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The Competitive Moat That AI Can't Replicate

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Re: The Competitive Moat That AI Can't Replicate

#21

Post by fidotron »

flax wrote: post #11

I'm probably in the minority, but I do not want a "connection" with a business. I want transactional interactions that actually work. That is something that AI is not giving us today. By design. Companies are not switching to AI customer service because it's better or cheaper for the same service. They are choosing to replace customer service with AI chat bots that simulate the customer service experience without act…

> I want transactional interactions that actually work.

One of the great lies of the modern world is that this actually happens.

Re: The Competitive Moat That AI Can't Replicate

#22

Post by ygouzerh »

flax wrote: post #11

I'm probably in the minority, but I do not want a "connection" with a business. I want transactional interactions that actually work. That is something that AI is not giving us today. By design. Companies are not switching to AI customer service because it's better or cheaper for the same service. They are choosing to replace customer service with AI chat bots that simulate the customer service experience without act…

Definitely! One exemple is Grab, in all Southeast Asia: what people like is that the app is fluid, and will get you from A to B.

There is no marketing like Uber did sometimes of like: "personal service, free water bottle", and it's still killing it.

Of course, I personally always enjoy a chat with the driver, but many people I know prefer actually not talking.

Re: The Competitive Moat That AI Can't Replicate

#23

Post by Animats »

Why can't AI replicate that?

Because it's not reliable enough to let it do anything which might cost the service provider. This is the cost of hallucinations. You can't let the customer service AI issue refunds, or upgrade someone to a better room. Not yet, anyway. Agentic AI systems with any real power generate minor disasters on a regular basis.

Re: The Competitive Moat That AI Can't Replicate

#25

Post by fxtentacle »

ygouzerh wrote: post #22
flax wrote: post #11

I'm probably in the minority, but I do not want a "connection" with a business. I want transactional interactions that actually work. That is something that AI is not giving us today. By design. Companies are not switching to AI customer service because it's better or cheaper for the same service. They are choosing to replace customer service with AI chat bots that simulate the customer service experience without act…

Definitely! One exemple is Grab, in all Southeast Asia: what people like is that the app is fluid, and will get you from A to B. There is no marketing like Uber did sometimes of like: "personal service, free water bottle", and it's still killing it. Of course, I personally always enjoy a chat with the driver, but many people I know prefer actually not talking.

The grab app shows un-skippable ads. And some taxis even have ads "based on your interests" playing on a TV in front of your seat. I found their "no marketing" ;) to be almost too much.

Re: The Competitive Moat That AI Can't Replicate

#26

Post by Gormo »

ygouzerh wrote: post #18
ashishact wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had read 80% of the post and loved it. Then I came to see few comments - Saw yours and now having difficulty reading further. That means: 1. AI has gotten better - or eventually most people would like reading AI generated content 2. Author is just using AI to post-process - content is original Anyway I did love the content.

I feel like the author wrote like the full plan/ substance himself, and gave to an AI the formatting. It's quite fine for me so actually, as long as the substance make sense/is logical.

What about the formatting seems indicative of AI generation? It just looks like normal long-form writing to me.

Re: The Competitive Moat That AI Can't Replicate

#28

Post by bluGill »

flax wrote: post #11

I'm probably in the minority, but I do not want a "connection" with a business. I want transactional interactions that actually work. That is something that AI is not giving us today. By design. Companies are not switching to AI customer service because it's better or cheaper for the same service. They are choosing to replace customer service with AI chat bots that simulate the customer service experience without act…

I want a connection to quality products that last until they wear out (or are obsolete). Customer service is part of quality.

Re: The Competitive Moat That AI Can't Replicate

#29

Post by Terr_ »

flax wrote: post #11

I'm probably in the minority, but I do not want a "connection" with a business. I want transactional interactions that actually work. That is something that AI is not giving us today. By design. Companies are not switching to AI customer service because it's better or cheaper for the same service. They are choosing to replace customer service with AI chat bots that simulate the customer service experience without act…

An "accountability sink" [0] where a major feature of the system or machien is to try to disclaim any responsibility and cast blame into the void.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unaccountability_Machine

Re: The Competitive Moat That AI Can't Replicate

#30

Post by wrs »

This is great advice, as long as you remember you need both hospitality and service. At some point a warm relationship doesn’t compensate enough for a bad product.

I love that the staff at my little neighborhood bank remembers me, and was so warm and helpful when I had to open an estate account when my mom died, and sometimes I bring my favorite teller a latte on my way back from the coffee shop.

But I still switched my business account to Chase, because my little neighborhood bank’s website is stuck in about 2005, and I just couldn’t put up with it any longer!

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