AI agent assist beats robotic humanless automation in high-touch retail CX

AI's greatest strength (so far!) in transforming customer experience is not by replacing people, but by empowering them. In contact centers and beyond, AI agent assist tools are becoming vital allies—streamlining tasks, enhancing consistency, and helping human agents deliver the kind of personalized, high-touch service that builds lasting customer loyalty.

Kate Guenther, Vice President Concierge, Customer Experience at Aritzia, sees AI—particularly agentic assistants—as a catalyst for evolving customer care beyond mere efficiency.

Human connection first: Technology shouldn't overshadow the core of quality service, Guenther says. "I love the experience of having that human connection, and that will never go away. If we are strategic enough, we can use AI to our advantage in order to really make those high-touch, highly personalized experiences—world-class, white-glove."

In traditional contact centers, agents often operate in a "push-and-pull environment," manually searching for information. AI agent assist flips this model by automatically pushing relevant information to the agent and handling tasks like populating conversation notes, freeing agents to handle more interactions efficiently, Guenther explains. "The more we talk to our clients and the more that we fuel that AI component, the smarter it gets."

Consistency is key: Consistency across all customer touchpoints is key to building loyalty and trust, whether in retail or any other industry. Guenther notes AI excels here: "That's something that the AI can provide if you have a knowledge center. AI assist is accessing the same information and bringing that consistency."

It's something customer-facing businesses are rapidly coming to terms with. According to research by Salesforce, three-quarters of retailers believe AI agents will be vital for beating the competition within a year.

Growing tolerance: While customers may initially fear AI or be wary of deception, Guenther expects tolerance to grow as AI becomes more ubiquitous and effective at meeting needs. She draws a parallel to the public's eventual acceptance of digital payment methods like Venmo or Cash App, where initial apprehension gave way to necessity and value. "It's like why we continue to upgrade our iPhones. We keep learning and growing and I think that's what AI is going to do," she adds.

Towards customer acceptance: While it will continue to be important for organizations to be transparent about their use of AI, Guenther suggests the focus will increasingly be on results the technology can provide. AI's true value emerges when it empowers human agents to deliver exceptional, personalized experiences that build lasting customer relationships. "We can fear it, or we can be as transparent as possible, but at the end of the day, if you're getting the information that you need and we're servicing you in the way that you need to, the threshold and tolerance is only going to grow."