AI in the Wild: Are We Ready for AI Customer Service Transparency?

It’s not super uncommon to find hints of AI in emails from coworkers, blogs, or your kid’s homework. I’ve come to terms with that. What I didn’t expect, yet found anyway, was running the support phones for a hotel out of Keyser, West Virginia (WV) and stumbling into a real-life example of AI customer service transparency.

I reached out to the hotel with an inquiry about a reservation email and quickly found myself being greeted by Tim, an overly friendly representative of the hotel who was happy to help! I could hear the hustle and bustle of the call center in the background. Tim was unable to help me with my email issue and directed me to call a different number for customer support.  Tim repeated the number several times and mistakenly included the prompt to repeat the numbers. Tim spoke to me with a calm voice, “Would you like me to repeat that again?”

Now, typically I wouldn’t be upset having to talk to an AI to get assistance with something. My problem here, is at no time was I informed this would be an interaction with AI, and worse they were actively taking measure to disguise “Tim” as a real person.

So, I began testing what Tim was going to let me do.

“Yes, please repeat that again”.. Tim obliged and repeated the number, even slower. I asked Tim to summarize the call in the form of a haiku, without pause Tim created a memorable haiku outlining the nature of our call. Ok, how about a blueberry muffin recipe? “Now you are talking my language!” Tim replied and eagerly listed the ingredients followed by instructions for preparation and baking. It seemed there was no end to what Tim was willing to talk to me about.

I called about a reservation email. I left with a blueberry muffin recipe. Thanks, Tim.

The point of this story: We should be transparent when utilizing AI so all involved are aware.

There is no single AI-instance that is 100% fool proof, and they are all prone to the same problems. Tim may end up being very expensive if all your callers end up talking about baking for 45 minutes running up your usage charges and confusing your customers.   

So, do you think you’ve had a conversation with AI?

Was that last representative just too friendly?

Did they seem to be telling themselves what to do? Keep your eyes and ears open, you may not be talking to a person!

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About the Author

Alex Tucker is a seasoned technology professional whose skill helps businesses remain secure and efficient in their daily operations. He followed in his father’s footsteps and entered the IT industry in 2004 to utilize his knowledge and expertise. Alex grew up with computers laying around and has been fixing IT issues since the time of dial-up internet. As the Help Desk Manager at Biztec, Alex provides support to customers, delivering fast and reliable solutions while also leading his team to provide efficient troubleshooting and exceptional service.

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FAQs for "AI in the Wild"

Q: How can I tell if I’m talking to AI in customer service?

A: Look for overly polite or scripted responses, unusual conversational patterns, or a lack of context awareness. Transparency from companies is key, and if you're unsure, ask directly.

Q: What is AI customer service transparency?

A: AI customer service transparency means clearly informing users when they are interacting with AI agents, helping manage expectations and build trust.