Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of September 22, 2025

Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

Fortune 500 Companies Won’t Fully Replace Human Customer Service Agents, Gartner Predicts by Amelia Brand

(CX Network) Predictions that artificial intelligence (AI) agents will replace customer service agents are unlikely to come true, according to recent research from Gartner.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article that confirms what I’ve been saying for many years: AI will not eliminate live customer support. Every C-Suite executive I’ve interviewed in large Fortune 500 companies says they are not cutting people. Many of the experts, analysts, and consultants who made the prediction that live agents will be eliminated are changing their views. AI will be an enhancement for customer support, not the only way to get it.

Why Being More Human Is Your Brand’s Biggest Asset in 2025 and Beyond by Lou Dubois

(Inc.) In a time of major technological developments, there’s a real benefit to maintaining a more personal connection with customers.

My Comment: And as long as were’ talking about AI not replacing humans, here’s another article to prove the point. Being human means emotional connection. You can’t get that from a 100% digital experience. While not quite the same angle as the aforementioned article, this article pushes for more human connections through vulnerability, transparency, community, and more.

What Department Should CX Be in? ‘It Depends.’ by Kristen Doerer

(Industry Dive) When deciding where the function should reside, leaders should consider the team’s capabilities and responsibilities, CX leadership, the CEO and the organization, Forrester’s Judy Weader said.

My Comment: Who owns customer service or CX? Which department should it be in? Should we have a CXO (Chief Experience Officer), and if so, who falls under that executive’s responsibility? These questions are common when a company embarks on a CX initiative. When Judy Weader, principal analyst at Forrester, was asked, she said, “It depends. There is no one answer for every single organization.” I won’t disagree, but I’ll emphasize one idea. Make the decision and stick to it. And CX is an important function, so whoever leads it should be toward the top of the leadership org chart.

Starbucks CEO Says the Coffee Chain Won’t Lose Its Cash-Strapped Consumers Because It’s on Its Way to Being a ‘World-Class Customer Service’ Company by Sasha Rogelberg

(Yahoo Finance) As inflation continues to simmer and economic uncertainty rattles consumers, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol says he has the solution to ensuring the coffee chain doesn’t suffer from customers pulling back on their $6 or $7 lattes.

My Comment: This short but excellent article reminds us of the importance of customer obsession. All decisions, even tough ones we know the customer might not like, need to keep the customer in mind, not just the company. In the author’s words, “Obsession means culture change. It means aligning your entire organization around your customers, and holding yourself accountable when they say you don’t get it right.”

Gopuff Wants to Build on Its Reliability with a More Personalized, Transparent Website by Bryan Wassel

(Industry Dive) Gopuff debuted an updated website Thursday designed to offer transparency and personalization to help the instant delivery retailer stand out from the competition.

My Comment: Gopuff is an online ecommerce company that delivers groceries, medicine, and more in timeframes as short as 15 minutes. I was asked to share my commentary on delivery and the “last mile,” which is loosely defined as the final part of the delivery journey that brings it to your doorstep. Spoiler alert: My belief is that the customer doesn’t care about the last mile – or whatever you want to call it. They only care that they received what they ordered in the timeframe it was promised. (Of course, there’s more to the article!)

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.