Why CX leaders and agents clash over AI — and what to do about it

Did you know there’s a growing divide between CX leaders and agents when it comes to integrating AI into customer support? In this video, Brandon Tidd, Zendesk Architect at 729 Solutions talks about the complex relationship and differing perspectives on Generative AI within the world of customer experience.

Key Insights You’ll Gain

• The Core of the Conflict — Get insights from Zendesk’s CX Trends report, revealing why AI is a point of contention between CX leaders and agents.
• Real-World Challenges — Learn about the everyday hurdles faced by agents that CX leaders might not be seeing, from AI’s “hallucination” issues to policy barriers.
• The Path Forward — Explore how tools like Zendesk play a part in reconciling these differences, ensuring customer data protection while embracing the benefits of Generative AI.

Why This Matters

As AI continues to reshape the landscape of customer experience and support, understanding the root of this disconnect is crucial for companies aiming to harness the power of AI effectively. This conversation isn’t just about new technologies — it’s about aligning vision and execution in the fast-evolving AI space.

Join the Conversation

Be part of the solution by understanding the challenges and opportunities in bridging the gap between CX leaders and agents. Register for the upcoming Zendesk CX Trends 2024 virtual event to ensure your team is moving forward, together.

Video Transcript

James: Have you been working with your customer support agents to create a plan for integrating artificial intelligence into your customer experience workflows? 

Now is the time to meet with your team to come up with a strategy for using AI as a tool to make everyone’s job easier and more efficient. 

Hello. My name is James. I am the Studios Director at 729 Solutions.

And joining me once again is Brandon Tidd, Zendesk Architect at 729. Great to see you again, Brandon. 

Brandon: Good to see you, James. 

James: According to this year’s Zendesk CX Trends report, there’s a growing disconnect between CX leaders and agents on everything related to AI. Talk to us more about this.

Brandon: Oh my gosh. We see it every day when we’re talking to customers and doing shadowing sessions with agents. 

When it comes to AI, a lot of leaders are nervous because these things have A tendency to hallucinate and maybe not provide the most reliable end user experience. What they don’t realize is that many of their agents are already using AI behind the scenes, on personal devices, in spite of massive policies being adopted to say, “Hey, don’t use Generative AI in our workplace due to customer data.”

Sometimes it’s just really nice to have that hopeful friend to rephrase what you’re gonna say when you’re hot under the collar talking to a customer. 

Generative AI has this amazing ability to transform the words that are in your head into customer friendly words that are more appropriate for an email. 

That being said, we definitely have to be careful with how these models are being trained and what information we’re giving them access to, which is why it’s important to focus on working with tools like Zendesk that are working within a framework of customer data protection to ensure that your customer’s data is safe and that you’re continuing to provide not only your end users, but their clients and customers with good, positive experiences with Generative AI. 

James: Brandon Tidd, a Zendesk Architect at 729 Solutions. We are a full service agency providing design, development, professional services and AI consulting. Visit 729Solutions.com to learn more about us. 

Zendesk CX Trends 2024 virtual event is coming up on February 15th. That’s tomorrow, so be sure to register now. Check the video description for the registration link, and we’ll see you next time, Brandon.