Artificial Intelligence in customer relations : between promises and reality
Artificial Intelligence is profoundly transforming customer relationships. But how can AI truly enhance user experience and streamline interactions, without falling into the trap of technological gimmicks ?
In this exclusive interview, Maxence Jeunesse, AI Scientific Director at Covéa, shares a pragmatic vision of AI that is useful, measurable and human centric.
🔹 What are the real challenges of AI in customer relationships ?
🔹 How has Covéa successfully implemented high performing AI solutions ?
🔹 Why are experimentation and scaling essential ?
Discover concrete use cases, key learnings and a strategic perspective on AI applied to customer relationships.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now emerging as a major transformation lever for companies, particularly in customer relationships. Through the automation of interactions, personalisation of journeys and the streamlining of exchanges, it promises a customer experience that is more fluid, more efficient and more human. But beyond the technological narrative, how can companies truly leverage AI ?
To answer this question, it is essential to adopt a pragmatic, value driven approach. Maxence Jeunesse shares a clear and realistic perspective on Artificial Intelligence in this domain.
- AI should not be an end in itself, but a tool serving the customer
One of the primary pitfalls of AI is to consider it as an objective in itself, whereas it should first and foremost be a means to improve customer experience.
“AI is a collective project serving a clear purpose. We do not develop it for the sake of technology itself, but to address concrete business needs.”" – Maxence Jeunesse, Directeur Scientifique de l’IA chez Covéa
In the field of customer relationships, the goal is not to replace human advisors, but to enhance the fluidity of interactions and reduce friction across customer journeys.
In this context, Covéa has deployed a voicebot for inbound calls, capable of understanding the reason for the call and directing customers to the appropriate contact.
“We removed the rigid touch tone navigation system and implemented an intelligent voice assistant. The result : a 30 second reduction in connection time and improved call routing.” – Maxence Jeunesse
From experimentation to deployment : scaling is key
One of the major challenges of AI lies in moving from concept to production. Many organisations remain stuck in a testing phase, without fully integrating these solutions into their processes.
“We do not get lost in speculative economic projections. We test, we analyse, and we make decisions based on tangible results.” – Maxence Jeunesse
A strong example is the interview preparation support tool designed for in house experts. Thanks to AI, a structured brief is now provided to the expert before each assignment, enabling them to save time and gain a better understanding of the client context.
Strategic AI : buy or build ?
Not all Artificial Intelligence solutions need to be developed in house. Some, such as office productivity AI tools, can be purchased off the shelf. However, when AI becomes a strategic differentiator, companies need to take control and design their own solutions.
“AI solutions that directly impact the customer experience must be tailor made. That is what truly makes the difference.” – Maxence Jeunesse
Covéa has therefore chosen to build its own AI solutions for customer relationships, as these directly impact customer satisfaction and retention.
Conclusion : useful, measurable and human centric AI
Far from futuristic narratives, AI in customer relationships must прежде be useful and measurable. It should not remain a distant vision, but become a pragmatic reality that improves both efficiency and user experience.
The example of Covéa demonstrates that well designed and properly deployed AI can transform customer journeys and enhance employee effectiveness. However, this transformation can only succeed if it is grounded in a pragmatic, value driven approach rather than a purely technology driven one.
At Eleven Strategy, we are proud to collaborate with leaders such as Maxence Jeunesse and Covéa, who share our vision of AI that is useful, human centric and business driven.
