By Mario Lombao, CEO of Lombao Estudios
This text is part of the series of four installments “AI and business in Cuba”, a collaboration between OnCuba and Lombao Estudios for the educational project “I tell you what I know”.
Over four weeks we will share reflections on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on business development in Cuba. In the first installment, Mario Lombao, CEO of Lombao Studiosapproached the concept of artificial intelligence to explain what it is, how it works and why it should not be understood as a threat, but as a tool capable of enhancing human work, especially in the business field.
In this second installment, the author explores how intelligent agents can transform customer service and, without replacing humans, provide an effective complement to the relationship between them and workers.
You can read the first text here.
Customer service is the heart of any business. A satisfied customer returns, recommends and becomes a brand ambassador. But serving everyone well, at all times, is an enormous challenge. In Cuba, where resources are limited and daily circumstances can affect staff morale, many entrepreneurs feel that they are not able to answer every call, message or query.
This is where artificial intelligence becomes an ally, however, one of the big doubts that persists among many entrepreneurs and workers is whether AI is designed to replace humans in this essential function. The answer is no. In fact, AI complements human workers, helping to optimize their performance and improve service quality.
A paradigm shift
Today, consumers expect fast, accurate and personalized responses. With the advent of new technologies, expectations have increased exponentially. Customers want to be served at any time, from anywhere, and through any means of communication: from social networks to the telephone, through chatbots on web pages or mobile applications.
Through chatbots intelligent, virtual assistants and real-time data analysis, companies can offer a continuous, instantaneous and efficient experience, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But while AI is incredibly powerful, it is not designed to replace human interaction, but to enhance it.
In the field of customer service, AI plays a crucial role as a support tool for human agents. Instead of replacing the human touch that distinguishes great companies, AI is responsible for automating repetitive, low-value tasks, allowing workers to focus on what really matters: solving complex problems and delivering personalized solutions.
Automation of repetitive tasks and routines
The simplest queries, such as “where is my order?” or “what are the opening hours?”, can be managed by a chatbot intelligent. This type of AI can quickly access relevant information and provide it to the customer in seconds. This not only saves time but also reduces the workload for human agents.
Let’s imagine a company that has a huge volume of routine questions about billing, plans or sales. AI can resolve these questions automatically, while human agents focus on more specific problems, such as technical glitches resolution or personalized guidance.
Improved productivity and reduced work stress
By automating routine processes, customer service agents can handle a higher volume of inquiries without compromising the quality of their service. Reducing tedious tasks helps reduce stress and increase job satisfaction, as employees can focus on higher-value interactions, where creativity, empathy and human judgment are required.
Analysis and support in real time
One of the great advantages of AI is its ability to analyze data in real time. Customer service agents can use AI-powered tools that give them recommendations on how to approach a conversation or even what tone to use based on the emotion detected in the customer. This instant feedback helps improve the quality of interaction, allowing employees to provide more accurate and effective care.
The future of customer service: a hybrid approach
Instead of viewing AI as a threat to jobs, we should consider it as a strategic ally to improve both the customer experience and worker well-being. The key is finding a balance between technology and the human touch.
In this sense, the future of customer service seems to lie in a hybrid model, where AI takes care of operational and repetitive tasks, while human workers take care of interactions that require empathy, creativity and emotional understanding.
AI is transforming the way companies interact with customers. Although this technology allows many functions to be automated, its true value lies in complementing human work, not replacing it.
Companies that strategically adopt AI will not only improve the efficiency of their customer service, but will also increase customer satisfaction and optimize the worker experience, creating a more agile, productive and humane environment.
Instead of seeing AI as a threat, we should see it as the tool that, when working alongside people, can take customer service to new heights. After all, true magic happens when technology and humans work together.
