You know how it goes. You type a question and get a link to an FAQ. You rephrase it and get the same link. You ask for a person and get “Let me connect you,” followed by a wait, followed by a human who has no idea what you just spent five minutes explaining. Then you call the next day and start all over again.

That loop has taught customers to read the AI label as a warning. In a 2024 Gartner survey, 64% of customers said they would prefer that companies didn’t use AI for customer service. People notice the sparkle icon and the “AI-powered” badge. Too often, those signs have meant a slower, more frustrating experience, so customers have learned to expect less.

Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, is betting on a fix. He told Wired’s Steven Levy that Apple doesn't want to “ship AI for AI's sake,” and that when it's done right, “people won’t have to think about whether it was AI that made this happen or more traditional software.”

That works for a photo edit or a smarter keyboard. It doesn't work for a conversation. When a customer is talking to an agent, AI that’s hidden until something goes wrong breaks trust the moment they figure it out. The better move is the opposite: Be upfront that it's AI, then make the experience good enough that it won’t matter. 

A face isn’t a sticker

A sticker is a badge slapped on the same chat widget. A face, a voice, and memory change what the conversation feels like. The agent sees and responds naturally, picks up where the last conversation left off, and gives a human colleague the full story when it hands off.

That’s the difference customers feel. When Spa Grand Prix put a Napster agent behind its ticket sales, it lifted checkout click-throughs by 70% and added $623,000 (€539,000) in additional revenue for Spa Grand Prix. More than a thousand sessions ran past 10 minutes as Jack, the concierge agent, planned entire race weekends: tickets, camping, parking, and hospitality in a single conversation. Jack is an excellent example of how thoughtfully made AI can deliver a worthwhile experience. 

A quick gut check

If you’re evaluating your own AI investments, try asking:

• Would customers notice if you removed the word “AI” from your marketing? Would they notice if you removed the AI itself?
• Does it remember them the next time they come back?
• Does it resolve, or does it redirect?
• Would you choose to use it yourself?

If the honest answers make your stomach churn a bit, you don’t have an AI problem. You have an experience problem, and that’s what you need to solve.

Keep shipping AI. Just make sure it’s AI your customers deserve. 

Read more: When Your Customer Sends an Agent, Who Decides What It Can Do?

Meet the Napster team

Microsoft Ignite | Booth 1754

Stop by and run a gut check on your own AI agent with our team. Visit us at Booth 1754 (R), or book time with our team before the show. For partnership conversations, email partners@napster.com.

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