Customer churn can feel like the company equivalent of being ghosted. Where did that customer go, did you even see them leave the party? It can be an incredibly frustrating part of the customer lifecycle, and at scale, it has a direct impact on growth. The good news is that through the use of AI, companies are better placed to understand their customers and anticipate when they are likely to leave, and why. Max Jackson from the ECI Commercial Team shares his top five top tips for using AI to keep customers from doing the digital Irish goodbye:
Predictive analytics: the crystal ball of churn
AI can now be used to spot a ghoster before they even start fading. By analysing patterns like a drop in usage, a spike in support tickets, or suspiciously quiet buying habits, machine learning models can be used to identify high risk customers and flag when they look like they are about to leave, allowing you to intervene before it is too late.
Personalised engagement: because no one likes generic
Used properly, AI doesn’t do “Dear Valued Customer.” Instead it can be used to segment users into micro-groups and serve up hyper-personalised content – think Netflix recommendations, but for your product. Companies that leverage this ability to segment and customise relevant content will find their marketing efforts driving much higher engagement.
AI chatbots: the customer whisperers
AI-powered chatbots are always on and always polite, and as users get more comfortable talking to a bot there is likely to be further growth in trust and, in turn, use of these tools. Chatbots are evolving beyond handling FAQs; they can engage inactive users, triage customer queries and suggest next steps, keeping the conversation (and the relationship) alive. The data and insights they capture around customer conversations can also be used to drive product and marketing decisions.
Sentiment analysis: what are customers really thinking
Natural language processing tools can now be used to scan emails, chats, reviews, and social posts to detect shifts in customer sentiment. Whether it’s subtle frustrations or full-blown disappointment, AI can identify emotional cues across multiple channels and over time, helping you pinpoint where attention is needed most.
Proactive retention: the digital equivalent of “don’t go!”
The best AI tools won’t just sense a customer is drifting, they can act or prompt a salesperson with the best next action. Whether it’s a timely discount, a helpful nudge, or a reminder on product features and roadmap, there are an increasing number of tools to help reel customers back in before they’re gone for good.
