AI with empathy: The future of customer experience is human-centric

Anne-Marié Pretorious, Bizmod co-founder and servant leader, brings 20+ years of experience in Project Management, Business Analysis, Change Management, and specialises in Privacy and Information Security consulting.

Despite the digital revolution, customers still crave something profoundly human: empathy, understanding and connection.

As AI becomes more embedded in customer service, the challenge is not only technological – it’s emotional. Anne-Marie Pretorius, Managing Director at Bizmod, said:

“Businesses must now ask: how do we humanise AI to truly serve the customer?”

Minimal wait times

Customers expect a fast, seamless service across all channels. They want minimal wait times, empathetic problem resolution and hyper-personalised customisation. Yet despite significant investments in technology, the customer experience (CX) often falls short of these expectations.

“Seeing the CX as the core of customer centricity, long-term business success and elevating its executive level focus, is a key mind shift required by management.

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Only when CX is viewed as more than just a cost centre can businesses begin to implement the right technologies - including AI - to deliver exceptional service, Pretorious said

While AI dominates the tech landscape, Pretorius cautioned against getting lost in the hype. She said that at its core, AI is still a sophisticated algorithm. It is not a conscious being. The responsibility for outcomes still lies with the user. Companies must view AI as an enhancement to the CX landscape – not a replacement for human interaction or a tool for reducing headcount.

Difference between humans and AI

Pretorius advocates for a hybrid approach: let machines and humans do what they do best. AI excels in predictive analytics and repetitive tasks – like searching for payment histories, resetting passwords and answering FAQs. Humans, on the other hand, thrive in complex, emotionally nuanced situations – such as handling bereavement claims, de-escalating an irate customer, or interpreting sarcasm.

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Ethical governance is critical. The Turing Institute recommends that AI projects adhere to four key principles:

• Fairness –mechanisms to measure and mitigate bias.
• Accountability – clear oversight and auditability.
• Sustainability –awareness of AI’s real-world impact.
• Transparency – the ability to explain AI decisions in plain language.

For Pretorius, transparency is paramount. She feels that customers deserve to know why a decision was made and that it was made fairly.

“Most research shows that customers overwhelmingly prefer human connection. The ultimate advance in CX is not replacing people with AI but empowering them with AI co-pilots to handle more intricate, meaningful interactions,” she said.

Business and IT leaders must reframe AI not as a cost-saving tool, but as a co-pilot for empathy. Start by auditing your CX journey – where can AI enhance, and where must humans lead? The future of the customer experience lies in the balance.

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3 More stories about AI

• Briefly News also reported that Artificial intelligence firms must ask for permission before using copyrighted text and images to generate content, a consortium of news groups said.
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• A single query to ChatGPT uses as much electricity as burning a light bulb for about 20 minutes.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Briefly News.

Source: Briefly News