BY VINCE BARSOLO, TELEVERDE

ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK

34 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE

But that framing misses both the real risk and the real opportunity facing brands that serve large, price-sensitive customer bases.

The question isn’ t whether AI will transform customer service. It already has. The question is whether companies will use it simply to check a box or to build trust and advocacy in an environment where good service is becoming increasingly rare.

THE LESS SERVICE MYTH FOR MASS-MARKET CUSTOMERS

Much has been written about the emergence of a K-shaped economy where the middle class is hollowing out, wealth is concentrating at the top, and most consumers fall into increasingly price-sensitive tiers.

That shift has influenced how many organizations think about customer service. High-value customers are seen as deserving high-touch experiences, while mass-market customers are routed toward speed and automation.

But customers don’ t experience this as efficiency. Instead, they experience it as a difference in care.

There’ s a common assumption that customers outside the top income tiers expect less when it comes to service. In reality, they want less effort. They’ re perfectly comfortable solving simple issues on their own: as long as the experience is fast, clear, and reliable.

This is where AI excels. Straightforward requests, such as checking an order status, updating account information, or resolving basic issues, can and should be handled immediately through self-service.