How to create authentic customer experiences in an AI world

Whether you're pro-AI or not, I think we can all agree there's been a huge wave of conversation around "AI slop".

If you haven't heard of the term, let us put you on.

AI Slop generally refers to mass produced, low-effort content that is created by AI. Often used by companies, large and small, to produce more content, faster and cheaper. Unfortunately, this has come at the expense of human creativity and people all over the world are feeling it.

People don't want another perfectly polished ad that looks just as generic as the other 10 they scrolled past before it. People are increasingly drawn to simplicity, personality, and weird ideas that feel like someone sat down to think, create and publish them. Many would probably rather read something with a few gramar mistakes written by a human than another article written by AI.

(See what we did there? We know it's grammar, guys.)

The point is, in a world where machine-made content can be made instantly and at massive scale, genuine human authenticity and creativity suddenly feel more valuable than ever.

That backlash has led plenty of people to proclaim their new hatred of AI and demand that their favorite brands stop using it altogether. At USAN, we understand that frustration, but here's our view: AI isn’t the problem, companies (and people) that misuse it are.

We said it. Whoops! Let us explain.

There are many types of AI and countless ways to use them. However, in the simplest terms, AI is just a capability that can help people work faster and make decisions more efficiently. AI can't decide where it gets used, companies do.

So, what does this mean for AI in CX and the contact center?

How much we automate, which interactions we hand over to machines, and where humans remain involved are all choices we make. That is why companies might be a little bit at fault here because when everything starts to feel like AI slop, authenticity becomes your biggest differentiator.

Don't confuse personalization with authenticity

Customer experience has come a long way. From exchanging goods and services to today's multi-channel, data-driven and personalized customer journeys, what customers expect from brands has changed significantly.

Back in the day, quality service and fair pricing used to be enough. Today, customers expect much more, and AI has played a big part in raising the bar. 53% of customers believe that they will prefer interacting with AI-powered agents in the coming years. A chatbot that answers FAQs? Bare minimum. 68% of customers believe chatbots should have the same level of expertise and quality as highly skilled human agents.

Customers expect AI to understand their needs, solve their problems, and deliver experiences that feel relevant to them, and we understand it's hard to keep up. Going beyond simple automation was a first step, adding AI to your customer journeys is another, but if everyone is using AI to improve customer experience, how do you stand out?

In the past years, many found that personalization was the way to go. Brands started using AI to analyze customer intent, purchase history, and previous interactions to deliver experiences that feel more tailored to each customer. Think about personalized recommendations, proactive support, or an agent who already knows why you're calling before you have to explain yourself all over again. That's great and all, but personalization has quickly become the standard, not a differentiator.

Agentic AI has opened a whole new world of possibilities for customer experience, where AI can identify behavioral patterns, sentiment changes, and usage trends to act before problems arise. Zendesk highlights a few ways AI is changing CX, from AI-powered quality assurance and anticipating customer needs to onboarding CX teams faster and delivering hyper-personalized interactions.

This is a huge deal for contact centers because it gets rid of repetitive tasks, it reduces call volumes and give agents less workload but more time to focus on complex customer issues.

However, knowing what your customers need and how to make them feel valued and appreciated are two completely different things. AI can help anticipate problems, but how you show up for customers when things get complicated is how you make your brand memorable.

Don't confuse personalization with authenticity, AI can open the door to many new possibilities, but it's up to you to take that opportunity and create meaningful experiences.

This can show up in the way you talk to your customers. Think about that little greeting your agents use when saying hello or responding to a thank you. Chick-fil-A’s signature “My pleasure!” is a perfect example of how a small detail can make a brand instantly recognizable. It’s different from the usual “You’re welcome,” and when you hear it, you know exactly where it comes from. It feels like them.

It can also show up in the unexpected details of an interaction, or simply knowing when a customer needs a real person instead of another automated response.

Take Roger Lee, an AI & Customer Experience Leader, as another example. On one of our Speechless Podcast episodes, he shared a story about a pet food brand that earned his loyalty through an incredibly thoughtful customer experience. After his dog passed away, the company sent him a credit for the food he could no longer use, along with a handwritten sympathy card from the representative he'd spoken to on the phone just days before.

That's the kind of experience he will never forget and even though this pet food brand costs a little more, he doesn't mind. He chooses to be loyal to the brand that's loyal to him.

It’s not just about having the best product anymore. Customer loyalty is built through the authenticity in the small details and the creativity that makes someone want to choose your brand again and again.

AI can help you personalize experiences, but it can’t show up as you. It can’t replace what makes your brand, your brand.

Remember: You're designing experiences for people, not machines

“Customers” can feel like an ambiguous word, can’t it? Sometimes we talk about customers as if they’re some distant group we’re trying so hard to understand but can never quite reach. A little funny, considering we’re all customers of some brand. You are. I am. No matter what you do for a living, you’re ultimately a customer, too.

If we are what make up the market, why do organizations sometimes forget that they’re designing experiences for people, not machines?

As Stephanie Shaffer, Customer Experience Practitioner & Principal Consultant, shared in a conversation on our Speechless Podcast:

“The folks making the decisions are so far from the folks that are actually carrying out the actual service.”

She went on to explain:

“The frontline understands all of the friction, and they have all the answers, they’re just not empowered to do it. It's really that simple.”

You don’t want to be those folks making decisions far removed from reality. Creating authentic customer experiences starts with understanding what your customers are going through and who better to help you understand that than the people who interact with them every day?

Talk to your frontline agents. Listen to your employees. They see the friction firsthand, hear the frustrations, and often know exactly where the experience could be better. Give them the opportunity to share what they know and the power to help make it happen. More often than not, that’s where some of the best ideas can come from.

Be transparent about AI

Have you ever had your data leaked, or a password exposed, or your account hacked? It can feel like a betrayal of trust to have your information accessed without your permission and feels a little scary.

Customers can feel the same way when they discover their information has been used in ways they weren’t aware of by a brand they trust. Even if the intention was to create a more personalized experience, finding out after the fact can make customers feel like they’ve been watched rather than understood.

According to NICE, over 70% of individuals would avoid further engagement with a company that shares their sensitive information without consent. That’s a pretty clear reminder that mishandling customer information can cost a brand more than just trust.

That’s why transparency matters. Nobody likes being lied to, and I know you and I both want to understand how AI is becoming part of our customer experiences and how our information is being used.

But being transparent with AI isn’t just about letting customers know it’s being used. It also means being clear about your intentions, how you use their information, and what AI is and isn’t allowed to do.

Yep, AI needs to have limits, too. It can't just be out there wild and free. Setting up guardrails is an important step in any AI transformation because it helps ensure the technology is being used responsibly, stays aligned with your brand’s values, and knows when it’s time to hand things over to a human.

Trust us, being transparent about AI can pay off. HubSpot found that 78% of people are more likely to share their data with a company they trust. Customers are willing to share information when they believe a company will handle it responsibly and use it to create an experience that benefits them, too.

The lesson? Use AI transparently and give your customers a reason to trust you.

Use AI where it makes sense, and let humans do what they do best

AI will definitely have a place in customer experience because it brings plenty of benefits. The key to standing out in an AI world is to use it intentionally, making room for the ideas and experiences that feel genuinely human.

People won't want to read a book written by AI or buy from an ad that was obviously made by AI because there's no personality or special messaging there, just generic ideas made to look professional. There’s something special about knowing a person brought an idea to life through their perspective and imagination, with the little details that make it feel original.

AI can support that process by handling repetitive tasks, analyzing data, and taking some of the busy work off an agent's plate. Let it handle the tasks that slow your employees down, giving them more time to connect with customers and solve problems that don’t come with a simple, automated answer.

At the end of the day, some things can’t be replaced. Human judgment, authenticity, creativity, and empathy are what make customer experiences feel personal and meaningful. We can use AI to make those experiences more efficient, but we can’t afford to set the human side of CX aside.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can automate everything. Make smart decisions, use AI where it makes sense, and let humans do what they do best.

 Learn how to create authentic customer experiences with USAN.