Balancing AI, Personalization, and the Human Touch with Chris Koehler

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This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

1. What defines an amazing digital customer experience today? 
2. How can businesses personalize digital interactions? 
3. Why is trust crucial in building long-term customer relationships? 
4. Why is it important for companies to use customer data responsibly and transparently? 
5. How does reducing friction impact customer satisfaction and retention? 

Top Takeaways

• Personalization isn’t just about using someone’s name but about remembering their preferences, past actions, and making timely suggestions that fit their needs. When customers receive an experience that feels like it was made just for them, it leaves a strong, positive impression.  

• Customers love it when a company remembers who they are and what they like, so they don’t have to repeat themselves every time they interact or use another channel to communicate. 

• Customers expect brands to use their data wisely and responsibly. It’s not just about protecting information. It is also about applying it in ways that matter to customers. Trust is built when companies use data to solve problems or anticipate customer needs. 

• Transparency is the foundation of customer relationships. When companies are up front about when customers are talking to AI and make it easy for them to connect with a human when necessary, they like the experience and feel respected and cared for.  

• Making every step in the customer journey easy encourages customers to keep doing business with a company. If it’s quick and simple to sign up, get help, or find what they need, customers are much more likely to come back. 

• Customers want to communicate in the way that fits their situation and preferences. Companies need to be mindful of where their customers want to interact with them, whether it is by phone, chat, email, or social media.  

• Different generations may have different preferences for communicating with a brand, but everyone likes having options. For example, customers may start with a chatbot but end up needing to talk to a human to solve complex or sensitive issues. Modern customer expectations include a consistently positive experience across multiple channels. 

• Automating routine tasks through AI can make processes faster and more consistent, but it shouldn’t detract from the human element of customer service. While technology can handle simple tasks quickly and efficiently, there are complex issues that need human intervention.  

• Plus, Chris shares important and interesting stats on customer experience, AI, and personalization from Twilio’s 2025 State of Customer Engagement Report. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“At the end of the day, people really don’t care which channel they use. They just want the problem solved.” 

“The easiest way to lose trust with a customer is to not be transparent. If you’re using AI or digital agents, be clear and make it easy for customers to know who or what they’re talking to. And always have a human in the loop, if needed.” 

“Nothing erodes a customer relationship faster than a lack of trust.” 

“When companies ask for a lot of personal data but don’t use it to improve the service or experience, it breaks trust. If you’re going to collect information, show that you’re using it to make things better for the customer.” 

“AI is an accelerator, not a replacement. It should help make customer service faster and better by handling simple tasks, so humans are freed up to focus on problems that need creativity, empathy, or a personal touch.” 

About:

Chris Koehler is Chief Marketing Officer at Twilio, a cloud communications platform that enables businesses to seamlessly integrate messaging, voice, and video capabilities into their applications to enhance customer engagement. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.