Why a VP Who Swore He’d Never Use AI Is Using AI This Holiday Season

“Am I the only person who will never use AI in customer service?” a vice president of Direct-to-Consumer asked me over a breakfast meeting. He told me that AI was a complete non-starter, because, he said, it’s an impersonal shortcut that compromised genuine customer care. He believed that his customers, who spend an average of $500 per transaction, deserved the personal touch of a human agent. “My customers spend enough that I shouldn’t have to rely on AI,” he noted.

I hear it from businesses all the time: “If you really care about your customers, you won’t use AI for customer service.” Many people perceive AI as cold, unfeeling, and robotic. The brands we work with care deeply about building relationships with their customers, and their values are based on loyalty, luxury, and compassionate support. For them, using AI customer service feels too risky. It has a reputation for making mistakes and being irrelevant. It often prioritizes efficiency over real interactions.

But what if the opposite were true? What if using AI customer service actually proved how much you care about your customers? What if deploying AI illustrated you cared about customers more?

What I told him is that AI doesn’t have to — and shouldn’t — replace human connection. It’s about optimizing resources to provide the best possible experience for all his customers. And, if used correctly, AI can actually strengthen relationships and brand affinity.

“What if using AI customer service actually proved how much you care about your customers? What if deploying AI illustrated you cared about customers more?”

Jodi Cerretani

VP of Marketing, Gladly

Think of it like this:

Imagine a store with two customer service lines. One line is for simple questions like “Where are the batteries?” The other is for more complex issues such as how to resolve difficult store interactions or whether a coupon from 1975 can be honored.

Wouldn’t it make sense to have a system that quickly directs customers to the right line? Nothing is more frustrating than having to wait in line behind someone who needs something complex solved when all you need is to know which aisle the window cleaner is on. We’ve all wished — at the airport, at the grocery store, at the ice cream shop — there were two customer support lines: one for the simple stuff and one for the complicated stuff.

With AI, we can make that wish come true.

AI can handle those quick, transactional inquiries instantly, freeing up human agents to focus on the customers who need their expertise.

“Have you considered that AI can actually help you make your customers — and agents — happier?” I asked him.

“No,” he said. “I just thought about it as a cost-saving measure. I didn’t realize it could enhance the customer experience.”

“It absolutely can,” I said to him. “First of all, it’ll reduce wait times. With AI, you can easily provide service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And, because customers with simple issues will get AI assisted service, customers with complex issues get served faster; everyone gets the level of service they need.

“Second, AI empowers agents with real-time assistance and automation of routine tasks. With tools like AI-generated summaries and suggested responses at their fingertips, agents can focus on delivering exceptional, personal service — no more searching for case numbers or asking customers to repeat their story for the tenth time.”

“I know that frustrates customers,” the VP admitted.

“Exactly,” I said. “Don’t get me wrong, AI will save you money. But what our customers are doing is actually reinvesting that cost savings into things like new channels like phone support, which they couldn’t previously support.”

And now he began to see the possibilities.

The VP, who swore he’d never use AI, is now trying out our AI capabilities this holiday season.

“AI doesn’t have to — and shouldn’t — replace human connection. It’s about optimizing resources to provide the best possible experience for all his customers.”

Jodi Cerretani

VP of Marketing, Gladly

What won him over was the idea that providing AI-powered support for simple issues and using human agents for complex issues actually provided better customer service than what he had before. And, with the increased cost savings, he will now have a choice of what he decides to invest in — more agents, more channels, more hours of customer support available.

He’ll know he’s successful with AI because he’ll see customer satisfaction rise alongside better operational efficiency. He believes that AI will get him there because he should be able to realize a massive gain in CSAT at a decreasing cost.

His customers deserve — and will get — instantaneous answers to simple questions and bespoke, compassionate service for complex issues. And because agents no longer have to worry about handling the busywork of things that should just be instantaneous, they’ll be able to provide more thoughtful, empathetic service than they ever could before. Even though handle time will go up, CSAT should also go up and costs will go down. He believes the increased satisfaction will lead to increased sales. And that’s a win for everyone.

Want to see how you can make your customers happier at a lower cost using AI? Sign up for a Gladly demo today.

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