In this Chain Store Age article, Alexei Klestoff discusses New York City’s proposed rules for automated customer service systems, which aim to end the “doom loop” of irrelevant menus and unhelpful responses that leaves customers stuck. The proposal would require businesses to offer a simple way to reach a human representative and ensure automated customer service provides relevant, responsive help.
Alexei explained how the proposal compares to California’s recently passed automated customer service law, and what the staffing and enforcement picture could look like for national retailers.
“I don’t think these laws would completely eliminate the desire to automate customer service. They will just require additional workforce planning. The fundamental consequence will be the cost savings of automated customer service tools are probably going to be less,” Alexei said.