When our customers are kind enough to share their experiences in a website, Google or TrustPilot review, they will start out by reporting how they have been able to resolve their long-standing digestive and gut health issues through following one of our targeted supplement protocols. More often than not, these people have contacted me directly, seeking advice about which supplements to take for their particular symptoms. I am happy to offer my recommendations and usually after a few messages back and forth to establish what could have triggered their symptoms and to understand their medical history more thoroughly, I can match supplements to symptoms. When these people share their feedback, it is not uncommon for them to make a special mention about the time I have taken to point them in the right direction so that they can treat their conditions at the root cause. Many of our reviews go beyond praising our products; they highlight how me, and my Tummy Team provide a very unique, personal service.
Here at Just For Tummies, we pride ourselves on giving our customers the very best experience. That said, I will hold up my hands and admit that giving personalised, tailored advice is by no means an easy service to provide. It is time-consuming and must be done with great care and attention to detail, particularly when it comes to the health and wellbeing of an individual. I can, therefore, see how tempting it must be for businesses to delegate this kind of work to Artificial Intelligence (AI). In today’s fast-moving world, time is money. As a small business, we understand the importance of efficiency and cost-effectiveness and AI can be a big help in achieving both of these; it has revolutionised many industries by streamlining processes, optimising strategies, and ultimately saving businesses precious time and money.
When it comes to answering customer enquiries, however, I am firm believer that this is a task that needs to be carried out by a human. Customer service is vital for any business’s success, and yes, it can certainly be time-consuming and resource-intensive, so it would seem logical to turn to the aid of AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants to handle enquiries, provide instant responses, and even resolve common issues without human intervention. However, while AI-enhanced machines can work faster and continually, they cannot factor emotion into decisions. AI cannot develop bonds with humans or make that true human connection. AI cannot understand nuances in language and understanding – at least not yet!
Serendipitously, I tore off the page of my ‘quote a day’ desk calendar only the other week and read the following from the Romanian-French playwright, Eugene Ionesco: ‘It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.’
So, so true. If the right questions are not being asked, how can you possibly expect to receive the answers to solve the puzzle? Does a virtual assistant know the right questions to ask to get the root cause of a person’s digestive and gut health issues? In many cases, it can predict with great accuracy and customers can get the answers they are looking for, but not all cases are linear; they require a multi-pronged approach. This is the approach I have to adopt when I ask about a person’s health history; I dig deep with my questions because it’s only by asking certain key questions, that I can get to the root cause many digestive, gut, bladder, vaginal and auto-immune issues.
It’s not enough to just ask about the symptoms; if you know that someone suffers with IBS symptoms, with bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, acid reflux, diverticulitis flare-ups, it’s crucial to ask questions that reach beyond the symptoms so that you arrive at the true cause – only then can you put together a supplement/treatment protocol that will be successful. Asking the right questions can also jog a person’s memory as to why they may have developed such symptoms. I like to get people thinking about the what, the when and the how. This is where AI falls short – emotions play a key role in our customers’ experience; they get in touch because they are struggling with debilitating symptoms, many are in a lot of pain, desperate to find a solution to years of suffering – so you can see why this can be a problem if we let AI address these issues.
When people get in touch with me and my team, they communicate with real people – people with empathy and compassion, who can readily understand and relate to what customers may be experiencing. We can provide support and comfort, fostering connections based on mutual understanding and respect. I am sure by now we have all communicated with a virtual assistant, and in many cases, they can be incredibly convenient, providing a quick answer to a simple question. But when it comes to a more complex query, one that requires peeling back a few layers, understanding not only physical symptoms but also mental and emotional factors, a response that simulates empathy based on algorithms and data will fall short. There are situations when genuine emotional understanding is needed, and I believe that this is a pre-requisite when it comes to offering our customers tailored advice and recommendations.
Here is just one example of how happy our customers are when they are able to receive advice tailored to their specific symptoms:
If you have any questions about a digestive and gut health issue, please get in touch. We (humans) will be happy to help!
