Generative AI (GenAI) has an increasingly large role in how companies interface with customers across all communications touchpoints. Companies are also finding, however, that GenAI can streamline workflows and make employees lives easier, as well. One of the ways GenAI can make workers’ lives easier is by searching for the information human workers need to resolve issues faster. It’s one way that GenAI can improve the employee-customer relationship without eliminating the human touch that customers expect.
AI-driven content solutions provider Coveo recently released its fourth annual Coveo EX Industry Report. The report, "Can GenAI Empower Employees to do More on Their Own?," is based on a survey of U.S. and U.K. adults aged 18-plus who use a computer in their work for companies with 5,000-plus employees. Conducted in partnership with Arlington Research, the research examines the entire digital employee experience journey, exploring the effect of information flow on work quality and ultimately customer experience. The report also examines how GenAI trends are shaping employees' expectations of the digital workplace – and how some are breaking the rules, known or not.
Findings reveal that employees are optimistic about GenAI solving the information gap by speeding up answer finding. In fact, more than two-fifths (42 percent) say finding relevant information faster or personalizing the intranet for their own specific needs would help in their everyday work. Notably, more than half of field support and 50 percent of sales expressed the desire to use GenAI to better serve customers and prospects. Additionally, 40 percent of those in customer service and support said generative tools can help them spend less time searching so they can resolve cases faster.
"With trends like 'quiet cutting' permeating today's workforce, it's no surprise employees are worried if they have the best and most current information to do their jobs effectively," said Patrick Martin, EVP of Global Customer Experience and GM of Knowledge and Service at Coveo. "The lack of trust and guardrails for using AI tools can lead to increased inefficiencies and risk as employees scour internal systems or use potentially untrustworthy tools. In this study, we found that employees are excited about the role GenAI can play in empowering employees with a knowledge tool to gather relevant information quickly. But GenAI is not a bolt-on — enterprises need to consider the full infrastructure needed to deliver accurate and trustworthy answers."
Edited by
Greg Tavarez
