Not all customer interactions are good AI candidates.
The key is knowing which ones are.
In my experience, there are 2 areas where AI delivers the most value:
1) Replacing agents in simple, repeatable interactions
These are AI-enabled responses, usually voice or chat.
Example: A patient calls to schedule a doctor’s appointment.
AI can:
• Identify them from caller ID
• Verify their identity with a few questions
• Pull up their medical record
• Find their primary care physician
• Schedule the appointment
No human needed.
This works because the interaction is:
→ Repeatable
→ Low variation
→ High volume
2) Supporting agents in complex interactions
AI acts as a real-time assistant for your team.
Example: A nurse on a prescription refill call.
AI can:
• Listen to the conversation
• Pull up drug interaction data
• Prompt the nurse with relevant information
• Surface the exact details they need, when they need them
The nurse stays in control. AI just makes them faster and more accurate.
So if you’re evaluating AI for customer service:
Start with simple, high-volume interactions.
Then use it to augment your agents on complex ones.
Don’t try to replace human judgment on things that require it.
That’s where most AI implementations fail.
I’m Mark Danielson, and I help healthcare leaders reduce support costs while improving patient satisfaction.
Follow me for practical insights on cutting contact center costs, improving service quality, and modernizing operations without the tradeoffs.
