Recently, while traveling abroad for work, I bought something on Amazon that I couldn't find in local stores. However, this purchase was delayed despite paying extra for it to arrive on time. By the time it was ready to be delivered, I had already moved to a new hotel in another part of town. I wasn't able to update the location on the order and it was something I needed ASAP, so I called Amazon customer support to see what I could do.

Amazon probably tried their level best to avoid me talking to someone, keeping me on the phone for 10 minutes and bumping me back and forth through a maze of useless menu options and generic FAQ pages. that didn't help me at all with my specific question. Never in either of these options did they offer the option to “talk to a live person.” So naturally, I had to interrupt the bot and ask (request) to speak to someone myself.

Connected: In an age of artificial intelligence, there is always room for human intelligence

The power of empathy

And once I finally reached out to a man, guess what happened?

I explained my situation to the agent in an angry huff. She listened and replied, “Ma'am, I understand this must be very frustrating, and I am very sorry, but we are unable to update the address once it goes out for delivery. Your only choice is to cancel the order and re – order.”

Ironically, even though she did nothing to solve the problem except give me more work to do, my anger had melted away. Just having someone, a real person, empathize and apologize authentically for the inconvenience that made everything a little better.

And that, my friends, is something HE I can not do (at least not yet). Imagine an AI trying to express empathy robotically and creepily – not quite the same thing.

Complementing AI with emotional intelligence training

Employees in general are facing the harsh realities of AI taking over many previously human tasks. People are indeed losing jobs, or at risk of losing jobs, so these fears are not unfounded. As a change management leader who has helped companies in adopting AI in their workflows, I have encountered both the fear and the actual consequences of mass layoffs and reorganizations in many of my client companies.

But while AI has drastically transformed the way businesses operate, I'd argue that it's still not mature substitute most customer-facing features — just add them. Companies should think twice before completely replacing people and replacing them with AI.

For one, take a look at some of these statistics published in a report by CAUGHT recently on the use of AI bots for customer service:

• 80% of customers said that using chatbots increased their level of frustration.

• 78% of consumers were forced to connect with a human after failing to resolve their needs through an automated service channel.

• 63% indicated that their interaction with a chatbot did not result in a solution.

• 72% felt that using a chatbot for customer service was a waste of time.

• More than half of consumers (54%) believe that a call to a live agent provides the fastest resolution and best overall customer service.

A survey conducted by rouse found that out of 1,554 consumers worldwide, 30% left a brand due to a negative chatbot experience.

It's true that in many cases, for more general issues, a bot can help solve the problem through a predictable workflow and pointing to a web resource.

But most customers who take the time to contact customer service have already searched publicly available sources of information and were unable to find the solution to fit their problem.

Connected: AI can replace (some) work – but it can't replace human connection. That is why.

When AI is not as effective as humans

Rest assured that there are still some areas where human intelligence surpasses artificial intelligence. Here are some:

1. INNOVATION: While AI can generate new ideas and artwork, it often lacks the depth of human creativity. People excel at combining different ideas, emotions and experiences to produce truly original solutions.

2. Complex problem solving: AI is powerful when it comes to solving specific, well-defined problems within a structured environment. However, it struggles with ambiguity and may not adapt well to completely new or unforeseen situations where human intuition and creativity are crucial.

3. Ethical decision making: HE lacks a moral compass. While it can be programmed with ethical guidelinesmay not always make morally sound decisions in complex scenarios that require understanding of nuances, cultural contexts, and human values.

4. Interpersonal communication and negotiation: Building rapport, understanding subtle cues, and negotiating effectively are skills that humans excel at, but can be challenging for AI, especially in dynamic and unpredictable social interactions.

5. Intuition and gut feeling: Humans often make decisions based on intuition or gut feeling, relying on subconscious processes that are difficult to replicate in AI systems that rely on algorithms and clear data.

Almost all of these examples have a common thread, which I will summarize as emotional intelligence.

And while there is no doubt that AI will continue to advance and improve at imitating human emotional intelligence, perhaps to a frightening degree, it may be a long time before we can accept it as an adequate substitute for human connection.

Connected: The Art and Science of Promoting Emotional Intelligence

So in conclusion, my message to employees is to keep your head up in these tough times and invest in those soft skills.

And for employers too: Don't neglect it the importance of emotional intelligence.

Of course invest in incorporating AI into operations, but at the same time, don't forget to invest in the offering emotional intelligence training — can certainly make or break the customer experience!