Humans and AI: efficiency meets empathy
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing customer service. Responses are getting faster, self-service is becoming more powerful, and more and more tasks can be automated. But a great customer experience is not created by efficiency alone. Customers also expect to feel understood and to be able to rely on human support when dealing with complex issues.
The ServiceNow study “The CX Shift” shows just how wide the gap between these expectations and reality still is. More than 34,000 people across 18 countries and eight industries were surveyed, including 27,250 customers, 3,515 customer service representatives, and 3,900 executives. The findings reveal three key areas of tension: between customer expectations and actual experiences, between what service teams need and the technology available to them, and between where organizations invest and what customers actually value.
Customers want speed and empathy
Fast resolutions remain a critical factor in customer service. 53% of respondents expect AI to improve speed and efficiency above all else in the future. At the same time, nearly half of customers rate their current service experiences as average or worse.
The disconnect becomes particularly clear when it comes to empathy: 50% cite a lack of empathy as their biggest frustration in customer service. At the same time, 47% would switch to a competitor because of poor or slow service.
The conclusion is not that companies should use less technology. Instead, technology should provide support where it is strongest: handling routine tasks, providing information, and accelerating processes. This gives service representatives more time for situations where advice, judgment, and human interaction make the difference.
Self-Service—as long as it actually helps
The picture is more nuanced when it comes to self-service as well. 75% of customers prefer to try resolving an issue themselves first before speaking with a customer service representative. At the same time, 46% say that today’s chatbots do not adequately understand their questions and concerns.
The key question, then, is not “Human or AI?” but how the two work together. Simple requests can be automated and answered around the clock. When an issue becomes more complex, however, customers need a seamless handoff to a service representative—ideally without having to explain their issue or provide the same information again.
This is where ServiceNow Customer Service Management (CSM) comes into play. CSM brings together self-service, customer service, data, and cross-functional processes in a centralized system. Requests can be handled automatically and, when needed, orchestrated across the front, middle, and back office. This helps customers reach the right resolution faster while giving service representatives the context they need to personally handle more complex cases.
Service teams lack one thing above all: time for customers
The study does not focus solely on the customer perspective. It also shows why service representatives often struggle to deliver the customer experience people expect.
Only 45% of their time is actually spent addressing customer issues and follow-ups. A significant share is consumed by administrative tasks, searching for information, and switching between different systems. 80% of the service representatives surveyed need to use three to five systems to resolve a customer issue. 43% cite inconsistent customer data as one of their biggest challenges.
This is more than a productivity issue. A lack of context has a direct impact on the customer experience: information has to be requested again, other teams need to be contacted, or cases have to be transferred. At the same time, service representatives have less time for the personal support customers expect from a great service experience.
ServiceNow CSM therefore goes beyond the customer-facing interaction itself. The platform connects people, data, and processes and orchestrates workflows across the teams involved. The goal is end-to-end resolution of customer issues rather than isolated point solutions. ServiceNow describes Customer Service Management as a system designed to improve self-service, reduce the burden on service teams, and automate and orchestrate issue-resolution processes.
Companies are investing in AI, but not always where customers expect
Another finding from the study highlights a perception gap among executives. While 50% of customers cite a lack of empathy and understanding as a problem, only 23% of the executives surveyed view it as a major challenge. Similar gaps appear around unclear processes, transfers between departments, and having to re-enter the same information.
At the same time, fragmented data and systems make it harder to use AI effectively. Only 43% of the organizations surveyed have integrated customer data across silos into a centralized source of information. Just 34% report significant progress in connecting people, data, and processes through AI-powered workflows on a unified platform.
The message is clear: individual chatbots, copilots, or AI features alone do not create a seamless customer experience. The underlying infrastructure matters.
From individual AI features to a connected customer cxperience
Based on the study findings, ServiceNow identifies six areas organizations should focus on as they further develop their customer experience. Companies should:
- measure success based on more than traditional efficiency metrics,
- move beyond AI copilots,
- use autonomous AI strategically for self-service,
- prepare service teams for the era of agentic AI,
- treat CRM as an experience platform, and
- unify their data foundation.
The last two points in particular are closely connected. The study recommends treating CRM not simply as a customer database, but as a platform where data, AI, and workflows come together across the customer journey. Front-, middle-, and back-office processes should be connected so that customer interactions remain consistent across channels.
ServiceNow CSM provides a practical way to implement this approach: customer information, cases, self-service, and internal workflows are brought together on a single platform. As a result, ServiceNow Customer Service Management can support both automation and AI-powered self-service while also equipping service representatives with the information and workflows they need when human support is required.
To learn how ServiceNow AI agents can be used in customer service and what role connected data and workflows play in this process, read our article “How AI Agents strengthen customer loyalty in the AI era.”
AI should enable human customer service—not replace it
The central takeaway from ServiceNow’s CX study is therefore less about maximizing automation and more about finding the right balance between people and technology.
AI can handle routine tasks faster. At the same time, service representatives can gain more time and context to listen, solve complex problems, and build relationships. But this requires connected data, end-to-end workflows, and a platform that brings together self-service, AI, and human support.
The customer experience of the future needs to deliver both: it must be fast and efficient while still remaining human. According to the study, this is what creates the foundation for trust, loyalty, and long-term customer value.
ServiceNow CX study: What do customers really expect in the AI era?
The full ServiceNow study “The CX Shift” provides additional data, international research findings, and practical recommendations for creating a customer experience that meaningfully brings together AI, data, and human service. Download the findings for free and discover how you can align your customer service with your customers’ needs in the AI era.
