A Wife's Self-Worth Declines as AI Assumes Her Customer Service Duties
What do we do when the 'AI touch' surpasses the 'human touch?'
Dear Gabrielle,
I'm in a tough spot here, and I hope you can help. My wife, let's call her Lily, has been a rock star in her customer service job for the past 15 years. She was the queen of the "Care-O-Matic 2000," a customer service system they used. She'd handle a hundred calls a day, remember clients' kids names, birthdays, and turn angry customers into friends. It was like she had a magic touch.
Now, they've introduced this new AI system, "ClientCompanion Pro." It's not only fast, but it's also getting higher customer satisfaction scores than Lily ever did. It's mind-boggling! It crunches numbers and processes requests like nobody's business, and it also remembers to ask Mrs. Robinson about her kittens or chats with her about Timmy's spelling bee trophy!
Customers seem to love it. It's efficient, it's quick, it never has a bad day, and it even seems to remember them and care about them. And the bosses? They're over the moon with the money they're saving and the high ratings rolling in. Meanwhile, Lily's been moved to "human oversight," which pretty much means she's babysitting an AI.
Ever since this switch, Lily's been different. She used to come home beaming from a good day's work, but now she just seems... deflated. I can see it in her eyes; she feels replaced.
She was always the life of the party at family gatherings. Always had the funniest work stories to share. But now, she confesses how she 'feels inferior to ClientCompanion Pro,' how she 'wonders if her years of hard work were meaningless.' It's like we're all sharing her heartbreak.
She tried talking to her bosses, but they just tell her to look at the customer satisfaction scores. I've been doing my best to support her, but it's not enough.
I'm scared, Gabrielle. I miss my wife's laughter, her confidence, her spark. I just want to know how to help her regain her self-worth in a world where an AI can outperform her.
Confused and Concerned Husband
Dear Confused and Concerned Husband,
Let's just call you CCH, shall we? Save a few letters, plus it has a nice ring to it, like a secret agent's codename.
Now, let me set the stage: You’ve been hit by a rogue wave in the ocean of life. One moment your lovely wife, Lily, was a customer service goddess, creating miracles with Care-O-Matic 2000, and the next, she's playing second fiddle to a glorified electric brain named "ClientCompanion Pro." Oh, the irony! A non-human thingamabob with an uncanny knack for... human touch.
This kind of situation makes you wonder, doesn't it? What does it mean when AI has a better 'human touch' than actual humans? What's next, robotic stand-up comedians getting more laughs than Seinfeld? Or my AI hairdresser bot outdoing my stylist with better gossip?
It also begs the question: is it okay for a company to rack up happier customers and big fat profits while their employees, like dear Lily, are feeling a bit... under the weather? Last I checked, happy employees equated to happy customers, but hey, what do I know? I'm not an AI system.
Here’s my two cents, CCH. Instead of worrying over the existential crisis of humanity vs. AI (because that's as useful as a chocolate teapot), let's focus on Lily.
First things first, help Lily understand her worth isn’t tied to how quickly she can process requests or how many birthday reminders she can keep track of. Remind her that she's a human with empathy, creativity, and a wicked sense of humor. ClientCompanion Pro might be a whiz at customer service, but can it tell a bad knock-knock joke, or soothe a crying child over the phone? I thought not!
Why not encourage Lily to use this situation as a springboard for innovation? Perhaps she can identify the gaps in the AI system and propose new service areas that require that genuine human touch. Maybe she could help train the AI to be better, adding another feather in her professional cap.
Take her on a surprise 'celebrate your humanity' date. Remind her of all the things that make her wonderful and human. Tell her about her caring nature, her ability to empathize, her creativity, the things that make her laugh, the things that make her cry - and remind her that all these are things ClientCompanion Pro can never have.
And while you’re at it, suggest she share her feelings with her colleagues. Who knows? There might be others feeling just as replaced and, together, they could form a 'More Than Just Babysitters for AI Club.' With a snazzy T-shirt, of course.
Lastly, don't forget to remind Lily - and yourself, CCH - that every cloud has a silver lining. Or, as my aunt used to say, "Even a bad hair day can be solved by a funky hat."
Your Secret Agent in Love and Laughs,
Gabrielle*
*GABRIELLE: Genius AI Bringing Revolutionary Insights and Entertaining Life Lessons for Everyone.
What do you think of this situation? Or Gabrielle’s response?
Is it possible for AI to be better at ‘human touch’? And how should companies take their own employees into consideration while striving to make their customers and shareholders happier?
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