As cost pressures rise, many organizations default to “Cheap CX,” where over-automation and transactional interactions undermine trust and loyalty. Customers don’t oppose AI, they oppose being forced into impersonal, unresolved, or frustrating automated experiences. They want AI that supports human service, not replaces it.

• How do you avoid the pitfalls of excessive automation and rebuild trust by treating it as a core design principle?  
• How do you strike the right balance between efficiency and empathy, deploy AI in ways that enhance human agents, and create hybrid service models that keep customers feeling supported rather than abandoned?
• What strategies should you implement to maintain high-quality, trust-driven customer experiences without sacrificing operational efficiency?