Customer Service is Broken: How AI Can Fix It

Something has gone seriously wrong with customer service in the UK. A quick search on Trustpilot of some of the most recognisable names in British business will tell you that. Endless one-star reviews, customers banging their heads against the wall trying to get a straight answer, and companies that seem to do everything they can to avoid speaking to people.

My own experiences with broadband providers and utility companies have proven to me beyond doubt that customer service is either non-existent or deliberately designed to frustrate you into giving up. Perhaps this is the beginning of the end for classic customer service—the kind where you speak to a real person on the phone, someone who genuinely understands your problem and makes an effort to help. So what’s gone wrong and how do we fix it?

Why Is Customer Service Failing?

For many businesses, customer service has become an expense to be minimised rather than an opportunity to create loyal customers. Call centres are outsourced, waiting times are unbearable, and when you finally do speak to someone, it often feels like they’re reading from a script and have little empathy for your problem.

Customers are pushed towards chatbots and FAQs that don’t answer their questions. Automated phone systems send you around in circles before cutting you off. And if you do eventually get hold of a human, they often have limited power to resolve your issue.

This isn’t just frustrating—it’s damaging businesses. Nowadays, people are quick to take to social media and review sites to voice their anger. Word spreads fast, and reputations crumble even faster. So what’s the solution?

How AI Can Fix Customer Service

AI might sound like part of the problem, but when it’s used correctly, it can be the solution. The key is not to replace human customer service entirely but to use AI in a way that enhances efficiency while still providing a personalised experience. Here’s how:

AI Can Cut Waiting Times

One of the biggest frustrations is spending ages on hold just to ask a simple question. AI-powered assistants can handle routine enquiries instantly, meaning customers only need to speak to a human when necessary. This frees up customer service teams to deal with more complex issues—and deal with them properly.

AI Can Understand What You Need

Unlike the old scripted chatbots that used to drive people mad, modern AI can analyse messages in real-time, understanding context, tone, and intent. It can learn from past interactions, meaning it gets better at helping customers over time.

AI Can Offer 24/7 Support

Not everyone has time to sit on hold during office hours. AI allows businesses to offer round-the-clock support, answering questions and resolving simple issues even when human staff aren’t available.

AI Can Work Alongside Humans, Not Replace Them

The best customer service comes from a balance of AI efficiency and human empathy. AI can handle basic queries, escalate more serious issues, and even provide customer service agents with the information they need to resolve problems faster.

AI Delivers a More Natural Customer Experience

One of the biggest frustrations with modern customer service is the disconnect between customers and the agents they’re speaking to. Many companies outsource their call centres to countries where English isn’t the first language, leading to misunderstandings, unfamiliar accents, and scripted responses that don’t feel natural. It’s not the agents’ fault—most are doing their best within the system they’re given—but for British customers, it can result in a frustrating experience.

This is where AI call agents can make a real difference. Unlike traditional automated systems, modern AI-powered call agents can be programmed to provide life-like, natural responses, making interactions feel far more human.

AI Can Be Trained to Sound Local

AI voices can now be customised with regional British accents, making them sound more familiar and reassuring to customers. Businesses can tailor AI voices to match their customer base, whether it’s a neutral RP (Received Pronunciation) accent or something more regional like Scouse, Mancunian, Geordie, or West Country. This small change can make a huge difference in how customers perceive the interaction—people feel more at ease speaking with a familiar voice.

AI Understands Natural Speech Patterns

Unlike older automated phone systems that rely on rigid scripts, AI-powered voice agents use advanced natural language processing (NLP) to understand context, tone, and intent. This means conversations can flow more naturally, without the awkward delays or robotic phrasing that customers associate with traditional call centres.

For example, instead of responding with “I do not understand your request. Please repeat,” a well-trained AI assistant might say: “Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that—could you say it again please?”

AI Can Detect Customer Frustration and Adjust Its Tone

AI doesn’t just process words—it can also detect emotion. If a customer is getting frustrated, the AI can switch to a more empathetic tone, acknowledging the issue rather than repeating the same scripted lines.

For example, if a customer sounds annoyed after being transferred multiple times, a good AI system could respond with: “I can hear that this has been frustrating for you. Let me sort this out as quickly as possible.”

AI Blends Efficiency with Personalisation

The goal isn’t to replace human customer service entirely but to bridge the gap between efficiency and personal interaction. AI call agents can handle routine queries instantly, route complex problems to human agents, and even remember previous interactions—just like a well-trained customer service team.

For businesses, this means shorter wait times, happier customers, and fewer complaints. And for customers, it means finally getting the kind of service they want—quick, efficient, and easy to understand.

The Future of Customer Service

We’re at a crossroads. Businesses can either continue ignoring their customers, pushing them through frustrating automated systems that don’t work, or they can use AI in a way that improves customer experience—making it faster, more responsive, and helpful.

The companies that get this right will win customer loyalty. The ones that don’t? They’ll keep racking up those one-star Trustpilot reviews and losing business to competitors who do.