AI is efficient, but it can't replace human touch in customer service

As the year winds down, Shifrine Simwa, head of customer service at First Assurance Company Limited, urges businesses to make care for customers a daily standard rather than a seasonal campaign. AI responds instantly, operates around the clock and handles simple questions efficiently, but it cannot feel empathy or use human intuition to address unusual problems. Going the extra mile happens when a person listens, shows kindness and persists in resolving a customer’s issue. Simwa says this care should also extend to colleagues, family, friends and oneself during the stressful final months of the year.