What is Advanced Customer Service (ACS)?
ACS combines technology with humanity. The goal: faster, more seamless, and more personalized service that inspire. ACS leverages AI, automation, and smart tools not only to enhance individual interactions, but also to strategically optimize key service processes. This creates operational excellence with less friction, greater efficiency, and a customer experience that sets new standards.
Why does ACS play a crucial role in successful CX?
Solving individual customer problems through rapid response times and self-enablement
Setting new service standards through personalized interactions
Increasing service efficiency through automation as well as empathy during critical moments
How does ACS become successful in practice?
Identifying frequent routine inquiries for targeted automation
Automating workflows and defining new governance structures
Training and enablement to specialize employees and service partners
A key to CX success: Every customer service experience is part of a larger story
Approximately four out of five customers use customer service at some point along their customer journey before, during, or after a purchase. This makes customer service an essential part of the overall customer experience. Even today, the traditional image of customer service is still shaped by service agents wearing headsets. However, ACS changed the reality of this perception.
Nowadays, personal and empathetic interactions are merging with digital and automated processes and tools. ACS thrives on the integration of modern technologies such as AI solutions, voice assistants, and customer journey analytics. For customers, technologies like AI chatbots and self-service platforms are especially crucial.
60
%
"... of customers say they have changed providers at least once due to poor customer service.”
Deloitte 2022
ACS can be used as a key driver for customer loyalty, especially when the dialogue between customer service and the customer is meaningful.
Complaint management is, among other things, one of the main tasks of customer service. For dissatisfied customers, these moments represent particularly relevant and emotional touchpoints. It is precisely at these touchpoints that (A)CS often reaches its limits, as it fails to deliver emotional engagement and individualized conflict resolution. There are also significant gaps in technical service offerings.
83% of digital channels are rated as below average by customers, leaving significant room for improvement. In particular, the provision of self-service functionalities and GenAI in ACS is still far from meeting customer expectations.
Customers primarily want fast and personal interactions. They expect their issue to be resolved within a single interaction. This leads to important implications:
ACS is based on two central pillars: human customer service and (partially) automated handling of straightforward standard requests.
The right balance between technology-driven tools and human interactions must therefore be carefully considered. On the one hand, digital prerequisites need to be established to enable seamless integration of technologies. On the other hand, customer service agents must be empowered to work effectively with these modern technologies.
With Deloitte Digital, from Customer Service to Advanced Customer Service
With Deloitte Digital, companies can take their customer service (CS) to the next level. The following end-to-end approach supports this transformation:
01
Understand customers and identify use cases
01
Understand customers and identify use cases
Understanding the customer’s perspective adds tremendous value: By strategically mapping the customer service journey, it is possible to identify relevant pain points, both individual and structural, as well as the so-called "moments that matter.“
02
Tech analysis and implementation support
02
Tech analysis and implementation support
It is essential to examine, understand, and evaluate the existing IT and system landscape as well as potential technologies. This requires careful analysis: Across all touchpoints, the right technology and the appropriate level of automation must be identified. A vendor assessment can provide clarity in this process. The insights gained reveal to what extent and in what way technology can be integrated into the existing system landscape.
03
Clear measurement of success through KPIs
03
Clear measurement of success through KPIs
The impact on business success can be measured using clear business KPIs. The prerequisite for this is a well-designed KPI set: The Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) or, especially in ACS, the key metric of First Contact Resolution (FCR) are particularly suitable. The latter can be used effectively to actively improve the customer experience (CX). The use of AI in customer service is a key to success and is associated with a positive impact on resolution time and customer satisfaction.3 Deloitte has extensive expertise in anchoring suitable measurement systems within companies and rolling them out consistently.
04
Comprehensive transformation guidance
04
Comprehensive transformation guidance
Holistic transformation requires training & enablement as well as change management initiatives. Stakeholders must be engaged proactively, progress and results communicated transparently, and concerns about adopting technologies such as AI addressed. Customer service agents are empowered to effectively integrate modern software, tools, and technologies into their work. A holistic transformation can only succeed when strategic considerations and digital technologies are embedded in employees’ mindset and daily work.
This practical example demonstrates how ACS can be leveraged as a driver for improved CX and implemented sustainably.
Initial Situation:
A German energy and telecommunications provider faced the challenge of increasing both customer service efficiency and customer satisfaction. ACS was planned to be implemented on a large scale.
Solution:
The ACS solution was introduced to support customer communication for both internal service teams and external partners. It is fully integrated into the existing system landscape and connected to subsystems for reporting, quality management, and other specialized areas. Additionally, use cases for the full automation of customer responses were identified, assessed, and successfully activated.
Effect:
The outcome is reflected in the support provided to agents through smart features such as phrasing assistance and customer validations for complex inquiries, as well as fully automated responses for selected, straightforward requests. Training and change initiatives enable agents to confidently work with the AI solution and foster internal acceptance of the initiative. The result: A significant increase in customer service efficiency, with a 43% reduction in average handling time for customer inquiries and improved customer satisfaction. The CSAT for tickets processed using the ACS solution was 30.1% higher compared to other tickets.
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Neil Edion
Neil Edion is a Senior Manager within Customer and Marketing in the Talent Group Customer Experience & Transformation. He has experience in working a various field of industries such as banking, insurance, consumer electronics, healthcare and technology. He has particular knowledge in the field of customer experience, strategic design, brand strategy as well as employer brand.
Christian Sewald
Christian Sewald is part of the Customer Strategy & Design offering, supporting clients in developing and implementing customer-centric strategies that drive sustainable growth. His project experience spans sectors including automotive, public services, finance and banking, as well as energy, helping organizations navigate economic challenges and build resilience through transformation. He specializes in evaluating CX maturity to identify measures that foster customer loyalty, or to reshape structures and processes for greater customer orientation. He led international, interdisciplinary workstreams across CX strategy, CX transformation, and user-centric system implementation.