Artificial Intelligence (AI) entered the mainstream with a powerful promise: to make everyday interactions simpler, faster and more intuitive. In customer service, that promise is especially important.

As connectivity becomes ever more essential to how we live, work and stay in touch, people expect problems to be resolved quickly and conversations to feel seamless.

But, even as AI becomes more capable, it doesn’t remove the need for human input.

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While some industries have been guilty of struggling to apply AI in ways that truly improve these moments – or becoming over-reliant on the technology before it’s quite ready – we’ve seen, first-hand, the impact AI can have when applied alongside people.

It removes effort for customers, improves outcomes for agents, and raises overall service standards.

That balance of human empathy and intelligent automation should underpin the approach to AI. For us, it is ultimately about using AI to support human experts, rather than replace them – pairing technology with the trained specialists who can interpret context, adapt quickly and respond with empathy.

It’s about unlocking the version of AI that customers have been promised.

The challenge: Customers are stuck on repeat

Usually, when people contact customer service it’s because something has gone wrong or isn’t working as it should be. In these situations, customers need – and expect – us to be able to deal with their enquiry quickly and efficiently.

Research into customer service across the UK found that: 82% have had to explain the same issue more than once, and the average enquiry still involves four repeated questions, 15 minutes on hold, and three different agents. This culminates in the Institute of Customer Service finding that 41% of people dread talking to a chatbot.

AI-enabled tools may offer unique solutions to these frustrations but, to do this, they need to sit alongside human support. That’s why AI should not only help agents with the sheer volume of enquiries they receive every day, but with the quality of conversations they have as well.

A better model: AI and people working as one

For instance, checking account details, payment terms or questions about devices are tasks that can be answered instantly.

However, if the customer is reporting more complex issues – like fraud or a technical issue – or is identified as vulnerable in any way, then the handover to a human expert should happen immediately within the same thread, with no channel-switching and no retelling.

Once at this stage, AI can once again step in to help behind the scenes. Tools like live transcription and real-time knowledge retrieval give teams the space to focus on clear, empathetic conversations with customers – and to do so more quickly than before.

It ultimately all comes down to equipping experts with tools that enhance every conversation. The right AI tools can help businesses to identify risks before they escalate.

The future: Simplifying customer care

With AI supporting teams, one human expert can own the issue from start to finish and provide timely updates. Ask once, get it sorted.

Gartner analysts expect that by 2028, 30% of large enterprises will deliver service through a single, AI-enabled channel so customers don’t have to start from scratch each time.

Regulators are nudging in the same direction too. Ofcom is cutting the complaint-resolution window from eight weeks to six, recognising that weeks-long back-and-forths are a tax on people’s time.

And that’s why businesses need to invest in technology and people – to help serve customers with greater speed, clarity and humanity as AI becomes more embedded in everyday interactions.

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