The AI Dilemma: When Businesses Should Think Twice Before Implementing AI for Customer Service

As a leader at a voice AI company, I find myself in the unique position of advising potential clients to reconsider their use of our technology. This may sound counterintuitive, especially to my sales team, but after working with numerous companies to integrate AI into their operations, I’ve observed that the inappropriate application of AI can often create more challenges than it resolves.

Take, for instance, a recent engagement with a law firm that sought our assistance with their client intake process. After reviewing their call recordings, it became evident that their situation wasn’t suited for AI. The nuances of legal inquiries, the emotional weight of clients discussing sensitive experiences, and the complexities involved in eligibility assessments would have rendered AI disastrous in this context.

This scenario highlights a larger issue: the current excitement surrounding AI has led many businesses to hastily pursue its implementation without a thorough assessment of their specific needs. The truth is that while AI can excel in certain scenarios, it can falter dramatically in others.

Before diving into voice AI, here are three essential criteria your business should evaluate:

1. Examine Call Patterns

From my analysis of over 10,000 customer calls across various industries, it became clear that businesses generating consistent types of inquiries—such as appointment scheduling, straightforward FAQs, and basic troubleshooting—are ideal candidates for AI integration. If your calls lack uniformity and every conversation is distinct, it’s prudent to reconsider your timing. For example, a mental health clinic we assessed faced an array of unique patient needs that demanded empathy and attentive listening, making AI implementation both inappropriate and potentially harmful.

Our team developed a pattern analysis tool to help businesses determine if their call data supports AI use. If less than 70% of calls exhibit recognizable patterns, it’s likely too soon for AI. Take one home services company that discovered 85% of their calls involved appointment bookings—they were prime candidates for AI. In contrast, a B2B software firm found only 30% of their calls followed a pattern, indicating a need for human agents.

2. Clear Escalation Procedures

For AI to fail gracefully, it’s crucial to define what constitutes a “failure.” One of our clients implemented a chatbot without clear escalation rules, leading to increasingly frustrated customers who simply wanted to speak to a manager. Before introducing AI, outline explicit triggers that will automatically transfer calls to human representatives. For example, a dental clinic in our