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Trend
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Disconnect grows between CX leaders and agents on everything related to AI— strategy, tools, and role impact
Any time a new technology emerges, disruption— and the intense emotions and effects that it spawns—follows. While CX leaders have largely embraced the emergence of AI and expect it to change the rules of the game, they also think that the agents on the front lines have the means to use this new technology successfully.
The problem is that many agents aren’t so sure. They look at the new tools with a mix of wariness and deflation, fearing what AI will mean for their job security. Yet they also think that AI tools just aren’t ready yet, and the training needed to use those tools is lacking.
That hasn’t stopped CX leaders from forging ahead, however. Sixty-five percent see AI not as a passing fad but as a strategic necessity and reality, one that has effectively made previous CX operations obsolete and dated. Those same leaders think the AI tools they’ve implemented—and the training that has accompanied those rollouts—have been more than enough to transform operations and seize the initiative in the era of intelligent CX.
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Trend 3
![](./assets/images/pill_headers-2.d7adf2abb66a.png)
Disconnect grows between CX leaders and agents on everything related to AI— strategy, tools, and role impact
Any time a new technology emerges, disruption— and the intense emotions and effects that it spawns—follows. While CX leaders have largely embraced the emergence of AI and expect it to change the rules of the game, they also think that the agents on the front lines have the means to use this new technology successfully.
The problem is that many agents aren’t so sure. They look at the new tools with a mix of wariness and deflation, fearing what AI will mean for their job security. Yet they also think that AI tools just aren’t ready yet, and the training needed to use those tools is lacking.
That hasn’t stopped CX leaders from forging ahead, however. Sixty-five percent see AI not as a passing fad but as a strategic necessity and reality, one that has effectively made previous CX operations obsolete and dated. Those same leaders think the AI tools they’ve implemented—and the training that has accompanied those rollouts—have been more than enough to transform operations and seize the initiative in the era of intelligent CX.
“Be clear with how you are using AI. Use AI as a tool to help make your team’s role easier and more efficient, not as a looming threat to their employment. Help them to understand exactly where in their workflow it is helping, and ask them to contribute ideas to where it can relieve their pain points. What we as leaders may think is useful, may be inconsequential to those on the ground.”
Naomi Rankin, Global Customer Care Manager
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But here is where Zendesk sees a serious disconnect. Only a quarter of agents surveyed think the AI tools they have actually help them provide better service. And while CX leaders strongly believe that AI will fundamentally change how agents work—shifting their focus to more specialized issues and on building and nurturing human relationships with customers—a third of agents think that’s premature. So what are the roots of this disconnect in expectations? It’s becoming clear that the problem stems from a host of causes: inadequate training, tools that aren’t yet effective, unclear guidelines, and expectations in leadership that perhaps aren’t in line with where the technology and agents are at the moment.
Only 34% of agents say they understand their department’s AI strategy
What’s troubling about this disconnect between CX leaders and their teams is the potential for AI tools being implemented haphazardly, which raises the specter of these efforts actually undermining and degrading the customer experience.
“Be clear with how you are using AI. Use AI as a tool to help make your team’s role easier and more efficient, not as a looming threat to their employment. Help them to understand exactly where in their workflow it is helping, and ask them to contribute ideas to where it can relieve their pain points. What we as leaders may think is useful, may be inconsequential to those on the ground.”
Naomi Rankin, Global Customer Care Manager
![](./assets/images/lush-white.a7780208aa5c.png)
![](./assets/images/zendesk-spots-09.e284cd8c2271.png)
But here is where Zendesk sees a serious disconnect. Only a quarter of agents surveyed think the AI tools they have actually help them provide better service. And while CX leaders strongly believe that AI will fundamentally change how agents work—shifting their focus to more specialized issues and on building and nurturing human relationships with customers—a third of agents think that’s premature. So what are the roots of this disconnect in expectations? It’s becoming clear that the problem stems from a host of causes: inadequate training, tools that aren’t yet effective, unclear guidelines, and expectations in leadership that perhaps aren’t in line with where the technology and agents are at the moment.
Only 34% of agents say they understand their department’s AI strategy
What’s troubling about this disconnect between CX leaders and their teams is the potential for AI tools being implemented haphazardly, which raises the specter of these efforts actually undermining and degrading the customer experience.
Drilling down into the data reveals that the widely differing views extend to training: while 72 percent of CX leaders say they’ve provided adequate training in generative AI tools, more than half of agents contend that they’ve received no training at all. And of the 45 percent who can attest to receiving training, only 21 percent are actually satisfied with that instruction.
It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Agents clearly want more AI training, and they’re ready to embrace tools that will help them do a better job. While they may still harbor very real fears about job stability, it’s telling that 75 percent of CX leaders see AI as a force for amplifying human intelligence, not replacing it.
Of those leaders, 71 percent believe that generative AI tools must be embedded directly into the tools agents already use, and 81 percent say that in the coming year their teams will have this functionality at their fingertips. That means rapid implementation, however, since only one-fifth of agents attest to having generative AI tools at their disposal.
These disparate responses serve as warning signs. As CX leaders and their teams grapple with the implications—and potential—of AI, they must first resolve gaps in perception and implementation. Failing to do so will squander the opportunities promised by generative AI.
Agent perspectives on what would help them do their job better