Artificial intelligence is changing customer contact at lightning speed. But according to Serge Poppes, CEO of Pegamento, the human touch should never be lost in the process. “Most AI serves humans. If we retain that realization, we can actually gain a huge amount from it,” he says in an extended conversation with presenter Richard Bordes on New Business Radio.
“New tools are added every day.”
The conversation opens lightheartedly, but it soon becomes clear that the impact of AI is reaching serious proportions. “I am a member of a website called ‘Is there an AI for that?’,” explains Bordes “There are now nearly 40,000 tools on there. Every day I get notifications of new applications. It’s impossible to keep up anymore.”
Bordes points to the speed at which the industry is evolving. “In the year since you were last here, there have been thousands of competitors. Where are we now?”
According to Poppes, since their last conversation, concrete steps have been taken especially in the implementation of AI. “With the advent of the AI EU Act, we are required to make people AI-savvy. This is not only legally important, it also raises awareness about what AI is and is not.”
From cost to strategic asset
According to Poppes, the use of AI in customer contact has shifted in recent years from a purely cost-saving strategy to something much richer. “What is often underestimated is how empathetic AI can be. Sometimes even more so than humans. Critical customers have had to admit that by now.”
He emphasizes that customer expectations have changed greatly. “Waiting in line, ten minutes on the line with a dastardly music…. nobody is satisfied with that anymore. And rightly so.”
But, he adds, “It’s not about point solutions. Instead, you have to look at how tools work together. That’s the real challenge.”
Agentic AI: the new reality
An important part of the conversation revolves around so-called Agentic AI, technology that not only answers, but also performs tasks independently.
“After a customer contact, there are often 9 to 12 actions to follow,” Poppes explains. “You want those to be carried out immediately. Otherwise the customer calls back again. That’s inefficient as well as frustrating.”
According to him, this also benefits employees. “Who don’t want to spend another half hour doing administration after the call. AI can remove that burden.”
The importance of the human touch
Bordes asks if there is then no risk of losing the human touch. Poppes is adamant: “Most AI is there to help people. But we do need to keep looking critically at where it fits and where it doesn’t.”
Registering a death through a robot? “Can be done technically. But should you want to? That is not a technical issue, but a fundamental choice.”
The tone and style of AI communication plays a big role in this. “We know that people respond better to ‘I-you’ language than to the formal ‘you’ form. And that sentences in colloquial language create more trust. It makes the conversation more human.”
Sustainable digitization: more than a label
Halfway through the interview, the topic shifts to sustainability. Pegamento was one of the first companies in the industry with ISO 26000 certification for corporate social responsibility.
“And that didn’t come from above,” Poppes stresses. “Our staff started it themselves. I’m perhaps most proud of that.”
The link to AI turns out to be surprisingly concrete. “Did you know that one prompt at ChatGPT takes an average of 40 gallons of water?” says Poppes. “When you explain that in human terms, ‘one prompt = one shower turn,’ it really lands. We have a responsibility in that.”
Small steps, big impact
When asked by Richard Bordes what organizations should do that have not yet started with AI, Poppes soberly replied, “Just start. Small steps. Get guidance. But above all: involve your people on the shop floor. They talk to customers every day. Their knowledge is worth gold.”
An inspiring example comes from the government sector. “There, employees themselves have developed AI solutions to drastically reduce repeat traffic. That’s smart, thoughtful and exactly what it’s all about.”
Another example comes from the insurance industry. “One organization managed to cut 28 minutes off the average call time. Not by shortening the call, but by automating the administration beforehand. They gave that time back to the customer. For a better, more personal conversation.”
Conclusion: technology in the service of trust
What lingers is that, according to Poppes, AI should not be an end in itself. “It’s not a technology discussion alone. It’s about trust, about making choices, about adding value.”
“The question is not, ‘What can AI do?’ The question is, ‘What do we want with it?'” he concludes. “And if you answer that question with your people, your customers and your values, then AI doesn’t become a threat, it becomes an enhancement of your humanity.”
Listen to more podcasts? Go to our podcast page.
Missed broadcast?
The full interview with Serge Poppes on the People, Work, Technology program on New Business Radio can be listened back via Spotify.
