The first chatbot, ELIZA, was created way back in 1966. It was a simple rule-based program, but it marked the beginning of AI and human interactions. Fast forward two decades, and AI customer service tools are the backbone of customer support. We compared the best ones for you.
🔎 AI Tools For Customer Service at a Glance
👀 In a hurry? The table below provides an overview of each of the platforms we discuss in this article. Scroll down to see more detailed descriptions of the tools.
| Intercom | Engage customers with personalized chat via AI chatbot Fin; efficient ticket routing and conversation management. |
| Zendesk | Streamlined support with Answer Bot, unified messaging channels, and extensive app integrations. |
| Salesforce Einstein | Boost CRM with predictive analytics, AI bots for task automation, and insights for smarter decisions. |
| Watson Assistant | Build sophisticated virtual agents with natural language understanding across multiple channels. |
| Freshdesk | Improve customer interactions with Freddy AI, offering ticket automation and multi-channel support. |
| Kustomer | Deliver omnichannel support with AI-enhanced conversations and comprehensive customer timelines. |
| HubSpot Service Hub | Utilize AI chatbots for initial contact, integrate insights, and manage tickets; all within the CRM ecosystem. |
| Sprinklr | Manage and analyze customer experiences with AI-powered content creation and social listening tools. |
| Balto | Enhance live calls with real-time AI guidance, coaching for agents, and call analytics. |
| Tidio | Streamline communication with Lyro AI Chatbot, order management, and customizable messaging flows. |
| (Bonus) Taskade AI | Enhance team productivity and customer service workflows with a range of powerful AI tools. |
🤖📞 What’s the Role of AI In Customer Service?
The unofficial marriage of artificial intelligence and customer service goes back as far as the early chat programs of the 1960s and ‘70s. The first attempts at creating conversational agents may have been primitive by today’s standards, but they laid the groundwork for the AI solutions we use now.
So, why would you need AI in customer service in the first place?
Well, for starters, the AI customer service market size is expected to reach USD 47.95 billion by 2030. A report by McKinsey shows that implementing artificial intelligence solutions can as much as triple the use of self-service channels, increase customer satisfaction, and cut costs by up to 20%.
And that makes a lot of sense.
AI-powered tools can provide around-the-clock support, which means they address one of the most significant pain points for customers: the need for immediate help regardless of the time of day.
A shopper in Dubai can get product recommendations as they browse in the Mall of the Emirates. A customer in San Francisco can reschedule deliveries using a voice-activated AI assistant. In the meantime, a customer service rep can iron out more hands-on issues behind the scenes.
Quicker responses equal happier customers, and happy customers stick around.
Of course, there are other factors like a more personalized experience, reduced operational costs, easy scaling, lower churn rates, and AI-driven analytics that bring it all together.
Now let’s meet the tools that make all that possible. 👇
🏆 Top AI Customer Service Tools in 2024
Zendesk
Zendesk is an AI-infused customer service toolkit that makes it easy to handle support tickets, chat in real-time, and build a knowledge base that grows with you. It has a straightforward design that helps teams of any size to keep their customer conversations and support workflow in check.
Digging into the AI specifics, Zendesk’s got this smart feature called Answer Bot that taps into machine learning to suggest articles from your knowledge base to customers. It’s like having an ever-learning helper for your team, quietly working in the background to offer quick answers. Then there are automated macro suggestions that give your support agents a head start in responding to common questions, making sure your customers get timely and accurate responses.
Key Zendesk Features
- Answer Bot with machine learning
- Automated macro suggestions
- Unified cross-channel messaging
- Customizable ticket views
- Advanced analytics dashboards
- Over 1,000 integrations with apps
Kustomer
Kustomer is a CRM platform that integrates various support channels into a single timeline view. The app is as user-friendly as it can be and provides a holistic picture of the customer’s experience, which is particularly useful if you care about delivering personalized support. The platform is a staple in managing customer interactions and gives you both the context and tools to respond effectively.
Kustomer comes with its own Conversational Assistant, which automates interactions with customers via an intuitive chat-based interface. The AI-driven chatbots are capable of understanding and engaging in natural dialogues, making the interaction feel less robotic and more like talking to a team member. This functionality not only improves the customer’s experience by providing swift and accurate responses, but it also frees up our human agents to focus on more complex issues that require a personal touch.
Key Kustomer Features
- AI-driven automated responses
- Omnichannel conversation history
- Customer timeline view
- Customizable chat workflows
- Integrated customer satisfaction surveys
- Proactive customer service
Tidio
Tidio combines live chat and AI capabilities to boost customer service efforts with its sleek interface and powerful tools. It’s a platform I’ve grown to rely on for its immediacy and the way it simplifies interactions with customers through its chat functions. With Tidio, it feels like you’re right there with the customer, ready to assist them with their needs in real-time.
The incorporation of Lyro, Tidio’s AI chatbot, takes customer communication to a new level. It handles inquiries with such proficiency that it often feels like chatting with a knowledgeable team member rather than a bot. Lyro can process orders, manage tickets, and even handle some aspects of email marketing automation, which proves to be a significant time-saver for our team. It’s the type of tool that makes you wonder how you handled customer service without it.
Key Tidio Features
- Lyro AI Chatbot for customer interactions
- Live chat and messaging channels
- Automated workflows (“Flows”)
- Order management integration
- Multi-department support
- Email marketing automation
Watson Assistant
Watson Assistant is IBM’s AI-driven virtual agent that handles customer inquiries with ease. As someone who uses it daily, I appreciate how it effortlessly understands and processes natural language, which means it can interpret the nuances of what customers are asking. It’s reassuring to see it provide accurate and contextually relevant answers, almost as if it’s thinking along with the conversation.
From a practical standpoint, integrating Watson Assistant into our existing customer service ecosystem was a smooth process. It connects with our databases and third-party apps, allowing for a level of personalization in customer interactions that genuinely impresses. The fact that it can handle complex tasks, like updating customer records or navigating through an intricate product catalog, makes it an invaluable part of our support team.
Watson Assistant Features
- Natural language understanding
- Voice-enabled virtual assistants
- Seamless integration capabilities
- Multi-channel deployment
- Intent and response training
- Data analysis and insights
Freshdesk
Freshdesk, part of the Freshworks suite, incorporates AI to automate and streamline customer service tasks. The AI functionality within Freshdesk, known as “Freddy,” is designed to handle routine tasks such as processing orders, scheduling appointments, and updating accounts. This automation capability not only speeds up response times but also allows customer service agents to focus on more complex issues that require human intervention.
Freddy AI enhances the customer service experience by using natural language processing and machine learning to assist customers through chatbots and provide support agents with suggested solutions. By analyzing customer inquiries, Freddy can offer relevant information, predict potential issues, and proactively guide agents to ensure efficient and accurate customer support.
Key Freshdesk Features
- Freddy AI for customer engagement
- Automated ticket assignment
- Time-triggered automation
- Multi-channel support
- Ticketing and knowledge base
- Analytics and reporting tools
HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot Service Hub integrates AI tools within its customer relationship management (CRM) platform to streamline the work of customer service professionals. The AI capabilities are designed to automate routine tasks and unearth valuable insights from customer interactions and data. This aids service teams in working smarter and elevates the level of customer support provided.
AI in HubSpot Service Hub can take the form of chatbots that handle initial customer inquiries and assist in gathering preliminary information before passing the conversation to a human agent. These tools ensure that customer service processes are more efficient and that customers receive timely, relevant assistance. HubSpot’s AI also contributes to a more personalized service experience by helping agents quickly access the information they need to effectively resolve customer issues.
Key HubSpot Service Hub Features
- AI chatbots for initial inquiries
- CRM-powered customer insights
- Ticketing and help desk automation
- Feedback and survey tools
- Knowledge base creation
- Reporting and goal-tracking tools
Salesforce Einstein
Salesforce Einstein is essentially the brain within the Salesforce platform, equipping it with powerful AI capabilities. As a comprehensive AI for CRM, Einstein analyzes your Salesforce data, helping you predict outcomes and make smarter decisions. It’s especially handy for sales teams, marketers, and service agents who aim to personalize customer interactions and proactively address their needs.
One of the standout AI features of Einstein is its predictive analytics, which can forecast future behavior and sales trends, thanks to its machine learning prowess. It also offers Einstein Bots, which can automate routine service tasks, and Einstein Voice, which enables you to talk to your CRM, making data input and retrieval as natural as having a conversation. Einstein ensures that every customer interaction is data-driven and insightful, which is a big win for efficiency.
Key Salesforce Einstein Features
- Predictive analytics for sales
- Einstein Bots for service automation
- Natural language processing
- Opportunity insights and lead scoring
- Sales forecasting
- Custom AI model builder
Intercom
Intercom is an AI-powered communication platform that’s streamlined the way businesses interact with their customers. It brings together messaging, email, and live chat in one interface, making it straightforward to keep track of conversations and promptly respond to queries.
At the heart of Intercom’s AI functionality is Fin, which is their latest implementation built on GPT-4 technology. Fin assists in managing routine questions and directing customers to helpful resources, which can be a real time-saver. It’s designed to understand and adapt to various customer support scenarios, simplifying the process for users and support teams alike.
Key Intercom Features
- AI-powered GPT chatbot “Fin”
- Intelligent ticket routing
- Real-time performance metrics
- In-app messaging capabilities
- Customizable team inboxes
- Conversation search and filter
Balto
Balto is an AI-driven tool designed to enhance the quality of conversations in contact centers. It serves as a real-time guide for customer service and sales agents during live calls. The platform’s AI analyzes the conversation as it happens and provides agents with prompts and suggestions to ensure that each interaction adheres to the highest standards of quality and compliance.
The AI features of Balto actively support agents by offering real-time coaching, objection handling, and compliance reminders, all contributing to a more effective and customer-centric conversation. This technology helps agents improve their responses on the fly, which can lead to better customer satisfaction and improved performance in sales environments.
Key Balto Features
- Real-time call guidance AI
- Live coaching for agents
- AI-driven playbook designer
- Quality assurance and compliance
- Call analytics and insights
- Dynamic scripting for calls
Sprinklr
Sprinklr is a Customer Experience Management (CXM) platform that integrates AI capabilities to enhance productivity and automate interactions across various digital channels. With Sprinklr AI+, the platform powers use cases that improve the quality of insights and customer interactions, making it a vital tool for businesses aiming to scale their customer engagement and social listening efforts.
The AI capabilities within Sprinklr extend to features like automated moderation, sentiment analysis, and AI-driven content creation, which can significantly boost the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing and customer service teams. By driving automation and providing enhanced insights, Sprinklr’s AI tools help brands stay responsive and relevant in the fast-paced digital environment.
Key Sprinklr Features
- AI-powered content creation
- Automated moderation with AI
- Sentiment analysis and social listening
- Unified customer experience management
- Ad content management
- Centralized team collaboration
(Bonus) Taskade AI
Artificial intelligence in customer service is not only about chatbots. You also need a centralized solution for planning, managing, and executing your effort in an efficient. And this is where Taskade AI comes in.
Unlike other applications on this list, Taskade AI focuses on enhancing teamwork and project management with AI-driven features. But let’s start from the beginning — what is Taskade?
Taskade is a real-time collaboration app that combines task management, team chat, and video conferencing into a single platform. It’s designed to help teams organize work, communicate effectively, and get more done together — just the thing you need to deliver stellar customer service.
So, what exactly can you do with Taskade AI?
Build AI Agents
Agents are smart assistants tailored for specific use cases.
Every agent is unique and can complement your team by filling roles that play to their strengths.
Build agents with custom knowledge, personality, and skills to speed up and streamline tasks like reviewing customer feedback management, scheduling, troubleshooting, data analysis, and more.
Connect Taskade AI with popular apps and services like HubSpot, Calendly, SurveyMonkey, Mailchimp, and many more to put your customer service workflow on autopilot.
Use your custom AI agents to provide tailored support to your customers 24/7, process customer inquiries, or send smart replies in your brand’s unique voice.
Simplify Team Onboarding
Create a unique onboarding system for your team. Use customer service transcripts, email exchanges, product documentation, and more to train mentor agents for an ultimate L&D experience.
Help new hires get up to speed and provide continuous learning opportunities for existing team members so they can stay up-to-date with the latest knowledge and skills
Automate Customer Service Workflows
Collaborate on Knowledge Management
Leverage Taskade’s AI Assistant integrated into the project editor to craft in-depth help documentation at speed and ensure that your support content is both exhaustive and accessible.
Train your agents on existing documentation to synthesize vast amounts of information. When done, engage in conversations with Taskade AI for helpful data points for both your team and customers.
Finally, you can generate hundreds of customer service documents, templates, and support materials in seconds using one of built-in, fully-customizable AI customer service generators.
Ready to supercharge your customer service experience?
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