again, new technological innovations face backlash until eventually, it’s integrated in our lives, and it’s not all bad. In fact, using AI has proven some benefit for customers.
On a different perspective, AI has the ability to remain objective in high stakes situations, which can help resolve things faster. Through this objectivity, it can also be more patient as listeners to angry customers. But more scarily, an editorial from CMSWire actually said that AI can take on more advanced work, albeit struggling to manage on its own.
And as mentioned, speed and convenience is still important when it comes to answering logistical concerns, but even that has its complexities. It’s not just about informing where and what. The how and why is more crucial which needs complex human communication.
So, can we really get the best of both worlds where AI and humans can work together?
Many professionals believe that with the right course of action and precaution, AI can be a great addition to humans. And it’s those that leverage innovative tools and figure it out, regardless of how controversial, who reach their highest potential.
Nevertheless, while AI promises great efficiency, being fully technology-dependent poses significant risks. Especially when malfunctions or outages happen, it can hold customer service back. And while AI can sort of mimic empathy in their responses, negative consumer perception is clear. As legal regulations evolve, transparency and disclosure of AI usage will likely be required, which could further turn off customers.
Conclusion
As customer satisfaction goes on a decline, it’s important to balance innovative tools and efficiency with human labor. As long as companies continue to invest in training programs that improve human skills in handling complex interactions, outsourcing is advantageous amidst speedy yet unreliable and potentially damaging alternatives. Despite AI evolving, the human-first approach still remains with any given technology, making AI more of an option than replacement.
Author Bio
Erika Dela Peña is a multifaceted writer who explores both innovative and industry-focused topics, creating engaging and contemporary content through blogs and digital media. With a strong background in marketing and communication arts, she enjoys diving into thought-provoking ideas and compelling narratives to come up with unique and practical insights from the creative to the business world.
