Burning AI questions answered—with Zendesk’s Peter Neels

Excited about AI, but not sure where to get started? You’re not alone.

According to our 2024 CX Trends report, 65 percent of CX leaders see AI as a strategic necessity and reality—one that has rendered previous operations outdated and obsolete. But recognizing this need for change and knowing how exactly to enact it is a different story entirely.

Concerns about changing team roles, potential negative impacts to the customer experience, and a perceived lack of transparency around the rollout of AI tools and strategy have proved to be powerful obstacles to implementation. But as Neels explains, they’re often the result of moving too quickly without an understanding of where AI can make a positive impact.

“What we’re seeing is customers are doing it all and then going ‘oh, whoa, whoa wait, this is too much’,” he said. Instead of trying to get AI to solve every problem, he recommends a “go slow to go fast” approach. “You’ll go incrementally faster than if you go all in to start,” he said.

Tune in for more expert advice from Neels, including the best ways to get AI buy-in from agents, why your voice of the customer insights aren’t enough, and what makes his top list of priorities for anyone starting on their AI implementation journey.

Have a question for a Zendesk expert or want to suggest a topic for a future episode? Drop us a line at cwzpodcast@zendesk.com—we’d love to hear from you.