Is our reliance on AI costing us? Stomper vexed by lack of human touch in customer service
Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight.
Have you ever felt frustrated when trying to contact customer service, but can only reach a bot who lacks the nuance and context of your issue?
You are not alone.
Stomper Michael recently had such an encounter, leading him to wonder if we are over-reliant on artificial intelligence (AI).
He said: "Are we depending so much on AI that we miss out on human touch? Here's my story.
"I have always trusted Google for their ability to provide reliable services to people around the world. But my recent experience has made me more hesitant and has highlighted how much improvement is still needed, especially in customer service.
"Recently, after changing my debit card, I tried updating my payment details for my annual Google One storage subscription. Despite multiple attempts with different debit and credit cards, every transaction failed.
"To make things worse, I received warning messages from Google saying, 'Update Payment info to restore your Google One 100GB plan. Starting 12 Sept, emails sent to you will be bounced back and can't be recovered.'
"When I reached out for help, I discovered that many other users were facing the same issue. Yet the Google community provided no real solutions, and my messages to support and feedback channels went unanswered."
Micahel felt that he only had AI-generated responses that offered generic suggestions to contend with, none of which provided any real resolution.
"This situation shows a growing problem: as companies rely more heavily on AI, the human element of customer service is disappearing," the Stomper added. "AI is useful, but it has clear limitations when it comes to understanding, empathising, and resolving unique user problems.
"If companies like Google want to stay relevant to their (very human) users, they may need to reconsider their approach and reintroduce more human involvement in customer service.
"A platform that combines technology with genuine human support will always stand out, because real people still value personalised services and solutions that AI alone cannot provide."
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