There was an article this week on Fortune about Salesforce cutting 4,000 jobs in favor of AI. The article is listed with a SUCCESS tag. And it is, for Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. But is this a success for anyone else? Benioff needed “less heads,” the article says. The long and the short of it is that we’re supposed to think that 4,000 fewer heads is a good thing for Salesforce; they’re using AI to change the way we do business. And that last part is certainly true. But is AI for customer service the right move? At Vanderbloemen, we’re not quite convinced.
AI IS for everyone
AI is for everyone. But AI customer service isn’t. Vanderbloemen has been judiciously applying AI since it came on the scene. But we still have people answering the phone. Here’s why:
People first
We’re not a tech company, we’re a people company. Salesforce clients expect the latest tech. And even if they don’t, they can make a lot of concessions for the truly wonderful product that Salesforce sells. We use Salesforce. It’s been hugely beneficial for us. But we’re sticking with white glove service for the time being.
Being tolerated isn’t good enough
Have you ever been so frustrated by automations that you swear you’ll never use X product again or find yourself angrily yelling “AGENT” into the phone? Chances are, you’re still using that product, in spite of any oaths sworn in the heat of the moment. My suspicion is that Salesforce’s superior product and hefty market share makes up for any frustration their customers have with customer service – AI or otherwise. At Vanderbloemen, we don’t want anyone even thinking about giving up and looking for services elsewhere. We strive for wow-making service the first time you engage with us.
We want you to feel good about working with us. We don’t want to be, as the Taylor Swift song goes, merely “tolerated.”
We’re here for our clients, not the other way around
Until AI works as well for our clients as it could work for us, we’re not interested in it. That’s not to say we don’t use it. We do. A lot. We have put several AI-related practices in place that have helped our efficiency and productivity. We’re learning and growing internally so we can serve more clients better. Our clients might not be ready to welcome AI with arms as wide as we have. And that’s okay.
We can wait
We believe AI customer service is good for some, but it’s not for all. It’s not good for our clients (yet) and therefore it’s not good for our business (yet). The tech will someday be there where we can trust AI to make stellar first impressions with our clients, but that day isn’t here yet. When it is, you’ll know. And there we will be, with a big old SUCCESS tag to celebrate.
