GenAI in
customer service:
early lessons
Five common myths that distort the real value of GenAI in practice
In this white paper, Konecta aims to cut through the noise and uncover the likely impacts of GenAI in customer service environments. Based on early deployment results, employee & end-user sentiments, and case studies, we debunk five prevalent myths that distort the true value, and limitations, of GenAI in practice.
As organizations move from experimentation to scale, understanding these dynamics is critical. By challenging these assumptions, we provide business and operations leaders with a clearer, evidence-based view of GenAI’s potential and help guide smarter deployment strategies.
By accessing this white paper, you will have a clearer, evidence-based view of GenAI’s potential and insights for smart deployment strategies.
Unmasking the top 5 myths of GenAI
Myth #1: GenAI only decreases cost
Reality: GenAI boosts productivity and unlocks new commercial value
Despite early enthusiasm for GenAI in customer service, focused on profitability and proven productivity gains, a broader view reveals that it significantly improves customer engagement, agent performance and business results.
A 6-week deployment of GenAI-powered insights in customer service at a leading European insurer demonstrated that agents' conversion rate increased significantly (+40% versus their baseline) and led to a better customer engagement.
GenAI does more than streamline operations, it enhances agent performance to deliver measurable commercial impact, by playing as a co-pilot for the agents to ask sharper questions, communicate with greater empathy, apply proactive sales techniques and validate data more efficiently.
Myth #2: GenAI lowers agent job satisfaction
Reality: GenAI fosters deeper customer understanding and enriches human connection.
While initial excitement around GenAI in customer service centered on efficiency, its true power lies in unlocking profound customer understanding and strengthening human connections.
A recent study by BCG’s Center for Customer Insight demonstrates that 70% of employees are enthusiastic about using GenAI in their daily work, mainly because of the increased learning opportunities and task efficiency GenAI offers.
Beyond optimizing workflows, GenAI gives agents a nuanced view of customer' needs and emotions. This allows them to engage with greater empathy, build rapport, and create more meaningful experiences, ultimately fostering stronger customer loyalty and engagement.
Myth #3: GenAI fails to connect with end-customers
Reality: Customers don’t dislike AI - they dislike bad service.
Customers don't like bad service, not machines per se. Negative experiences with inflexible automation systems such as IVRs make people reluctant to use GenAI in customer service.
BCG and Konecta deployments indicate that that thoughtful implementation of GenAI can lead to customer satisfaction levels equal to or higher than those of traditional support, thanks to faster response times and smoother resolutions. GenAI can also enable human agents to benefit from real-time coaching, improving their efficiency.
Organizations should focus on how to effectively deploy GenAI with empathy, careful design and clear escalation paths to improve speed, relevance and ease of use, and ultimately build stronger relationships with customers.
Myth #4: Successful GenAI is just about tech
Reality: GenAI for customers is a combination of advanced tech and people
True success depends on the effective transformation of people, processes, data, and systems within an organization. Simply implementing technology without deep organizational alignment and change management will likely result in limited impact.
Only a small portion of successful tech transformation effort is tech, with the majority focused on people and process changes. Konecta's successful GenAI deployments rely on non-technical roles, which represent 60-70% of their teams and play an important part.
The real power of GenAI is realized when it's fully integrated into the organization's operations, driven by empowered people rather than sophisticated technology.
Myth #5: Coming in 1 week
Publication was written by
Oscar Verge
Chief AI Deployment Officer, Konecta
Luis Esposito
Head of AI Deployment for EMEA and English-Speaking Market (ESM)
Diana Catalina Velasquez
Head of AI Deployment for LATAM
