Bots alone don’t build loyalty

Crescendo hosted Ken Chenault, former CEO of American Express and a respected leader in brand strategy and customer-first thinking. He emphasized a simple but powerful truth: customer service is not just a function, it is a brand defining experience. It serves as both an emotional and rational connection point between company and customer. And while emerging technologies can help amplify positive experiences, lasting loyalty is built through human centered, high quality service.

Today, AI agents are being advertised as the silver bullet to transform CX operations. But reality is catching up with the hype. As one disappointed reviewer put it, “I could not be more disappointed… most responses were not even helpful.” AI agents do not fail because the technology is fundamentally flawed. They fail when teams assume that buying the software is enough. Without the right data, continuous tuning, and human oversight, AI agents can quickly become a source of misinformation and frustration.

Imagine an AI agent tells you that a refund has been issued for your return. You send the item back, only to learn later that no refund is coming. That single interaction can permanently damage your trust in the brand. The takeaway is clear: AI agents are not magic. Delivering a modern customer experience requires a thoughtful balance between technology and human expertise.

At Crescendo, we believe the future of customer experience is not artificial intelligence alone. It is Augmented AI, a model where skilled people and powerful technology work in concert to drive resolution, relevance, and relationship.

Turnkey AI support operations that build trust

Most companies underestimate what it takes to make AI agents successful in customer support. Launching an AI agent involves more than just configuration. It requires a program of ongoing optimization, feedback, and training. The best performing deployments are treated as living systems, always evolving and always learning.

While some customer experience AI agent vendors offer initial onboarding via professional services, those engagements taper off after setup. Teams are left to manage performance through dashboards and alerts. This can work in limited cases, but it often becomes a burden for lean customer support teams with other responsibilities.

At Crescendo, we take a different approach. Our onboarding model is available to every customer and is designed to get you live in weeks, not months. We start by evaluating your existing data, including knowledge bases and standard operating procedures, and apply rigorous quality checks to minimize AI agent response hallucinations and misinformation. We test and roll out our omnichannel AI technology with intention and move to additional phases only when confidence in one channel of the experience is earned.

But that is only the beginning. Our optimization teams continuously improve performance after go-live. They act as an extension of your team, tuning the AI agents, updating content, monitoring conversations, and supporting enhancements across every channel. 

AI alone is not enough

AI agents can be incredibly powerful tools, but they are only as good as the care behind them. They can automate responses, reduce friction, and speed up resolution. But they often lack empathy, judgment, and the nuance required to manage emotionally charged or complex moments. The result is a robotic experience that tries to solve the wrong problem or even worse infuriates the customer.

We believe that balancing AI agents with human touch is lacking with the current batch of tech only AI agents. Our strategy provides you with industry leading CX professionals that can act as your operations support team, 24/7 worldwide, for hand-offs and escalations. This is a unique delivery model where AI and human support operate as one fully-managed platform to ensure every customer interaction is positive. 

We know your brand reputation is hard-earned, let our team be an extension of you, offering the same care and consistency you expect.

Performance promise

In an AI world of rising expectations and constant change, customer experience leaders need more than software. You need a partner. Our model is built on trust, results, and human led service that grows with you. We bring the right mix of AI automation and expert support to help you simplify operations, scale with confidence, and stay focused on what matters most: your customers.

‍Explore the future of customer experience.