Nespresso has harnessed the power of chatbots to elevate customer interactions and has also employed AI to optimise employee training and knowledge management. Mark Atterby from CXFocus talks to Heather Lage, Customer Experience & Training Manager at Nespresso, on their use of AI to elevate CX and EX. Heather is presenting at a upcoming webinar Connecting Customer Experience and Employee Experience Using AI.
Mark Atterby (MA): Can you please provide a background to your career and an explanation of your role at Nespresso?
Heather Lage (HL): In 2014, I joined Nespresso as a Quality Assurance Manager, shaping our service quality standards. I transitioned to Outsourcing Manager in 2018, overseeing outsourced service contracts and performance. Since 2023, I’ve led our Customer Experience and Training initiatives, driving CX excellence, developing our workforce, and integrating AI into our service delivery.
MA: Over your career, what has been the most important lesson you have learned about customer experience?
HL: In the realm of customer service, a one-size-fits-all approach is a recipe for failure. Successful businesses recognise that customer expectations are nuanced and dynamic, requiring a flexible and adaptable service strategy.
MA: What does CX success look like for Nespresso in 2024?
HL: Customer experience has always been our North Star. In 2024, we’ve taken significant strides to broaden our service channels, empowering customers to choose the interaction method that best suits their needs and preferences.
MA: How did Nespresso initially introduce its AI enabled chatbot(s) and what were the key challenges or concerns during the implementation process?
HL: Our ‘version ‘ chatbot was a global solution established to fit all markets with opportunity to localise it. Some initial challenges were the limited ability to change its architectural design as well as limited skill sets in our team to optimise it. This presented a steep learning curve and shift in ways of working.
MA: How is the chatbot integrated into Nespresso’s existing customer experience?
HL: On our website, customers may choose to engage our virtual assistant and self-service. Handoff to a live agent is available in the conversation design for more complex enquiries.
MA: What AI-powered tools or platforms does Nespresso use for employee training and empowerment, and how do these tools personalise the learning experience for different employees?
HL: We are currently incorporating Training AI and Coaching AI into our suite. We also have the Alba tool which is effective for roleplaying scenarios. The benefits are the ability to target content for digital leaning versus in classroom, which is more efficient as well as offering self-paced learning opportunities for the agent,
Ultimately it improves speed to competency and instils confidence in the agent. Additionally having reporting dashboards helps to better track accreditation, learning needs and other key metrics.
MA: How does Nespresso ensure that its AI initiatives for customer interaction and employee training are aligned with the company’s overall business objectives?
HL: We want to retain that human connection with our customers, providing personalised service. So, it is important to be clear about our service journeys and strategically place the BOT/Agent at value added moments, then, equipping both the BOT and the agent with the information they need, through ongoing training.
MA: What are Nespresso’s future plans for expanding its use of AI in customer interaction and employee training, and how do these plans align with the company’s long-term strategy?
HL: We have taken only the initial steps and are being selective to ensure our frontline works hand in hand with the AI solutions available. For our customers it’s all about listening to their voice, leveraging AI tools to calibrate insights then tailor our efforts to best meet their needs, while gaining efficiency. For our teams it’s about surfacing the right information at the right time, enabling them to have a more engaging value-added conversation while building their own expertise.