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In this article, you'll learn:
If you’re running a customer support team, you know the drill: customers want fast, around-the-clock responses—even when your team’s stretched thin.
With tickets piling up, it’s a race to keep response times low and make sure every customer feels heard. Tough? Definitely. But thanks to AI, that balancing act just got a whole lot easier.
AI is stepping in to handle the routine and prioritize the urgent, so your team can keep pace without burning out. In this article, we’ll explore:
Let’s begin.
Customer support AI uses artificial intelligence to make support faster and easier. It automates repetitive tasks, giving your team more time for complex issues.
Here’s what customer support AI can do:
In short, rather than replacing human agents, AI works alongside them. It takes on simple tasks, so agents can focus on what really matters—solving problems and building customer relationships.
Customer support has come a long way. Not too long ago, it was all about picking up the phone, solving one issue at a time, and wrapping up by 5 p.m. Now? Customers expect fast, personal help anytime they need it—even in the middle of the night.
A McKinsey survey shows just how much support preferences have shifted across generations. For example, Baby Boomers still prefer live phone support (94%), while Gen Z leans toward live chat and messaging (74%). And while social media has made its way into the mix, it’s still not the go-to choice for most people, with adoption lagging across generations.
This growing demand for instant, multichannel support adds pressure on teams, but budgets and headcounts aren’t always keeping up. That’s why so many support leaders are turning to AI. By handling repetitive tasks and keeping things running 24/7, AI lets teams meet customer expectations without pushing agents to the brink.
AI offers practical benefits for support teams, especially those dealing with high volumes and complex inquiries. It lightens the load on agents, improves efficiency, and ensures clients receive timely, accurate responses.
In support, speed matters. With AI chatbots handling FAQs and straightforward inquiries, response times drop significantly. This helps clients and customers get the answers they need quickly, even when your team is managing other cases or peak demand periods.
AI-powered support doesn’t rely on business hours, so customers can get help anytime. Whether it’s troubleshooting a system after hours or checking an account status on the weekend, AI-driven solutions ensure clients always have a first line of support.
Routine questions—like “How do I update my information?” or “What’s the process for reordering?”—can bog down agents. AI handles these repetitive tasks, freeing agents to focus on complex issues that need their expertise. This reduces agent burnout and increases overall productivity.
AI can also analyze interactions and pick up on patterns in customer questions. For example, if there’s a rise in inquiries about a feature or a sudden uptick in a particular issue, AI can alert your team. This proactive edge allows support teams to resolve potential issues early and deliver a more seamless experience.
AI has a range of uses in customer support, each designed to make operations more efficient and responsive. Whether it’s automating basic interactions or enhancing agent performance, AI can bring flexibility and speed to support teams.
Here are some of the most effective applications:
Chatbots are among the most popular AI tools in customer support, so it’s no surprise that 64% of CX leaders are increasing their investments in evolving chatbot technology.
They handle routine inquiries, such as order status, troubleshooting steps, or FAQs, and provide instant responses. This can be particularly valuable during peak hours when support teams are stretched thin, as chatbots keep things moving without requiring agent intervention.
AI can also analyze incoming requests, sorting out which ones are urgent and directing them to the right team or person. That way, high-priority issues get immediate attention, helping support teams keep their workload under control.
Tools like Thena integrate directly into platforms like Slack, allowing customer-facing teams to streamline ticketing and prioritize urgent issues without switching channels. With Thena, support teams can keep conversations organized and provide the right support where it’s needed.
AI can also support customers in finding solutions on their own. By powering self-service tools like knowledge bases or FAQ pages, AI helps customers locate relevant information faster. This approach not only empowers customers but also reduces the overall volume of support requests.
Predictive analytics is one of AI’s most powerful tools. By analyzing past interactions, AI can spot patterns that indicate potential issues before they happen.
For example, if several customers start reporting that the software is running slower after an update, AI can notice this trend and alert the support team. The team can then send a quick update to all users, letting them know they’re aware of the issue and working to fix it.
As you can see, AI can handle a lot of tasks for you, but there are times when only a human touch will do.
While AI makes interactions faster and more efficient, it’s the personal, empathetic responses that build customer loyalty. Balancing these two sides—automation and human connection—is key to a successful customer support strategy.
Here are a few ways to strike the right balance:
AI is perfect for quick answers and repetitive questions, but when customers have complex issues or frustrations, they need a more personal response.
For example, a chatbot can handle order tracking or password resets, but billing disputes or technical issues usually call for a human touch. Dividing tasks this way keeps things efficient without compromising customer care.
Think of AI as a valuable assistant to your agents. By handling initial queries or gathering background information, AI sets up agents for success.
When a ticket moves to a human, the agent has essential details ready, so they can jump right in with context. This way, AI stays in a support role, enhancing customer interactions without replacing the personal touch.
It's essential to check in with customers regularly about their experiences with AI. Are they getting the help they need? Do they feel supported? Most customers don’t mind interacting with AI bots, especially for straightforward issues.
That said, they appreciate human support when resolving more complex concerns. That’s why it’s important to adjust your AI tools and workflows based on their feedback, ensuring AI enhances the customer experience without detracting from it.
If you’re ready to implement AI in your customer support operations, do it right. Don’t just add a bunch of random tools and hope for the best.
Instead, analyze your current support bottlenecks and consult your support team to identify their main challenges.
Then, follow these 3 best practices to ensure a smooth implementation:
1. Choose tools that fit your needs
Don’t just go for the most popular solution on the market or the most expensive one, thinking it’ll be the best. There are so many AI support tools out there, so do your research.
Look for AI solutions that address your team’s specific needs, whether it’s handling repetitive inquiries or offering 24/7 support. HubSpot offers a handy checklist to help you choose the best AI technology to invest in:
2. Train agents to work alongside AI
If you aren’t using any AI customer support tools at the moment, you’ll need to train your human team to use them properly. By properly, we mean alongside their existing workflows.
For that reason, it’s important to ensure agents understand how AI tools work, what queries they’ll manage, and when to step in. With clear guidelines, agents can collaborate with AI effectively, enhancing both efficiency and customer experience.
3. Monitor and adjust
Finally, don’t forget to track key metrics like response times and satisfaction rates to gauge AI’s impact. Regularly review and adjust AI settings to keep it relevant and effective, fine-tuning responses or escalation triggers as needed.
Meeting rising customer expectations is no small task, especially when support teams are dealing with multiple channels and tight response times.
AI helps by handling routine tasks, sorting tickets, and providing insights that make it easier to deliver timely, effective support. This means your team can focus on what matters most: connecting with customers and resolving complex issues quickly.
Ready to see how AI can simplify and speed up your support process? Thena combines ticketing, smart notifications, custom fields, and SLA tracking in a unified hub—so you’re always on top of customer needs, no matter the channel. With intelligent auto-tagging, real-time summaries, and instant responses, Thena keeps your team informed and responsive.
Discover how Thena can bring all your customer requests together, streamline your workflows, and help your team deliver faster, smarter support. Request a demo today.
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