Is there a sell-by date for customer service careers?

Many are questioning what AI will mean for jobs, both now and in the near future. A new study by King’s College London found that jobs in environments exposed to AI experienced average employment declines of 4.5%. Given these findings, many feel concern about the future of careers - with roles in customer service and customer experience (CX), in particular, coming to mind. According to Monday.com, for instance, 55% of organisations are already using agentic AI in customer service.

 

That said, this does not signal the end of CX roles. I firmly believe that AI will never fully replace humans in this profession. Instead, AI is set to transform the CX career path for many, automating basic queries and giving the traditional job a considerable revamp. New roles are emerging, ones that require critical thinking, empathy and a deep understanding of customer behaviour.

 

What was once seen as a daunting concept is now creating opportunities for service workers and AI to develop a two-way relationship in an era reshaping customer service.  

 

 

AI’s place in CX today

AI is changing the CX sector, streamlining processes and making certain tasks redundant. AI chatbots are already leading the way in managing basic functions - like fielding common customer enquiries and connecting them to the right teams. They also possess the capabilities to handle common requests, such as enabling self-service or providing real-time updates on an order status. Over time, agentic AI in CX is expected to become more autonomous, working with minimal human oversight.

 

Traditional roles where humans read from scripts to resolve customer issues are likely to die out, but this is far from a bad thing. As AI takes on more tasks independently and efficiently, customer service roles will increasingly demand strategic thinking, connecting the function clearly to business value.

 

 

CX as a catalyst for business growth

The increasing integration of AI into customer service is being driven by brands’ eagerness to innovate and maintain a competitive edge. This is a new era for customer service, as it evolves into a business growth driver.

 

This transition involves shifting away from volume-based performance metrics, such as how many tickets are resolved, and instead towards measuring service teams by the growth they drive for the business. Now, AI is taking over mundane tasks, creating space for agents to focus their full attention where it matters most: creating value and turning customer touchpoints into loyalty-building experiences. In this way, agents can find renewed purpose by seeing AI as a partner rather than a competitor, driving better results and improving processes that strengthen customer service and retention.

 

 

The power of human empathy

However far AI evolves, it cannot match genuine human connection and empathy. For instance, our research found that as email and chatbots grow in popularity, around 75% of interactions still need human support. 

 

Imagine a customer with allergies places a customised order on a fast-food restaurant app, only to discover that their order has been mixed up. They want to speak with the restaurant manager to raise a complaint and ensure this doesn’t happen again. If they are met with a scripted chatbot offering a generic apology and no immediate resolution, this will be hugely frustrating for the customer. Moreover, an error like this without proper resolution could be dangerous for an individual and have serious consequences for the brand.

 

But if the customer is put through to a human about this complaint, it’s an entirely different scenario. The customer service agent listens attentively and responds appropriately. Rather than stopping there, the agent leverages AI tools behind the scenes, using AI-driven search history to quickly identify the exact time and details of the order mix-up. They then offer a refund along with a voucher for the customer’s next online food order. The blend of human reasoning and emotional intelligence, combined with AI and instant data access, means the issue is not only resolved, but with the empathy only a human can provide.

 

Tools powered by natural language processing and historical data can triage queries, immediately ensuring customers are in the right hands and enabling more personalised support. With this approach, human agents can dedicate their time to providing empathetic, high-value support, while AI handles routine tasks. Combined, humans and AI can deliver truly positive and meaningful customer experiences. Establishing a clear split between AI and humans drives a better relationship between the customer and the company.

 

 

The transition to insight-driven customer service

It’s important to acknowledge that AI is still in its early stages. Basic, out-of-the box models currently make it difficult for brands to be creative in customer service. To stay ahead of the curve, AI must be trained and tailored to each business and its customers, which requires a continuous stream of high-quality data.

 

The difficulty lies in the fact that many businesses do not have the domain-specific expertise necessary to integrate their data with AI systems. For instance, many customer queries don’t happen over email or text but over the phone; this creates unstructured, but highly valuable, interaction data that must be captured and analysed to unlock deeper insights.

 

This change favours agents, opening opportunities to master managing customer data and future-proofing their careers. Agents bring unique knowledge of customer interactions, equipping AI systems to learn and respond more effectively over time. When supported by high-quality data inputs, AI can anticipate customer behaviour - such as allowing service teams to personalise communications, or identifying potential repeat buyers.

 

Agents capable of improving processes, ensuring accurate data flows, and building effective data strategies are vital for the future of CX. Over time, CX will be defined by strong communication, underpinned by employees who can use technology and interpret data.

 

 

Where customer service careers are headed

It’s clear that customer service careers are changing direction, boosted by AI and by a growing recognition from brands that their CX can be a major growth driver. While today’s service jobs may feel like a means to an end, the future remains bright.

 

There’s a steady road ahead, with roles becoming increasingly compelling for agents. Customer service is shifting away from traditional, routine problem-solving and moving towards revitalised customer experiences that drive loyalty over legacy interactions.

 

Agents who commit to scaling with new customer expectations and embrace AI will be well-positioned to ensure long-term careers in customer service.

 

---

 

Iain Banks is Ventrica CEO

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and sturti