AI personalization may curb customer rage, says expert
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — In an era where customer experience (CX) can make or break brand loyalty, new insights suggest that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered personalization could help companies eliminate long-standing irritants in customer service and reduce costly churn, according to John Goodman, Vice Chairman of Customer Care Measurement and Consulting (CCMC).
According to CCMC’s National Rage Studies, two of the most persistent frustrations—listening to repetitive automated messages and struggling to reach a human—remain at the core of customer “rage.”
AI tackles common customer frustrations
Tech vendors have long promoted personalization, but the report argues that many businesses still struggle to utilize AI effectively to streamline communication. “The second most prevalent cause of rage is still listening to too many long messages,” Goodman noted, emphasizing that AI could strip out redundant information for repeat customers.
The report cites frequent frustrations with United Airlines as a case study. Customers are tired of hearing messages like, “your call is being recorded,” or repeated chat prompts after rejecting them multiple times.
Personalization also extends to marketing. Many organizations treat email subscriptions as “all or nothing,” forcing customers to accept irrelevant offers. “Each cruise email I have to delete is another point of irritation,” Goodman noted.
Reducing outsourcing frustrations
The conversation also touches on outsourcing, which often shapes the customer service experience. Outsourced call centers and marketing vendors usually rely on generic scripts and survey requests, which can contribute to customer frustration. The study highlights that survey technology vendors, who are frequently outsourced providers, encourage pre-call survey prompts; yet, these only add to the upfront irritants.
The cost of irritation, abandonment, and struggle far outweighs the operational savings from outsourcing, the report warns. “Irritation in accessing answers causes 10–15% damage to loyalty,” Goodman noted, adding that abandonment drives an additional 10–20% loss in willingness to recommend.
By continuing to outsource repetitive, message-heavy systems without AI-driven refinement, companies risk spending money actually to damage loyalty rather than build it. While outsourcing may help manage costs, pairing it with AI-powered personalization ensures that efficiency does not come at the expense of customer trust.
