Quick Answer
For search, voice, and "just tell me what to do".
AI should step back when customers are emotionally distressed, dealing with complex multi-step issues, making high-value decisions, experiencing service failures, or explicitly requesting human help. Strategic restraint with AI builds deeper trust than blanket automation.
Key Takeaways:
- Emotional situations require human empathy
- Complex problems need human judgment
- High-stakes moments deserve personal attention
- Service recovery is best handled by humans
- Customer preference for humans should always be respected
Playbook
Create a decision matrix for AI vs. human routing
Implement sentiment detection for emotional escalation
Set clear triggers for automatic human handoff
Train AI to recognize its own limitations
Build easy opt-out paths to human agents
Common Pitfalls
- Forcing AI on customers who want humans
- Using AI for crisis or complaint situations
- Automating relationship-critical touchpoints
- Ignoring context clues that signal human need
Metrics to Track
Customer satisfaction by channel
Escalation success rate
Time to human when requested
Complaint resolution rates by channel
FAQ
What percentage of support should be AI vs. human?
There's no universal ratio. Focus on matching the right channel to the right situation. Some businesses handle 80% with AI; others find 50% optimal. Let customer outcomes guide your balance.
Related Reading
Next: browse the hub or explore AI Operations.