Forging connections with machine learning: How technology can help us stay human

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The line between technology and humanity is becoming increasingly blurry. And if sci-fi lore is anything to go by, not only will AI-fuelled robots one day steal our jobs, but they’ll make for perfectly adequate boyfriends, cleaners, and even world leaders. The catch is; this once-imagined future is already here (well, almost). In our connected age, technology can now do virtually everything we can. Oftentimes, it can do it better. Indeed, the latest advancements have all but revolutionised the once entirely people-powered customer service space.

Here at Xero, we’ve harnessed the wonders of AI and machine learning to help us respond to customer requests faster and smarter. An integral part of this process has been working to strike a balance between the adoption of innovation and maintaining that all-important human connection. In the latest episode of Xero Now – a monthly series exploring what it means to be “real” in the world of business – we spoke to experts both in and outside of the business on how people can better help their clients. And an all-too pertinent question arose. Namely, how can technology, in fact, help us stay human when it comes to customer experience?

AI-powered answers and technology that learns from its mistakes

As Xero continues to grow at speed, we were challenged with delivering centralised, secure, and all-encompassing support to our customers. The result is Xero Central, an intuitive AI-driven platform that delivers hands-on help through a combination of machine-learned content and real-life agents. Rather than rely on traditional phone support, algorithms are used to draw insights from existing data to create personalised recommendations and learning experiences.

Xero’s Head of Customer Experience for Australia Matt Jolley explains, “Through machine learning, we can provide content that gives people the answers they need without having to necessarily engage with an agent.” And just like us humans, technology can be taught to learn from its mistakes. “If a wrong answer is surfaced, Xero Central learns from the experience and evolves in turn. So for every case that we respond to, the program is continually learning to understand more about the kind of content our customers are looking for and the language that they’re using.”

Like Matt and the Xero team, Co-Founder of Marketing Entourage Sam Hurley is embracing technology as a tool to help deepen connections: “We are a human centred marketing and customer experience company. That means we think about every single step of the customer journey. From the very first interaction, to the way they receive an invoice – we draw data to determine how we can make the entire process as personal as possible for our own company and for our clients.” She details, “Where previously a salesperson would have worked to collect information and build customer relationships, technology now allows us to do this on a really sophisticated level.”

Because nobody wants to speak to a robot that doesn’t care

When considering how we can harness machine-learning to further enhance the human element of the customer experience, Matt details, “Technology has the ability to remove the human aspect entirely – nobody wants to feel like they’re speaking to a robot that doesn’t care! That’s why it’s incredibly important that the responses in Xero Central always feel natural. We’ve done away with formal language and awkward jargon – and if something doesn’t resonate with our audience, then we have the tools to remove it.”

Sam adds, “Technology enables relationships – we can serve a lot more people, and it saves plenty of time for everyone involved. But the only way to remain truly human is by thinking of the people within each interaction and personalising the experience for them.” A sentiment that is well and truly shared by the Xero team. On the occasion that customers do need to reach out and lodge a case with a specialist on Xero Central, they’ll discover a real person at the other end. Each one of whom comes complete with a photo, and a detailed blurb about who they are, what they do, and how long they’ve been with Xero.

Both the Marketing Entourage business model and Xero Central have proven successful because they exemplify how we can harness the power of technology to solve real human problems. By ensuring our customer experiences are human-centred as we continue to forge ahead with the latest innovations, we’re able to foster genuine connections. This way, we can all learn, develop and evolve – both (wo)man and machine.

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