4×4: 16 takeaways from four must-watch webinars to help industry leaders deliver ultimate CX

Organizations worldwide share a goal to deliver unparalleled customer experiences, enhance brand value and maximize efficiency. It’s how they can get ahead and stay ahead.

Ultimate CX—and results —awaits those organizations that successfully leverage the three customer experience innovations: a unified interaction-centric platform, the convergence of advanced CX capabilities and AI designed specifically for customer experiences.

To maintain a competitive edge, leaders can turn to webinars for invaluable opportunities to learn from industry experts about the latest AI-driven strategies. Embedded in the webinar discussions are tips to help reduce operational costs and increase agent productivity. These webinars, led by industry experts, delve into innovative strategies and tools designed to enhance customer satisfaction, streamline operations and drive business growth.

Check out the top four insights from each of these four leading webinars. Take these 16 invaluable insights into the latest advancements in customer experience technology as a chance to advance your business into the second part of 2024.

Achieving fast ROI with CX AI

To keep pace in today’s ever-changing CX landscape, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) has become crucial for businesses aiming to stay competitive and achieve swift returns on investment (ROI).

Robin Gareiss, CEO and principal analyst at Metrigy, and Andy Traba, NICE vice president of product marketing, discussed the transformative potential of AI in customer experience, offering substantial ROI through improved operational efficiency, enhanced customer and agent satisfaction and increased revenue.

The CX AI from Hype to Happening webinar shed light on the critical components necessary for successfully integrating AI into CX strategies. By focusing on operationalizing AI before, during and after every interaction, companies can enhance efficiency, boost productivity, and drive significant revenue growth.

Here are four top insights from the webinar. Watch the full discussion for more information.

1. Critical role of CX interaction data in AI implementation
To maximize the value of AI, it's essential to analyze 100% of customer interactions across all touchpoints. This comprehensive data analysis uncovers new insights, enabling faster and more informed decision-making. Companies leveraging AI for CX have reported significant improvements in productivity and efficiency, benefiting from over 30 years of experience with pre-built AI embedded across the NICE CXone platform.

2. Substantial adoption and planned growth of AI in CX
The acceptance of CX AI saw a major uptick in 2024. Metrigy found 48% of organizations using AI at the start of the year and an additional 33.5% plan to adopt it within the year. Businesses in the success group, which have seen the highest returns from AI technologies, consistently increase their AI spending annually. Key drivers for this investment include the need to enhance customer satisfaction (CSAT), increase revenue, reduce attrition and stay competitive.

3. AI’s impact on customer and agent experience
AI has a dual role in CX, with 47% of interactions fully automated and 53% involving AI assistance, according to Metrigy. In addition, 95% of companies report a positive impact of AI on customer experience. Generative AI is particularly valued for managing technology, providing interaction summaries and improving knowledge management. AI also significantly reduces after-call work by an average of 35%, saving approximately 6 minutes per call and offers real-time advice and sentiment analysis, enhancing personalized customer interactions.

4. Business efficiency and revenue growth through AI
AI-driven tools like Enlighten AI have proven to increase productivity, reduce costs and drive revenue growth. Businesses using AI for agent scheduling and capacity planning can save supervisors an estimated 119 minutes per week. Additionally, companies have reported a 39% improvement in CSAT and a 35.6% increase in sales with AI-assisted agent interactions, according to Metrigy. AI's ability to handle busy work and provide in-the-moment support allows agents to focus more on customer issues to help achieve upsell goals and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

Dynamic duo of AI with human expertise

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with human expertise marks a pivotal shift in customer experience (CX) strategy.

A discussion led by experts Brooke Phillips, senior product marketing manager, NICE, and Jared Norwood, manager, customer success, with Sheri Greenhaus of CrmXchange, focused on how we find ourselves in the age of AI, where these technologies work in tandem to elevate both customer interactions and the capabilities of frontline agents.

AI isn't just a buzzword; it's becoming a cornerstone of CX improvement, offering purpose-built solutions that seamlessly blend into organizational cultures and empower agents to deliver exceptional service. By enhancing efficiency and effectiveness, AI not only drives better business outcomes but also cultivates higher levels of customer satisfaction across every touchpoint.

Yet organizations are grappling with the challenge of accurately assessing agent performance. Here are the four leading takeaways from this webinar. Watch the full Dynamic Duo webinar.

1. The symbiosis of AI and human agents in CX: We are officially living in the age of AI, where humans and machines work together to complement and augment one another, particularly in influencing customer experience (CX) and the agent experience. AI enhances the capabilities of human agents, allowing for more efficient and effective interactions, ultimately driving better customer satisfaction and business outcomes.

2. Purpose-built AI solutions for CX improvement: To build an effective strategy that truly integrates into an agent's skillset and the larger company culture, it is essential to find a purpose-built solution designed specifically to drive CX improvement. Such solutions ensure that AI tools are not just add-ons but integral components that enhance every aspect of customer interaction and agent performance.

3. Challenges in assessing agent performance: Many organizations recognize the critical role of agent-customer interactions in driving CX and customer satisfaction. However, they often face challenges in properly assessing agent performance due to three primary reasons:

• Failure to measure soft skills that are crucial today but are often subjective and difficult to define.
• Reliance on outdated, inward-focused metrics that don’t correlate with customer experience, such as compliance with scripts and procedural adherence.
• Lack of adequate feedback mechanisms for agents, leading to disengagement and a lack of investment in delivering personalized, effective customer experiences.

4. Efficiency gains from automated processes: Integrating AI-driven automation with human agents can lead to substantial cost savings and efficiency improvements. NICE found that customers using an automated process can save up to $7 million annually by eliminating 30 seconds of after-call work for a contact center with 1,000 agents. This reduces operational costs while also enabling agents to focus on more meaningful and complex interactions, enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

From stress to success: How AI can transform the agent experience

As the workplace evolves, complexity and stress are becoming significant challenges for both agents and supervisors. A recent webinar featuring Sarah Kimmel, VP, research, CMSwire, and Dana Shalev, director, product marketing, WEM, explored the how’s and why’s behind the pressures, as well as highlighted insightful findings from a global survey of contact center supervisors and agents.

Despite challenges such as an increase in work complexity, agents remain highly motivated, with 60% committed to delivering their best work. However, it's clear that without the right CX technology, this growing complexity can negatively impact customer experience (CX). Enter artificial intelligence (AI) as a game-changer.

Learn more from the following four From Stress to Success takeaways, and watch the webinar for more actionable tips.

1. Impact of rising complexity and stress in the workplace: Work is becoming increasingly complex, with a CMSWire report finding 53% of agents and 69% of supervisors reporting an uptick in work difficulty. This complexity is contributing to higher stress levels, with 47% of agents and 62% of supervisors experiencing more stress.

2. Primary stress factors behind increase: Of agents who reported that they had more stress to ask them how much their work stress had increased, 72% of those who say their stress increased say their stress had increased by 30% or more. Major stressors for agents include too many incoming contacts, dealing with difficult customers, and technology problems. Additionally, agents noted that the adoption of multichannel customer communication has increased job difficulty, further compounding their stress.

3. Agent motivation amidst challenges: Despite the challenges, agents remain committed to their roles, with 60% strongly agreeing that they are motivated to do their best work for their company. This highlights a significant level of engagement among agents, even as they navigate compounded work pressures.

4. AI as a solution to alleviate stress: Most agents (84%) believe that AI can help reduce the complexity of their daily tasks and lighten their workload, according to CMSWire. Both agents and supervisors recognize that increasing work stress negatively impacts customer experience (CX), with 63% of agents and 78% of supervisors agreeing on this point, underscoring the need for solutions like AI to improve work conditions and CX outcomes. AI can not only enhance agent performance but also improve overall CX. This webinar uncovers the critical need for AI-driven solutions to create a more efficient, less stressful work environment.

Transforming WFM for digital success

As contact centers evolve from voice-only operations to complex digital ecosystems, traditional workforce management (WFM) solutions are no longer sufficient. The increasing preference for digital channels such as chat, email and social media interactions requires a fundamental shift in how companies forecast, schedule and manage their resources. This transformation is crucial for optimizing both human agents and automated bots, ensuring they can efficiently handle the diverse and dynamic needs of today's customers.

In a recent webinar, industry experts highlighted the pressing need for businesses to revamp their WFM strategies to stay competitive. Donna Fluss, president of DMG Consulting, and Andrea Matsuda, product marketing manager at NICE, discussed the unique challenges faced by voice-centric WFM systems in a digital world. They explored how innovative solutions and AI technologies are helping organizations navigate this new landscape, ultimately leading to more effective and efficient contact center operations.

Below are the top four takeaways that highlight critical areas organizations need to address. Watch the full webinar for more information.

1. Overhaul WFM to support digital channels: Companies must overhaul their workforce management (WFM) policies, procedures and applications to support the digital generation. Traditional voice-centric WFM solutions are suboptimal for handling the complexities of digital interactions, requiring different policies, processes, data collection techniques and algorithms.
2. Overcome challenges of voice-centric WFM solutions with digital interactions: The shift towards digital channels presents several challenges for voice-centric WFM solutions. These challenges include the need for different forecasting and scheduling methods, handling synchronous and asynchronous interactions, and capturing the diverse types of data generated by digital interactions.
3. Transition to digital-centric WFM solutions: NICE has introduced a paradigm shift in WFM by leveraging advanced technologies like True to Interval (TTI) to address the challenges posed by long interactions. NICE's solutions help enterprises transition from traditional WFM approaches to those that meet the needs of digital-centric customers, improving efficiency and productivity.
4. AI critical component in modern WFM solutions: AI technologies such as deep learning, generative AI and predictive analytics are increasingly being integrated into WFM solutions. These technologies enhance forecasting and scheduling capabilities, allowing WFM systems to continuously learn and improve. However, the effectiveness of AI in WFM relies on accurate data inputs, necessitating significant changes in the WFM ecosystem to handle both voice and digital interactions effectively.

Take stock of these 16 insights from AI for CX experts to transform customer experience at every level. These sessions offer practical strategies and cutting-edge techniques that can revolutionize your approach to CX, driving greater efficiency, enhancing agent productivity and, ultimately, boosting customer satisfaction.

By leveraging the knowledge and expertise shared in these webinars, you can stay attuned to industry trends, implement AI-driven solutions effectively and ensure your organization delivers exceptional customer experiences for the long-term.