When AI Picks Up the Call: Partnering Technology with Human Empathy

A friend recently shared a story that perfectly captures both the promise and the limitations of AI in customer service.

Around Easter, she ordered 48 Cadbury Creme Eggs from a large online marketplace the classic chocolate shells with the cream filling. Yes, 48 Eggs! We'll save why for another time.

When her order arrived, she discovered that the eggs were chocolate cream–filled instead of the original ones she wanted.

She contacted customer service and was greeted by a chatbot to initiate the return. After several minutes of confusion, the AI repeatedly confirming that she had received her order, she reached a human agent who immediately understood the issue and arranged for a replacement.

A few days later, another shipment arrived. Unfortunately, this time the eggs were caramel-filled.

She went back to the service team, starting again with the chatbot, re-explaining the issue, and once more needing human intervention to fix it.

On the third attempt, she finally received the correct order. The only catch? She now had 144 Cadbury Creme Eggs. 96 more than she ordered.

Where AI Excels and Where Humans Still Shine

While the story is humorous, it underscores a deeper point. AI is an excellent tool for automating simple, repetitive tasks, such as verifying orders, updating accounts, and managing returns. But for nuanced issues that require interpretation, empathy, or contextual understanding, human interaction remains essential. This can also have an impact on revenue as well.

While Creme Eggs aren’t expensive, those two mistaken replacements still came at a cost, extra product, shipping, and handling with no additional revenue. Scale that error up to high-value orders, and the financial impact could be enormous.

The most effective call centers of the future will combine both strengths. AI can quickly analyze data, summarize customer history, and suggest next steps, while human representatives bring empathy, adaptability, and emotional intelligence to each interaction.

When technology and people work in harmony, customer experiences become faster, smoother, and more personal, without losing the human touch that builds trust and loyalty.

Even in something as small as a box of Creme Eggs, the right balance between efficiency and empathy can turn frustration into trust, and keep customers coming back