How Delta’s Customer Service Is Riding An AI Tailwind

Consumers today want more from customer service than a long wait time and broad answers when getting through to a human agent by phone.

To better service a customer base that wants more personalization in their relationships with businesses and merchants, more call centers are starting to rely on artificial intelligence (AI) for greater insights. Call centers are starting to use AI not just for data insights, but as a way to keep payments and other facets of the customer experience safe from bad actors.

In the latest “Call Center Commerce Tracker®,” PYMNTS examines the ways that call centers are innovating their authentication methods and fraud protection strategies while keeping the customer experience fast and seamless.

Around the Call Center Commerce World

As customer needs grow more complex, the use of AI is becoming integral to the call center space. Russian financial institution Sberbank is among the banks now relying on AI to assist its human call center agents, having recently launched an AI-enabled virtual assistant to help call center agents with the growing volume of calls. The assistant helps categorize and sort customer inquiries before they reach a human agent.

Other companies have not quite managed to deploy AI in their call centers just yet, but are still using automated tools for customer service and fraud protection. VyStar Credit Union is now using an automated fraud protection platform developed by Verint for this purpose, expanding on a previous partnership that first began in 2015.

Companies are using other automated technologies to meet fast-changing compliance needs, as well. Cloud contact technology company TCN has developed a solution that uses natural language processing (NLP) to help them remain compliant. This comes as regulatory entities like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have crafted new rules for the call center space over the past two years.

For more on the latest developments in the call center commerce world, visit the Tracker’s News & Trends section.

How Delta is Leveraging Apple, AI For A Better Customer Service Experience

The increasing popularity of mobile and digital services for customer care is creating room for new innovations in the aviation industry. Delta Airline, for one, is innovating its mobile strategy to meet customers where they already are, by recently launching support for customer service in Apple Business Chat. AI and its ability to simplify the conversation is an integral part of this experience, said Tori Forbes-Roberts, vice president of  reservation sales, customer care and digital engagement for Delta Airlines. In a recent interview with PYMNTS, Forbes-Roberts explains why airlines like Delta are turning to tools like AI and mobile messaging to create a seamless, personalized customer service experience.

To learn more about how Delta is using AI, visit the Tracker’s feature story.

About the Tracker

The “Call Center Commerce Tracker®” serves as a monthly framework for the space, providing coverage of the most recent call center commerce news and trends. The Tracker also includes a provider directory highlighting the key players comprising the call center ecosystem.