Major brands are introducing AI into their experiences, offering customers new options for everything from product discovery to customer service.
Just this week, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced that it will add conversational AI experiences to the Dick’s app, while Ulta Beauty launched an AI shopping assistant, and The Home Depot officially began rolling out an AI voice assistant for in-store customer service calls.
These are just a few of the many recent CX-focused features companies have rolled out this year. However, a question remains: Are consumers interested in using these options over more traditional channels?
The answer depends on how the application fits a customer’s needs and habits, which also shapes how businesses should approach first-party AI, according to experts.
Teams will want to roll out AI concierges with a defined purpose, prepare for customers and others to try to break them, and understand how consumers view first- and third-party platforms if they want to make the investment worthwhile.
Even when AI is implemented well, trust remains a barrier. Consumer adoption of AI is uneven, and shrinks as they get deeper into a transaction, according to Chuck Gahun, leader in Forrester’s digital business and strategy practice.
Forrester research has found that 85% of consumers say they find responses from AI answer engines helpful, but only 71% say they trust the provided answers, Gahun said. Few transactions take place in AI app experiences.
That doesn’t mean AI has no place in a digital brand experience. The technology has opportunities to improve the experience by meeting customers where they want it on their journey.
A foundational consideration for leaders is whether they’re adding AI features because they serve a purpose, or because they are pursuing a buzzword. One approach will lead to better outcomes than the other.
“The way that brands have been successful in doing this is not to think about this as a one-size-fits-all and just turn on an AI app in Adobe, Salesforce or a customer-facing application,” Gahun told CX Dive. “Where businesses are being successful with this is being very deliberate about what value they’re trying to gain by targeting very specific use cases.”
Use cases can vary industry by industry and company by company, according to Gahun. A hospitality brand may want to help customers discover the right vacation package, while a retailer’s AI could help them navigate the returns process.
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