Revolutionize Billing Management With AI-Powered Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager

According to a Sydney Morning Herald article, dissatisfaction among telco customers is on the rise, with complaints soaring by one-third.^[i]

Telco customers are growing increasingly frustrated with poor customer service, billing issues, and the handling of their grievances.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s figures reveal a significant uptick in complaints, with individual and small business customers lodging 65,760 complaints in the second half of last year alone – marking a staggering increase of 33.8%.^[ii]

As the tide of dissatisfaction rises, it’s clear that Communication Service Providers (CSPs) can’t afford to turn a blind eye.

Addressing these mounting concerns with swift and proactive measures is necessary for maintaining trust, loyalty, and relevance.

One innovative solution that holds promise in revolutionizing customer support and billing management is Salesforce’s Billing Inquiry Manager.

This cutting-edge tool harnesses the power of generative AI to empower CSP service agents to provide personalized, proactive customer support and resolve billing issues faster.

Let’s explore how Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager is poised to transform the landscape of customer service in the telecommunications industry.

What is Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager?

“We announced the first generative AI power application for communications, Billing Inquiry Manager. How we can help the service agent to be better — that’s what this is all about, leveraging generative AI to ask them to handle some of the most common requests that they get. What is my bill? Why is my bill so high?”, David Fan, VP AND GM of Communication, Salesforce^[iii]

Built on the Einstein AI platform, Billing Inquiry Manager integrates seamlessly with Salesforce’s trusted customer platform, enabling organizations to harness the power of AI to create better customer experiences and enhance employee productivity. Service agents can directly access Billing Inquiry Manager from the Communication Cloud Service Console, utilizing AI insights to identify account anomalies and produce concise billing summaries and trend analyses.

Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager gives your agents a superpower – a complete picture of customer data, billing history, and even some AI smarts to understand trends. This translates to lightning-fast issue resolution and a happier customer base. It’s a win-win!

How Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager Works?

Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager tackles the complexities of customer billing inquiries for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) through a combination of data consolidation and AI-powered insights. Here’s a breakdown of its working process, illustrated with an example:

Centralized Customer View: Billing Inquiry Manager acts as a one-stop shop for customer service agents. It integrates with other Salesforce functionalities, providing a unified view of the customer’s account information. This includes past bills, current charges, payment history, and any relevant service details. No more scrambling through multiple systems – everything an agent needs to understand the customer’s billing situation is readily available.

How it works:
You log in to Salesforce and pull up a customer account (say, Sarah). Billing Inquiry Manager displays all relevant information in one place:

• Past bills: You can see Sarah’s historical billing data to identify any recent changes.
• Current charges: You can see the breakdown of charges on the current bill, including data usage, voice calls, and any additional services.
• Payment history: You can confirm whether any outstanding payments or late fees are causing the increased bill amount.
• Service details: You can confirm Sarah’s current plan and its included features.

AI-powered Analysis: Billing Inquiry Manager doesn’t just display data; it analyzes it intelligently using artificial intelligence (AI). This AI engine can uncover patterns and identify potential issues within the customer’s billing history. For example, it might detect inconsistencies in data usage charges or highlight discrepancies between subscribed plans and actual service usage.

How it works:
Now, the Billing Inquiry Manager analyzes Sarah’s data and highlights potential issues. For instance, it might:

• Detect a spike in data usage compared to previous months.
• Identify international roaming charges that Sarah might not be aware of.
• Find a discrepancy between Sarah’s subscribed plan and the services being billed.

Actionable Insights: The AI analysis goes beyond simply identifying anomalies. The billing Inquiry Manager takes those insights a step further by suggesting potential solutions or next steps for the customer service agent. This could involve recommending adjustments to the customer’s plan, flagging potential billing errors for further investigation, or providing relevant knowledge base articles to address common billing concerns.

How it works:
Based on the analysis, the Billing Inquiry Manager suggests solutions:

• Recommend investigating the cause of the data usage increase (e.g., background app usage).
• Offer to waive international roaming charges if they were accidental.
• Suggest a more suitable plan that better aligns with Sarah’s actual usage patterns.

Faster Resolution: Armed with a comprehensive customer view and AI-powered suggestions, agents can resolve inquiries more efficiently. They can quickly identify the root cause of the issue and guide the customer towards a solution. This not only improves customer satisfaction by leading to faster resolutions but also reduces the average handle time for billing inquiries, boosting contact center efficiency.

How it works:
Armed with these insights, you can:

• Explain the cause of the higher bill to Sarah clearly and concisely.
• Work with Sarah to find a solution, such as adjusting her plan or offering a discount.
• Resolve the issue quickly and efficiently, leaving Sarah feeling satisfied with the customer service experience.

By leveraging the power of Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager, you can transform how you handle customer billing inquiries. You can move from reactive troubleshooting to proactive problem-solving, ultimately leading to happier customers and a more efficient contact center.

You have read enough about Billing Inquiry Manager now, let’s delve into whether your business needs it!

Signs That You Might Need Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager

Is your contact center drowning in a sea of customer billing inquiries? Are you seeing a rise in customer frustration and complaints related to billing issues? If so, it might be time to consider Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager.

Here are some other key signs that your business could benefit from this AI-powered tool:

High Volume of Billing Inquiries: Are your customer service agents constantly fielding calls and chats about billing issues? This can overwhelm your team and lead to long wait times and frustrated customers. Billing Inquiry Manager can help streamline the process by providing agents with the tools they need to resolve inquiries faster.

Inaccurate Billing Errors: Do you suspect billing errors are slipping through the cracks, leading to customer dissatisfaction and potential revenue leakage? Billing Inquiry Manager’s AI can analyze customer data and identify discrepancies, helping you catch errors before they become bigger problems.

Long Inquiry Resolution Times: Are your agents spending too much time digging through various systems to understand customer billing issues? This can significantly impact your contact center’s efficiency. Billing Inquiry Manager consolidates customer data into one central location and provides AI-powered insights, enabling faster resolution.

Lack of Transparency: Do your customers feel confused or frustrated by their bills? A lack of transparency around charges can damage customer trust. Billing Inquiry Manager can empower your agents to explain billing details clearly, fostering trust and improving customer satisfaction.

Difficulty Identifying Upsell Opportunities: Are you missing opportunities to recommend additional services or plans that better suit customer needs? Billing Inquiry Manager’s data analysis can reveal customer usage patterns, helping you identify upsell opportunities that benefit your business and customers.

If you’re experiencing any of these signs, Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager could be a valuable solution. By leveraging AI to streamline billing inquiries, improve accuracy, and enhance customer experience, you can create a win-win situation for your business and customers with Salesforce Billing Inquiry Manager.

The Bottom Line

With Billing Inquiry Manager, you can transition from reactive troubleshooting to proactive problem-solving, leading to happier customers, more efficient contact centers, and increased trust and satisfaction in the telecommunications industry. Embracing this innovative tool marks a significant stride in delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring billing accuracy.

Ready to Revolutionize Salesforce Billing Management With AI? Let’s Help You!