Boost customer experience with AI: why you should hire a dedicated expert

Gladly Team

Gladly Team

10 minute read
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Customer experience is the ultimate differentiator. That’s a fact for today’s leading brands. In fact, customer-centric organizations are 60% more profitable than those that aren’t, and companies with outstanding customer experience generate 5.7 times more revenue than competitors.

Yet, many CX leaders are failing to capitalize on one of the most transformative tools at their disposal — AI. But there’s a reason why AI isn’t being utilized to its full potential in CX.

Support teams lack an AI expert.

Without someone filling a dedicated AI role on their service teams, businesses risk falling behind competitors who are leveraging AI to deliver faster, smarter, and more personalized customer interactions. An AI expert isn’t just beneficial as we move into a more and more support-driven landscape—it’s vital. Without this multifaceted role, CX teams will miss critical opportunities to scale their operations and future-proof their strategies.

What is an AI customer experience?

AI customer experience refers to the use of machine learning, natural language processing, predictive analytics, and other artificial intelligence technologies to enhance the customer journey. It lets companies deliver more personalized conversations at scale. And it’s transforming how businesses engage with their customers.

Using AI customer experience is good for business. Why? Because AI elevates a brand’s reach in meaningful ways. Here are some of the reasons AI customer experience matter:

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CX self-assessment checklist

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What types of AI experts are there?

These are just some of the emerging roles that reflect the need for a trained AI eye in customer service. When used effectively, these experts will enhance your team’s customer experience.

  • AI customer experience strategist: A person in this role designs and implements AI-powered strategies to enhance customer interactions, aligning AI tools with business goals and customer needs.

  • AI data analyst: Someone in this role analyzes customer service data to discover patterns, preferences, and pain points. They translate their findings into actionable insights for agents to use and improve service.

  • AI integration specialist: This expert integrates AI tools into existing customer service systems and workflows, collaborates with IT and service teams, and provides training for smooth adoption.

  • AI conversation designer: Hire this AI expert to develop scripts, flows, and responses for AI agents that guarantee your team’s conversations are natural, engaging, and on-brand. Someone in this position should be able to collaborate well with UX designers and engineers, too.

  • Customer success AI specialist: A person in this role supports customers in adopting and maximizing AI-powered tools, gathers feedback, and makes sure that AI solutions deliver the ROI you want.

Why you should hire a dedicated AI expert to improve CX

AI is now the backbone of modern customer service. From chatbots that provide instant responses to predictive analytics that anticipate customer needs before they arise, AI is transforming how businesses interact with their customers. But AI doesn’t run itself. It requires someone who deeply understands its nuances, capabilities, and limitations—someone who can strategically align AI tools with business goals and customer expectations.

Without an AI customer service expert on your team:

You’ll fall behind

Companies that invest in AI experts are already using advanced tools like generative AI to scale personalized experiences. If your team lacks this expertise, you’re forfeiting a competitive edge.

  • Your competitors are using AI: Leading companies are investing in AI experts to deploy sophisticated tools like generative AI, which enable them to deliver highly personalized customer experiences at scale. These tools analyze customer data, predict needs, and provide tailored solutions instantly—capabilities that are quickly becoming industry standards.

  • Your customers want more personalization: AI experts can implement systems that greet customers by name, recall their preferences, and offer relevant recommendations, creating a seamless and memorable experience that drives loyalty and revenue.

  • Your company needs better cost savings: Businesses with AI expertise automate routine tasks, reduce support costs by up to 30%, and handle thousands of inquiries in the time it takes a human agent to resolve a handful. Without this, your team will be slower, less efficient, and more expensive to operate.

Customer frustration will rise

Poorly implemented AI systems can lead to robotic interactions, inaccurate responses, or even breaches of trust. An expert ensures your AI solutions are empathetic, effective, and ethical.

  • AI is only as bad as its implementation: Without expert guidance, AI systems can become a source of frustration—delivering robotic, irrelevant, or inaccurate responses that alienate customers. Common complaints include getting stuck in endless loops, receiving nonsensical answers, or being unable to reach a human for complex issues.

  • Trust versus damage: Mishandled AI can erode trust. For example, AI chatbots that misunderstand context or escalate issues inappropriately can make customers feel unheard and undervalued, leading to negative reviews and lost business.

  • The ethical and the empathetic: An AI expert ensures your systems are not only technically sound but also empathetic and ethical, using sentiment analysis and escalation protocols to address sensitive or complex customer needs appropriately.

Opportunities will slip through the cracks

From automating mundane tasks to uncovering actionable insights in customer data, AI can unlock untapped potential—but only if someone knows how to wield it effectively.

  • Automation of manual tasks: AI can free up human agents by automating repetitive inquiries, ticket routing, and data entry, allowing your team to focus on high-value, relationship-building interactions. Without an expert, these efficiencies are lost, and your staff remains bogged down by routine work.

  • Actionable customer insights: AI experts know how to extract actionable insights from vast amounts of customer data—identifying trends, predicting churn, and uncovering upsell opportunities that would otherwise go unnoticed.

  • Proactive and predictive support: Advanced AI can anticipate customer needs and resolve issues before they escalate, but only if someone on your team understands how to implement and fine-tune these systems.

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AI customer experience is your CX team’s ace in the hole

An AI customer service expert is not just a technical asset—they are a strategic partner who enables hyper-personalized experiences, drives operational excellence, unlocks the power of data, anticipates and solves problems proactively, and safeguards your brand’s reputation through ethical AI practices. Without this expertise, businesses risk falling behind, frustrating customers, and missing out on the full potential of AI-driven customer experience.

If you’re looking for a game-changing addition to your team, consider an AI expert your new MVP. A dedicated AI expert doesn’t just add value—they transform your CX operations entirely. Here’s how:

1. Hyper-personalization

Today’s customers expect more than just basic personalization. They want experiences that feel uniquely tailored to them—and they’re willing to pay for it. Hyper-personalization leverages AI and machine learning to analyze a wide array of data points from browsing behavior to location.

An AI expert can deploy and fine-tune these systems, guaranteeing that every customer interaction feels relevant and authentic. CX teams need to roll out AI to help them deliver the right message, offer, or solution at the perfect moment. The result is deeper customer engagement, higher conversion rates, and increased loyalty.

2. Operational efficiency

AI-driven automates repetitive tasks, forecasts peak periods, supplies coverage for unexpected surges, and frees up human agents to focus on complex, high-value conversations that require empathy and problem-solving skills.

An expert at the helm of your AI software makes sure that these AI automations are not only implemented correctly, but are continuously monitored and optimized. The role balances business needs, agent capacity, and customer expectations at the same time so that all three are equally and efficiently supported.

3. Data-driven decision making

Data is king in customer service. But data’s true value is only unlocked when it’s transformed into actionable insights. AI experts use advanced analytics and machine learning models to sift through this data, identifying patterns, predicting trends, and uncovering root causes of customer issues.

This empowers businesses to make informed decisions—such as adjusting support processes, launching new features, or proactively addressing emerging pain points. Real-time data analysis also allows CX teams to dynamically adjust to customer interactions so CX strategies are always aligned with customer needs.

4. Proactive problem-solving

AI’s predictive capabilities allow businesses to move from reactive to proactive customer service. By analyzing historical and real-time data, AI can detect early warning signs of potential issues—such as a spike in product returns or negative sentiment in customer feedback—and trigger interventions before customers even reach out.

An AI expert knows how to harness these tools to set up automated alerts and proactive outreach campaigns that resolve problems swiftly.

5. Ethical AI deployment

Trust is the foundation of customer experience, and ethical AI deployment is essential for maintaining it. An AI expert keeps your CX team and systems in compliance with data privacy regulations, creates documentation that customers can access about when and how AI is used, and regularly audits your AI for bias and fairness.

An AI expert can also write ethical guidelines to educate staff and establish AI accountability practices for your team and company. By prioritizing ethical practices, businesses protect customer data, prevent discriminatory outcomes, and foster long-term relationships built on transparency and respect.

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Key signs your customer service is ready for AI

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Top skills to look for in an customer experience AI expert

CX leaders should look to hire a new AI expert role with someone who combines a varied set of technical, strategic, and personal, and ethics-based skills.

  • Technical mastery: AI experts should have expertise in machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and deep learning frameworks. Familiarity with CRM platforms and integration of AI into existing workflows is essential.

  • Strategic vision: The ideal candidate should understand how to align AI tools with broader business goals—not just implement technology for technology’s sake. They should be able to cohesively apply AI to the company’s product or service, to the CX team’s typical workflows, and to the customers’ needs.

  • Emotional intelligence: Empathy matters in CX—even when deploying automated systems. An AI expert who designs empathetic conversations will elevate your brand’s reputation.

  • Ethical awareness: Ideal candidates should have a strong grasp of regulatory requirements like GDPR or HIPAA and can safeguard against algorithmic bias.

How to evaluate the role of an AI expert within your team

To ensure this role delivers maximum impact, CX leaders must integrate the AI expert strategically. Here are a few things to keep in mind when evaluating this role.

  • Make them a strategic partner: This isn’t a back-office role. Your AI expert should work closely with CX leaders, support agents, and even IT to shape strategy and drive innovation.

  • Measure their impact: Use metrics like improved CSAT scores, reduced response times, or cost savings to evaluate their contributions—and don’t forget qualitative feedback from customers and agents.

  • Foster collaboration across teams: The best results come when your AI expert works hand-in-hand with marketing, demand generation, and frontline agents to ensure seamless implementation and adoption.

  • Commit to continuous improvement: Technology evolves rapidly—so should your team’s expertise. Provide opportunities for ongoing learning through certifications or industry events.

Start writing that job description

Customer experience teams without an AI expert are playing a dangerous game of catch-up—and losing ground fast. This role is essential for delivering the kind of experiences today’s customers demand. By hiring someone who understands both the technical intricacies of AI and its strategic application in CX, businesses can unlock new levels of efficiency, personalization, and innovation while avoiding costly missteps in implementation.

CX leaders have to start viewing the AI expert role as a cornerstone of success in the age of intelligent automation. Without it, competitors will surge ahead and customers will look elsewhere for brands that truly understand them. Don’t let your team fall behind.

Hire an AI expert now. We’ll help you! Download Gladly’s AI expert job description here, and get ready to uplevel your customer experience.

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