AI is a fantastic tool. But it should be a tool, not the entire customer service department.
AI is a fantastic tool. But it should be a tool, not the entire customer service department.
We have reached a point where some businesses seem determined to remove actual people from the process. Personally, I cannot stand calling a company and being trapped in a never-ending conversation with an AI assistant.
“Please briefly describe what you need.”
I do.
“Sorry, I didn’t understand that.”
And now we are enemies.
I would much rather speak with a real person first. Let that person understand the situation and decide whether an automated tool can help. Not the other way around.
I have normal business hours. I answer my phone when I can, return calls, respond to emails, and make sure agents know there is an actual human behind the support they receive.
Do I use AI? Absolutely. It helps me organize information, research questions, review documents, and work more efficiently. But I do not rely on it to build relationships or make judgment calls. Some situations require context, experience, and the ability to recognize when the question being asked is not actually the problem that needs to be solved.
That is especially true in insurance contracting.
Contracting is not always easy, and trying to automate every step does not necessarily make it better. A knowledgeable person can notice missing information, explain carrier requirements, identify potential problems, and help an agent build their business on a stronger foundation.
AI should support good service, not replace it.
Quick and easy may sound appealing, but easy is not always efficient. Sometimes it is just cheap, unreliable, and nowhere near what you expected.
Use technology to save time. Use experienced people to make sure you are doing things correctly. The best businesses understand that you need both.