Orchestrating AI in Customer Support: Lessons from an EdTech Support Leader

AI is everywhere in B2B customer support, transforming how businesses operate. This isn’t another "AI is the future!" pitch; it’s about how to make AI work for you, not against you. I recently had an insightful conversation with Robert Armstrong, Director of Customer Support at SaaS Product Solutions, Frontline Education, to discuss the challenges and opportunities that AI brings to support operations.

The AI Dilemma: Sorting Through the Choices

In the support world, AI tools are flooding the market. But as Armstrong explained, “There is so much coming at us that we don't know how to make heads or tails. And these are investments we're asking the business to make.” The challenge? Identifying which tools will provide the best return without wasting time or resources. “If we invest a bunch of money and time and energy and deployment on something, and it goes in six different directions, a year from now we're going to be back at the same table,” Armstrong noted.

His team is currently using Zendesk, but Armstrong pointed out, "They have their AI stack, but it’s theirs; it's limited to what their vision is or what their capabilities are." The solution? Assess your data and knowledge systems—everything from your formal knowledge base to informal conversations and ticket histories between support agents and product engineers. Without this framework, investing in AI for customer support is like installing a high-performance engine in a car that can't handle the power.

Knowledge Management: The Hidden Hero

The buzz around AI often overshadows a crucial component: knowledge management. Armstrong emphasized that his team’s current challenge isn't just deploying AI but ensuring they have the right content accessible. “We don't have our back of the house ready… our knowledge base isn’t in a condition that we can turn this on yet,” he explained. While organizing information is essential, it’s not the whole story. It's also about connecting to various sources of information—whether it’s formal product documentation, everyday exchanges between engineers and support staff, or updates on product improvements. AI in customer support can only reach its full potential when it taps into the entire spectrum of knowledge within the B2B environment, not just the neatly arranged pieces.

Piloting AI: Start Small for Quick Wins

When it comes to implementing AI in customer support, Armstrong’s team took a practical approach by focusing on "low-hanging fruit." They began with straightforward tasks like ticket summaries, call notes, and agent response templates. For his team, the real benefit came from refining language and grammar in communications, particularly when collaborating with offshore vendors. These initiatives may not sound groundbreaking, but as Armstrong shared, “We've piloted that and it works really well… it helps a lot with flow and phraseology.” It's not headline-grabbing, but it’s a valuable demonstration of AI's capabilities. 

Customers Care About Solutions, Not AI

One important point Armstrong highlighted is that customers don’t care about the technology you use; they care about having their issues resolved promptly and accurately. “Customers don’t look behind the curtain… they want someone to answer quickly, they want it to be an accurate answer, and they don’t want to have to reopen issues,” he explained. Integrating AI should enhance the customer experience seamlessly without them even realizing it's there. The moment AI creates disruptions, you’ve missed the mark. Check out the impact that the right AI solution can have on your CSAT score.

Support’s Evolving Role: From Cost Center to Key Player

Armstrong also pointed out a significant shift in B2B customer support’s role: “With SaaS, the realization that support talks to tens of thousands of our customers every day… it can add to the brand value or detract from it.” Today, support is no longer just a cost center; it’s a vital part of the customer journey. AI has the potential to improve support operations, but as Armstrong noted, “AI is an amplifier… if your support operations are flawed, AI will simply magnify those issues.”

Building the Future: Prioritizing Flexibility Over Current Tools

Armstrong’s team is exploring alternatives to Zendesk, aiming to create a more adaptable system that connects knowledge and data across platforms. Their goal is to centralize different knowledge bases that currently exist in various systems while staying flexible for future tools and technologies. By focusing on integration and adaptability, they are setting the stage to fully harness AI's impact in their support operations.  Systems that integrate into any knowledge source lay a foundation for turning every agent into a subject matter expert.

Bottom Line: Consider Your End Goals When Investing in AI

As Armstrong emphasized, integrating AI into customer support isn’t a quick fix. Its value depends on how well it aligns with your overall support strategy—whether that’s improving response times, enhancing knowledge management, or providing a seamless customer experience. “The time to make these investments… companies are going to get caught on the carpet with some of that,” he warned.

AI won’t solve all your problems, but it can help you reach your support goals if implemented thoughtfully. The question isn’t if you’ll use AI in your B2B customer support, but when and how to do so in a way that fits your long-term objectives. Start by focusing on the outcomes you want to achieve, and let those guide your AI investments to ensure you can fully benefit from the technology in the future.   See how other technology companies have introduced AI to improve consistency and reduce resolution times. 

About Robert Armstrong:

Robert Armstrong is an experienced and results driven customer support leader, passionate about customer support as core to customer experience and the product value proposition.  His customer services and support journey started as a product support engineer at Microsoft- a dream job for an incurable problem solver, gearhead and geek. As he grew into product and customer support leadership, he developed a passion at the intersection of technology and customer experience.   Working across both the B2C and B2B spaces, he’s built and led high performance support organizations for new products/channels, including Windows Mobile; scaled support capabilities for in-place teams at both GE and Athenahealth, and innovated support strategy for growing companies, most recently at Frontline, a SaaS leader in EdTech.  He also writes extensively about support and customer experience on LinkedIn and is a contributor to professional collaboration sites such as Mind the Product. 

To read more profiles of Customer Support Leaders, visit www.aptedge.io.