Balancing Automation and Personal Touch in Experience Strategies

Most AI implementations can be technically flawless—but fundamentally broken. Here's why: Consider this scenario: A company implemented a fully automated AI customer service system, and reduced ticket solution time by 40%. What happens to the satisfaction scores? If they drop by 35%, is the reduction in response times worth celebrating? This exemplifies the trap many leaders fall into - optimizing for efficiency while forgetting that business, at its core, is fundamentally human. Customers don't always just want fast answers; they want to feel heard and understood. The jar metaphor I often use with leadership teams: Ever tried opening a jar with the lid screwed on too tight? No matter how hard you twist, it won't budge. That's exactly what happens when businesses pour resources into technology but forget about the people who need to use it. The real key to progress isn't choosing between technology OR humanity. It's creating systems where both work together, responsibly. So, here are 3 practical steps for leaders and businesses: 1. Keep customer interactions personal: Automation is great, but ensure people can reach humans when it matters. 2. Let technology do the heavy lifting: AI should handle repetitive tasks so your team can focus on strategy, complex problems, and relationships. 3. Lead with heart, not just data (and I’m a data person saying this 🤣) Technology streamlines processes, but can't build trust or inspire people. So, your action step this week: Identify one process where technology and human judgment intersect. Ask yourself: - Is it clear where AI assistance ends and human decision-making begins? - Do your knowledge workers feel empowered or threatened by technology? - Is there clear human accountability for final decisions? The magic happens at the intersection. Because a strong culture and genuine human connection will always be the foundation of a great organization. What's your experience balancing tech and humanity in your organization?

AI is a powerful tool— but it won’t replace empathy (3 ways to leverage AI, without losing the human touch) Over the weekend, I had a tech support exchange that reminded me just how important it is to balance AI with the human touch. After asking a simple question about my data usage, I was met with an oddly worded and irrelevant response. Curious, I asked, "𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲?" The answer? “𝗡𝗼, 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗻.” Safe to say, I wasn’t entirely convinced 😉. While AI can streamline customer interactions, it should never replace the empathy and adaptability of real people. 3 Strategies for Using AI Without Losing the Human Touch: 1. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: Use AI for simple, repetitive tasks—like handling basic inquiries or routing requests to the right department. Free up human agents to focus on complex, high-empathy situations where they can make a real difference. 2. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Let AI recommend responses, solutions, or next steps, but give agents the final say. This keeps interactions efficient while ensuring the response fits the specific situation and customer. 3. 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆: Use AI to generate quick summaries of past interactions, so team members can pick up where the last conversation left off. This helps keep interactions smooth and personal, without making the customer repeat their story. AI is here to make things easier, but let’s not forget the importance of human understanding and adaptability. 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Have you experienced an AI interaction that felt a little too “robotic”? Share in the comments ⤵ ---- ♻️ Repost and share these leadership tips ➕ Follow me, Ashley VanderWel, for more

Yesterday, I posted a conversation between two colleagues, we're calling Warren and Jamie, about the evolution of CX and AI integration. Warren argued that the emphasis on automation and efficiency is making customer interactions more impersonal. His concern is valid. And in contexts where customer experience benefits significantly from human sensitivity and understanding — areas like complex customer service issues or emotionally charged situations — it makes complete sense. Warren's perspective underscores a critical challenge: ensuring that the drive for efficiency doesn't erode the quality of human interactions that customers value. On the other side of the table, Jamie countered by highlighting the potential of AI and technology to enhance and personalize the customer experience. His argument was grounded in the belief that AI can augment human capabilities and allow for personalization at scale. This is a key factor as businesses grow — or look for growth — and customer bases diversify. Jamie suggested that AI can handle routine tasks, thereby freeing up humans to focus on interactions that require empathy and deep understanding. This would, potentially, enhance the quality of service where it truly mattered. Moreover, Jamie believes that AI can increase the surface area for frontline staff to be more empathetic and focus on the customer. It does this by doing the work of the person on the front lines, delivering it to them in real time, and in context, so they can focus on the customer. You see this in whisper coaching technology, for example. My view at the end of the day? After reflecting on this debate, both perspectives are essential. Why? They each highlight the need for a balanced approach in integrating technology with human elements in CX. So if they're both right, then the optimal strategy involves a combination of both views: leveraging technology to handle routine tasks and data-driven personalization, while reserving human expertise for areas that require empathy, judgement, and deep interpersonal skills. PS - I was Jamie in that original conversation. #customerexperience #personalization #artificialintelligence #technology #future

AI was supposed to replace customer service agents. Now companies are rehiring them. Gartner just dropped a stat that should make every GTM and CX leader pause: By 2027, 50% of companies will abandon plans to reduce their support workforce due to AI. Why? Because going "agentless" isn’t as scalable-or as human-as it looked on paper. What we’re seeing play out is the classic tech trap: → Overpromise on automation → Undervalue human nuance → Realize too late that customer experience isn’t a back-office function-it is the brand. Gartner’s March 2025 poll says it clearly: 95% of customer service leaders plan to retain human agents to help define AI’s role-not eliminate it. There’s opportunity in this shift: → 40–51% of consumers prefer AI for speed-as long as a human is available when needed (Zendesk). → Nearly 60% of interactions are still simple and transactional (McKinsey & Company). This means AI should own the basics-and humans should handle the nuance. This is the future: → Digital-first, but not digital-only. → And it’s not just a CX issue. → It’s a GTM strategy challenge. If you're building partner programs, sales motions, or product-led service models, the lesson is the same: → AI scales speed. Humans scale trust. → The best companies won’t choose between automation and empathy. → They'll design systems that combine both-strategically. So ask yourself: Are you replacing people to cut costs-or augmenting them to deliver outcomes? Because the latter is where real growth lives. #CustomerExperience #AI #GTM 

AI for tasks, humans for judgement. That’s how we should be thinking about the future of customer experience. A recent Forbes article about Agentic AI got me reflecting on just how relevant that is to our mission at Zendesk. We’ve spent years helping businesses deliver seamless, human-centered support, and now Agentic AI is accelerating that transformation. AI can automate workflows, resolve common issues, and even anticipate customer needs before they arise. But the most critical moments in CX, the ones that build trust and drive loyalty, still belong to humans. Empathy, strategic decision-making, and relationship-building can’t be automated. The bigger challenge isn’t just deploying AI, it’s deploying it strategically. Too many companies are rushing into AI adoption without a clear vision, chasing trends instead of solving real customer problems. The businesses that succeed will be the ones that integrate AI not to replace, but to elevate human interactions—freeing up teams to focus on high-value, high-impact moments. How are you finding the balance between AI for tasks, humans for judgement in your own business? Would love to hear your perspective. https://lnkd.in/grT9s7M4