
Patrick Quinlan, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, believes GenAI will be the driving force behind the transformation. “As GenAI continues to mature and facilitate seamless voice interactions, voice-based customer service isn’t going away. It will instead evolve to meet customers’ needs for simpler, more efficient service experiences,” Quinlan said.
Currently, most companies manage customer inquiries across multiple channels, which can create inconsistent service levels and higher costs. The shift to AI-driven solutions aims to simplify and improve customer service but is likely to mean a shift away from human customer service representatives.
Quinlan added that organizations must move beyond focusing on which channels customers use to communicate and instead consider how customers actually want to engage.
Gartner also forecasts that by 2028, 70% of customer service journeys will begin and end with conversational AI assistants on mobile devices. Assistants such as Google Gemini and Apple AI are expected to dominate that landscape, enabling customers to bypass traditional service channels in favor of seamless interactions through third-party apps.
A recent survey of 5,500 consumers revealed that 45% are already using GenAI tools in their personal or professional lives, signalling widespread adoption. As the technologies become more ingrained, they are likely to transform how customers interact with brands, making AI customer service a central component of corporate strategies.
Despite optimism about AI’s potential, Gartner has cautioned about challenges that could hinder adoption. Issues like poor data quality, high implementation costs, and unclear returns on investment have led Gartner to predict that 30% of GenAI projects may be abandoned by 2025.
The adoption of AI in customer service is expected to have a profound impact on jobs. As automation takes over repetitive tasks, many traditional customer service roles may be displaced, requiring HR departments to adapt.
Organizations may need to focus on reskilling employees for higher-value roles that complement AI, such as managing complex customer inquiries or overseeing AI systems. New roles may emerge as a result. HR leaders will play a crucial role in navigating such transitions, ensuring employees are equipped to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven workplace while addressing concerns over job security and employee morale.
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