Last week, London caught me off guard in a way that perfectly captured the AI paradox in customer service.
I had just wrapped up hosting the ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐
๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐บ, an event steeped in discussions of AIโs expanding role in customer service and support, and was heading toward Covent Garden for dinner with peers when I realised I might need some cash.
My Apple Wallet card works seamlessly in the States, but the London ATM had other plans:
๐๐ฉ๐บ๐ด๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ญ ๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ.
No card. No cash. Just my phone. I dialed the bankโs international support line.
The rep sounded flawlessโperfect cadence, zero hesitation.
โ๐๐ฎโฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ข ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ?โ
"๐ ๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ โ ๐'๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ," she replied, then interrupted my follow-up question before I could finish it. That interruption convinced me she was human; AI still waits its turn in conversations.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ
AI hasn't replaced agents, but it touches everything โ call routing, noise filtering, accent smoothing, and more.
We've optimized voices to perfection, then doubt them for sounding perfect.
We train agents with machine-generated scripts, then question their authenticity when they sound... machine-optimized.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐ฃ๐ง๐๐๐
To convince skeptics, agents now cough, laugh, recite anecdotes, or lean on humor:
โ๐๐ข๐ด๐ต ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ, ๐ ๐ธ๐ข๐ด๐ฏ'๐ต ๐ข ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ต, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ-๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฆ.โ
But AI is already learning to joke, stumble, and chuckle convincingly. The line keeps blurring.
My cash problem was simple: London ATMs really do insist on plastic.
Dinner got paid through my digital wallet, no sweat.
But that split-second doubt โ AI or human โ stayed with me.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐
Behind every AI-enhanced call is a person who wants to be trusted. When agents spend shifts defending their humanity, it erodes something fundamental.
We coach them to sound flawless, then penalise them for not sounding "authentic" enough.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐๐ป
Leading a customer support team? Consider these:
โ
๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ โ Let agents speak naturally, even imperfectly.
โ
๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ โ Inform customers when they're talking to AI.
โ
๐๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป'๐ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ โ Let AI handle routine tasks so people deliver genuine empathy.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐
Weโre inching toward a world where proving youโre human is part of the job description.
AI should reveal our humanity, not conceal it.
Letโs remember who weโre serving and whoโs doing the serving.
That's what I think. What do you think?
