TEWKESBURY, United Kingdom, May 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A consumer expert has said businesses must put customers at the forefront of any plans to expand the use of AI – or risk losing trade.
Jane Hawkes, from the Lady Janey blog, said UK brands “risk losing customers if they replace humans with chatbots,” after one recent survey revealed that only four per cent of positive experiences were delivered by AI.
She said: “There are considerable revenue benefits for brands who invest in providing a customer experience backed by humans rather than seeking to cut costs by replacing staff with chatbots.
“Poll after poll finds that most successful customer interactions with companies come from proper human interaction, such as speaking to a customer service agent, rather than with chatbots.
“It is no surprise to me whatsoever that AI responses lead to poorer outcomes and results and this means UK brands are at risk of losing out on potential revenue if they go along with a trend rather than understand what their potential customers want.
“AI isn’t going anywhere and all organisations – from supermarkets to GP practices – will use it in some way. But it will only be successful if it is used in the right departments and not simply put in to slash jobs or to feel modern.
“There are many pitfalls which need to be avoided.”
Consumer expert Jane outlines five ways businesses should best manage merging tech and customer service:
Adopt a customer-centric approach / Value UX above UI
“So much technology is designed without the end user in mind but if a product is not user-friendly then it won’t be used. UX – the user experience, must not be valued lower than UI – the user interface (the visual elements and components of the product).
“Start with the customer, not the technology to enhance the customer experience and not complicate it. I am a big believer in Selfie Shopping whereby you walk the customer journey yourself to identify pinch points for improvement.
“AI should be used to solve those issues rather than being a flawed, short sighted, cost cutting strategy. To optimise the customer experience of AI, businesses must ensure any tools work seamlessly together across chat, email, phone, and social media channels.”
Use AI to complement human tasks, not replace them
“Customer enquiries are not always straightforward; they require empathy and understanding particularly post pandemic. Ensure complex, emotional or high-level issues are escalated to dedicated, trained teams for resolution. The value of the human touch should never be underestimated.”
Monitor use of AI
“For an AI system to be robust and effective, it needs to be regularly monitored, measured and refined, not just set up and left to run infinitely.
“AI performance should be reviewed using customer feedback, system analysis and resolution rates so as to ensure it is achieving its intended goals and no gremlins have crept into the mix.
“One of my most read blog posts is how to speak to a real person at Evri due to the frustration customers experience when using its AI tools to get questions answered.”
Don’t over-egg AI
“AI can add value to the customer journey but it is not essential at every single stage. It might be brilliant in logistics and stock management but incorporating AI at every touch point may only serve to frustrate customers rather than facilitating a smoother and more enjoyable customer service experience.
“Consider your company processes and procedures carefully before implementation to determine where its use can be best optimised.
“It is better to use AI to free up capacity and access in your teams than replace them with it.”
Train AI to listen to customers
“We’ve all been there: repeating a long order number or a postcode only for the AI system to repeat back to us something which bears no relation to what we said. It makes customers angry and want to quickly speak to a human instead.
“You should improve the relevance and accuracy of AI systems by enabling them to pick up on tone and urgency so issues of angry, upset or anxious customers can be fast tracked for resolution.
“A well-timed escalation can make all the difference between a good and a bad experience. Equally provide AI systems with real life data to improve response relevance and accuracy.”
Bonus tip: “Ensure any AI tools you choose comply with GDPR. Trust is easily lost if AI is misdirected and mismanaged. Customers are like elephants in this respect, they will never forget.”
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6afd7814-0d8a-4863-9776-f853b2082a68
