Every week seems to bring another headline about AI transforming customer service. It can answer questions, book appointments, write emails, and even sound remarkably human over the phone.
We love technology. In fact, through our sister company, Truly Yours Agency, we use automation and AI every single day. It saves time, reduces repetitive admin, and keeps businesses running smoothly behind the scenes.
But when it comes to the very first conversation a customer has with your business, something interesting is happening.
Despite all the advances in AI, people still want to talk to people.
Clever Technology Cannot Replace Reassurance
Think about why someone picks up the phone.
They are not usually calling because everything is going perfectly. They might have a leaking roof, a boiler that has stopped working, a legal question they do not understand, or they may simply want to know they have chosen the right company.
What they are really looking for is reassurance.
That is something technology still struggles to provide.
The 2026 Five9 Business Leaders Customer Experience Report found that although 92% of organisations have already implemented or trialled AI in customer service, around two thirds of consumers still prefer speaking with a human when they need support.
Businesses are embracing AI. Customers are embracing choice.
AI Works Brilliantly, Just Not Everywhere
There is a common misconception that businesses have to choose between AI or people.
We completely disagree.
Automation is fantastic at handling the repetitive jobs that nobody enjoys doing. Appointment confirmations, reminder emails, diary updates, follow up messages, and internal notifications can all happen automatically without anyone lifting a finger.
That means your team spends less time on administration and more time looking after customers.
It is exactly how we work.
Our automation experts at Truly Yours Agency build systems that quietly keep businesses organised in the background, while our team at I’m Your P.A. focuses on the conversations that need empathy, understanding, and common sense.
That combination gives you the best of both worlds.
When One Business Tried Replacing People
One of our clients in the property sector decided to see just how far AI had come.
They invested thousands of pounds into an AI phone answering system, hoping it could replace their front line call handling.
The results were nothing like they expected.
Within around ten days, the experiment was over.
Callers were hanging up before their enquiry had even been dealt with. The AI struggled to understand different situations, conversations became frustrating, and the customer experience quickly suffered.
The business estimated that around 90% of callers were hanging up without getting the help they needed.
They switched the system off and came straight back to us.
The lesson was not that AI is bad.
The lesson was that it had been asked to do the wrong job.
Customers Are Becoming More Selective
Recent research suggests this is not an isolated story.
A 2026 SurveyMonkey Customer Service Study found that 89% of consumers believe businesses should always give them the option of speaking to a real person. It also found that 84% believe human agents are more accurate than AI, while 81% think businesses mainly introduce AI to save money rather than improve customer service.
Another 2026 Clutch Consumer Survey found that 67% of consumers had considered leaving, or had already stopped using, a business after a poor AI customer support experience. Even more striking, 81% felt AI systems were deliberately preventing them from reaching a human member of staff.
Those are big numbers.
Customers are not rejecting technology.
They are rejecting poor customer experiences.
The Future Belongs To Businesses That Blend Both
AI will continue to improve, and we are excited to see what comes next.
But the businesses that stand out will not be the ones that replace every conversation with technology.
They will be the ones that know where technology adds value and where people make all the difference.
Let automation deal with reminders.
Let AI organise information.
Let systems keep everything running efficiently.
But when somebody phones your business because they need help, reassurance, or simply someone to listen, let them hear a real voice.
Because long after the technology has finished doing its job, people remember how you made them feel.
If you would like to discover how smart automation and real people can work together to create a better experience for your customers, book a discovery call with our team.