eGain: AI in Customer Service Requires Trusted Knowledge
Companies should buy AI solutions for customer service rather than build their own to deliver value faster and at scale.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the business landscape, with U.S. companies projected to spend $300 billion annually on AI over the next five years. Customer service is at the forefront of this AI-driven disruption, with the potential to significantly reduce costs and improve processes.
A key challenge in leveraging AI for customer service is ensuring that reliable, understandable answers are delivered to the right person at the right time. This requires managing vast amounts of data, including policies and product information. The question for companies is whether to build their own AI systems or purchase modern knowledge management solutions to power their AI investments.
Experts recommend buying ready-made solutions in the current phase of AI transformation. Building proprietary systems is time-consuming and complex, whereas a robust knowledge management solution can be implemented in as little as 4–8 weeks. These systems often include features like proactive customer outreach, which can reduce service requests and enhance customer satisfaction.
Gartner warns that AI projects lacking integration with modern knowledge management systems are likely to fail. The "garbage in, garbage out" principle applies, where AI performance is directly tied to the quality of the data it processes. Leading providers like eGain offer decades of expertise and established best practices for AI integration, ensuring accurate, consistent, and compliant information delivery.