Trends in customer experience: Personalizing with AI

Exceptional customer experiences are no longer the exception—they’re the rule. Companies need the right combination of innovation and cultural transformation to stand out, build customer trust, and achieve high engagement.

We’ve interviewed three experts about the ways AI and other emerging technologies are improving the experiences of both customers and employees. The consensus is clear: building customer-first internal cultures will lay the foundation for future innovation and growth.

Instilling a customer-first mindset in financial services

One factor stands out when considering how customers experience financial services companies, according to Theodora Lau: “economy, economy, economy.” Lau, Founder of Unconventional Ventures, stresses that businesses need to offer more than the ability to track spending. Remembering the goals and concerns of the humans at the center of each experience will help leaders use AI successfully and transparently to provide more personalized and convenient customer experiences. “AI can decipher our data, it can provide us with insights, and it can tell us how to go from point A to point B,” says Lau. But companies that use these capabilities to drive customer-first cultures are positioned to continue innovating as AI advances.

It’s also important to remember that transparency surrounding technology builds trust. For instance, making it clear when customers are interacting with a virtual agent and not a person can actually strengthen relationships with customers and free them to achieve their financial goals with confidence.

Driving personalization for retail customers with AI

Ron Thurston, Cofounder of OSSY, spent more than a year traveling through 30 US states to talk to frontline retail teams and executives about emerging customer trends. “Every part of our industry that touches retail is speaking about personalization and customization,” says Thurston.

Improving retail experiences involves everything from operations and employee training to customer loyalty programs and support. “We’ve never needed to be at our best more than we do right now,” says Thurston.

Personalization depends on analyzing large amounts of rich data—that’s where AI comes in. AI solutions can unlock insights to power personalized shopping at scale. Companies that use these tools are positioning themselves to design customized shopping experiences, smart recommendations, and intelligent outreach, all of which adds up to a seamless unified commerce experience.

While customization is one key to sparking customer engagement, the employee experience is what truly sets brands apart from competitors. “A team that is fully engaged and really proud of what they do is likely to engage with customers at a very high level, and customers feel it,” says Thurston. When employees are empowered with the tools they need, they can pass on the benefits of better efficiency and satisfaction to customers.

Engaging patients as customers to build trust and better service

When the customer is also a patient, developing engagement strategies that meet their needs and expectations can revolutionize their healthcare experience. “People think the service level of healthcare should excel and be enhanced like their favorite kind of retail experience,” says Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, Health Economist and Founder of THINK-Health LLC.

With the well-being of customers directly tied to their engagement with your company, a trustworthy experience can make an immense difference to their mental and physical health. “Without trust, there is no health engagement,” says Sarasohn-Kahn.

Building trust between patients and providers means prioritizing factors like sincerity and authenticity—qualities that AI can enhance. Unlocking data-driven insights can also promote the personalization that strengthens customer relationships. “AI is being deployed across the ecosystem, wherever patients are,” says Sarasohn-Kahn.

One example is Nuance, a patient management solution from Microsoft, which uses conversational AI to boost communication with patients through appointment reminders, outreach, and support. With better communication tools, you can interact with patients where they are and enhance the omnichannel care that promotes the best outcomes.

Another example comes from US healthcare organization Providence, which developed an AI product called ProVARIA using Microsoft Azure solutions to automatically classify incoming patient messages and direct them to the appropriate responders. This way, clinicians can spend more time on patient outcomes, and patients can enjoy an enhanced experience.

Enhancing customer experiences with emerging technology

The right combination of cutting-edge technology and a customer-first internal culture drives engagement. Regardless of your industry, engaging customers means being purpose driven and having access to the tools you need.

To learn more, explore the Microsoft Customer Experience Platform.

To discover how you can use AI to gain new customer insights, learn more about Azure Synapse Analytics.