One of the most talked about topics of 2024 was Artificial Intelligence. From your home to your car to your business, AI is everywhere and spreading fast. One of the biggest discussions surrounds whether it is truly beneficial or something of a concern, especially for service-based businesses like ours. Like most controversial topics, the answer is not a simple one and lies somewhere in the grey, murky middle-ground of it simply depends on how you use it.
The Pros of AI for Shipping Services
24/7 Availability. Artificial Intelligence is an on-call customer service representative that doesn’t need sleep or breaks, so it can provide customer service around the clock. This makes it perfect for quick and simple queries like package tracking, checking invoices, and even simple price quotes.
Automating Simple Tasks. Similarly, AI is perfectly suited for tackling mundane, repetitive tasks such as invoices, labels, and as mentioned above, simple customer service inquiries.
Where AI Fails for Logistics
Problem Solving. While Artificial Intelligence may be able to track your shipment or tell you if it’s lost or not where it’s supposed to be, it isn’t going to pick up the phone and find out why or get it back on track for you. This is where the assistance and knowledge of an experienced professional are essential.
Specialty Pricing and Customization. The best value for most mailing and shipping quotes come from leaning on the expertise of a logistics professional. While AI can quote a price from point A to B, it’s the personal knowledge of the complexities of the USPS and private carriers that is needed to achieve the best rates and service.
Lack of Empathy and Creativity. AI’s greatest failing is the most obvious, its lack of humanity. While AI is improving every day, it’s only as smart as the information it is fed and, to date, we’ve yet to teach it how to truly understand the very human condition of empathy. There is an art to customer service and knowing when it’s not just about solving a problem, but also understanding and empathizing with the customer’s pain. Sometimes we just need to speak to a person, hear an understanding voice, and be reassured that the problem is going to be solved. AI simply isn’t there yet and who knows if it ever will be.
AI’s Place in Your Business
Artificial Intelligence adds value to business services, but only when used judiciously. It’s great for mundane, repetitive tasks and simple, customer service inquiries. Here at Altrans, we leverage technology for all these advantages but it doesn’t take the place of a human perspective for more complex services. We always provide our customers with a human review of their project to ensure we’re able to provide the best, most effective and most efficient solution required.
We also believe that AI can’t hold a candle to the value of human connection. AI is just another rapidly developing technology to leverage for the benefit of your customers, but we are nowhere near a point where it can replace real human interaction and talent. That’s why every one of our customers knows that they can reach a human being by phone, chat or email, whether AI isn’t doing what you need it to, or even if you just prefer to talk to a person.
How are you leveraging AI in your shipping and logistics planning? Reach out to us to discuss the best ways to apply artificial intelligence technology to your program.
