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Any business leader with an intense drive to innovate feels like they should be moving faster, smarter, and more strategically. The subtle art of allowing oneself to feel "behind" or underachieving is the innate value that makes success possible. In the age of AI, it's easy to think that every organization from enterprise down to SMB is implementing agentic solutions that tap into the latest and greatest models that will springboard their company beyond competitors. But the rush to implement AI "for the sake of AI" is often done without a clear understanding of true impact.
For Jim Iyoob, Chief Customer Officer at Etech Global Services and a 38-year veteran of the contact center industry, it is time for a reality check. He argues that while AI offers significant potential in the near-term, its current application is frequently misguided, and the key to success lies in a human-centric approach that prioritizes genuine customer needs and ethical considerations.
The AI illusion: "The whole 'myth of AI' is misguided because everybody is talking about I have to have it. They have no idea why they want to have it," Iyoob states. He notes that while tens of thousands of AI companies have emerged, many will fail because they misunderstand the technology's role. "People look at AI as it is going to solve all my problems. That is a lie." Iyoob firmly believes AI is not a "set it and forget it" solution, referencing the old Ron Popeil rotisserie slogan. "That is the biggest lie in the industry. Machine learning and AI has to be tuned, it has to be coded, and it has to be kept up with. That is where most people get it wrong."
Humans make the machine work: Central to Iyoob’s philosophy is the "human in the loop" concept. "I believe that it is human in the loop. Human beings are what makes the machine work well," he says. This perspective challenges the notion that AI will entirely replace human agents. Instead, he sees AI as a tool to enhance human capabilities, saving customers money and improving metrics like first contact resolution and handle time when applied correctly.
Personalization comes from reality, not boardrooms: When it comes to predictive AI and personalization, Iyoob points to a critical flaw: a lack of domain expertise in development. "The problem is the guy who coded that machine for this personalization never took a call a day in his life," he explains. Effective personalization, he argues, stems from analyzing the vast dataset businesses already possess – their customer interactions. "You already know what your customer said, what your best agent said and responded to, what worked, what did not work."
The customer's choice, not the brand's: Iyoob is passionate about empowering customers. "Let me get this straight. I am buying something from you as the consumer, and you are going to tell me how to contact you?" he asserts. "In a global marketplace, I can buy your product anywhere in the world. It is not your decision to tell me how to contact you, it is mine." He believes customers should have the option to use a bot, speak to a human, or chat, depending on their preference and the complexity of their issue.
Upskilling for a new era: While AI can automate simple tasks like password resets or basic product inquiries, Iyoob sees this as an opportunity to elevate the role of human agents. "The next evolution of Contact center is going to be now those brands are going to outsource more complex opportunities," he predicts. "Now you can actually teach an agent more skills, upskill them to be able to do more." He uses the example of tech support, where automation of level one tasks can allow agents to be trained for more complex level two or three issues.
Navigating the ethical minefield: A significant concern for Iyoob is data privacy and ethical AI use. "You cannot just take people's information and pop it into ChatGPT as everybody is trying to do because there is a lot of regulation that is about to come out," he warns. Etech, he explains, has created "narrow language models" that are housed behind their firewalls and do not interact with generative AI, thus protecting client data. "There already are class action lawsuits against major brands for taking information and plugging it into ChatGPT."
Future-proofing skills: To stay relevant, Iyoob identifies key skills customer service professionals and leaders need. These include customized training paths to develop existing talent, AI literacy programs for leaders, proficiency in making data-driven decisions, and robust change management. He stresses the importance of understanding customer experience and effort, and crucially, "being ethical and regulatory awareness because you cannot just take people's information without consequence."
