9 Critical Questions to Ask Before Choosing an AI Customer Support Platform

Things have changed in customer support!

And the industry is finally catching up 😅

Yes, this is absolutely a dig at the archaic processes in customer service

From the long wait times, endless back-and-forth, and frustration of repeating your issue to five different agents, we're moving to an era of conversational AI and smart agents.

Like I said, things are finally heading in the right direction.

All good AI platforms in the market promise to handle support queries with speed, intelligence, and a dash of empathy.

But they are not all created equal (of course).

Some will transform your customer service operation, while others... well, they'll be your nemesis.

Like your old chatbot - still stuck in the past, making mistakes and making everyone miserable 😭

Before you get too excited about implementing AI in your customer support, there are key questions to ask to ensure you're investing in the right tools - ones that will actually deliver on their promises.

So, let's dive in!

1. Does the platform use advanced AI (ML, NLP, and more)?

Sure, the term "AI-powered" sounds fancy, but if the platform you're considering doesn't run on machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP), you're looking at nothing more than a slightly upgraded FAQ bot.

Don't get fooled by buzzwords. What you need is an AI that can understand real human language, sarcasm included, and respond appropriately.

Take this scenario:

Customer: "Oh great, my order is late. Just what I needed!"

Your old-fashioned chatbot might freeze or respond with something unhelpful like "Sorry, can you tell me when you placed your order?"

A true AI agent would handle this differently - it would understand the sarcasm, apologize for the delay, and offer to track the order ASAP.

That's the difference between technology that "gets it" and technology that... doesn't. 😂

And here's why machine learning is just as important. Your AI agent should learn from every conversation, getting smarter with each interaction.

The more queries it handles, the better it becomes at resolving issues, without needing to pass things off to a human agent.

Pro tip: Ensure the platform has ML and NLP at its core. Otherwise, you're just dealing with an advanced script that can't handle real-world conversations.

2. How customizable and scalable is the platform?

Let's face it - nobody wants a cookie-cutter AI that sounds like every other generic chatbot on the market.

Whether your brand is all business or likes to joke with customers, your AI should reflect your brand's personality.

The best conversational AI platforms let you fine-tune the voice, tone, and even the responses of your AI agent to match your brand's vibe.

Want to sprinkle in some emojis for that extra friendly touch? Go for it.

But customization goes beyond just personality. Your AI also needs to be scalable.

Maybe right now it's manageable with a few hundred queries a day, but what happens when you 10X your customer base?

A scalable platform should handle that growth smoothly, without slowing down or glitching out.

Pro tip: Choose a platform that can be customized and scaled, so it grows with your business while maintaining the brand consistency your customers expect.

3. What kind of integrations does it offer?

No man - or AI - is an island.

To truly transform your customer service experience, your AI platform has to integrate seamlessly with your existing systems.

Whether it's your CRM, ticketing software, or billing platform, you need your AI to play nice with everything in your tech stack.

If your AI platform doesn't offer easy integrations, you're in for a world of pain (and so are your customers) as you don't want your data stuck in silos.

Your AI should be able to pull customer info from your CRM, process orders from your ERP, or even log tickets in your help desk software, ensuring a smooth customer experience.

Whether you're using Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zendesk, the AI needs to tap into these tools without requiring you to hire an army of developers.

Pro tip: Look for platforms with out-of-the-box integrations and open APIs to avoid costly, custom builds. This will save time, money, and headaches.

4. Does it provide real-time analytics and reporting?

You can't improve what you don't measure, right?

That's where real-time analytics and reporting come into play.

You need to know if your AI is making any dent in your current customer support processes.

It should provide insights into key metrics like customer satisfaction (CSAT), first-contact resolution, and even the percentage of queries your AI agent resolves without escalating to a human.

Imagine seeing a beautifully laid-out dashboard that shows exactly how your AI is performing. Are customers happier? Are your support costs going down?

All this data should be at your fingertips.

The best conversational AI platforms also provide customizable dashboards that allow you to track the KPIs that matter most to your business.

Pro tip: Choose a platform with comprehensive, customizable reporting dashboards to track and present metrics critical to your customer service success.

5. How secure is the platform?

Data security is a non-negotiable requirement, especially when dealing with sensitive customer information.

Your platform should follow industry standards like ISO, TLS 1.2, and AES-256 encryption for data protection.

Encryption is just the beginning; compliance with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA (for healthcare), and other relevant data protection laws is equally critical.

Security breaches can be costly, not just in terms of money but also the damage they do to your brand reputation.

Always partner with a platform that prioritizes data security to protect sensitive information.

6. Does the platform offer flexibility in automation and development?

With such a sophisticated tech stack, one thing you should be on the lookout for is flexibility.

Based on your business needs, it might be worth exploring both rule-based and AI bots.

Rule-based bots are perfect for handling simple, structured tasks, while AI-based agents can tackle more complex, nuanced queries.

A good conversational AI platform should allow you to seamlessly switch between these two approaches, ensuring you always have the right tool for the right task.

But flexibility doesn't stop there. Your platform should also offer multichannel capabilities.

No matter how your customers contact you - whether through chat, email, or social media - your AI should provide a consistent experience across every channel.

This way, your support will be top-notch regardless of how customers reach out.

Another thing to consider is using low-code or no-code solutions. Not everyone on your team is a developer, and they shouldn't need to be.

A robust platform should enable non-technical team members to create and manage bots.

Are your IT teams patting your back already? Thank me later

Pro tip: Find a platform that supports both rule-based and AI automation, and offers a no-code solution. This way, your team can manage bots and customer journeys across all channels without needing coding skills.

7. How does the platform handle escalations to live agents?

Even the smartest AI can't handle everything.

When your AI agent needs to escalate a problem to a live human, the handoff has to be smooth.

If your AI drops the ball here, leaving the customer to start over with a human agent, that's a major fail.

The best AI platforms ensure seamless handovers. When a customer's issue becomes too complex for the AI to handle, the conversation should be passed to a live agent with full context intact.

This ensures your customer doesn't have to repeat themselves, leading to a much better experience.

No one likes to explain their problem multiple times to different agents (we've all been there, it's the worst). That's why smooth escalations equal happy customers.

Pro tip: Choose a platform that offers smart, seamless escalation paths, retaining the full context of conversations to make the transition as painless as possible for the customer.

8. Does the platform offer strong support and future-proofing?

Choosing the right AI platform isn't just about the technology - it's about the team behind it.

Onboard a vendor who understands customer service, has experience in your industry, and provides strong ongoing support.

Check out case studies or live examples of how they've helped businesses like yours. It's a great way to see their expertise in action.

The #1 thing we look at Chat Aid before onboarding a team is how committed the vendor is to future-proofing our investment.

This implies two critical things: Ongoing support and regular updates.

The #2 thing we look at is their product roadmap. It shows how they plan to roll out updates, what new features are coming, and gives insight into their level of support.

A strong vendor relationship can make all the difference between a smooth AI rollout and a nightmare. 🥹

Pro tip: Partner with vendors that offer strong customer success teams, provide ongoing support, and have a clear roadmap for future-proofing their technology.

9. What's the total cost and ROI?

This has to be the biggest question you need to answer for...

Your CFO, management, and well, your bank balance

The AI platform you choose must justify its price tag, so you need to understand the total cost of ownership.

The right AI platform should help you reduce costs by automating repetitive queries, improving first-contact resolution rates, and enhancing customer satisfaction.

The focus needs to be on maximizing value across the board.

A great platform should have a clear ROI story.

Can the vendor provide metrics showing how much you'll save on support staff, ticket resolution times, and customer retention?

As you grow, AI costs can quickly rise if not managed well.

You'll want to know how the vendor handles cost optimization as your operations grow. There's no point in saving on headcount if your costs balloon out of control.

Transparency is everything.

Ensure the platform you choose is clear about its costs from day one and that the vendor is committed to helping you scale efficiently.

Pro tip: Pick a platform that offers transparent pricing and a clear ROI roadmap. You don't just want to know how much it costs, but how much it saves.

Ask the right questions, get the right platform

Choosing a conversational AI platform should never be about ticking a box or buying into a fad.

It needs to be about improving your customer experience for the better. The right platform can boost customer satisfaction, cut operational costs, and scale with your business, but only if you ask the right questions upfront.

Remember, not all AI platforms are created equal.

By asking these key questions, you can confidently navigate your buying journey.

Your customer service deserves the best, and so do your customers.

If you're ready to take your support to the next level with AI-powered customer service tools, ensure you're investing in a partnership that will drive real value for your business.

Book a demo with our team or sign up for a free trial today.