HUMAN EXPERIENCE
The Research That Confirms What I’ ve Been Saying For Years
I’ ll be honest— I wasn’ t surprised when I read this. But I was glad the data finally caught up.
According to new research from Gartner released in February 2026, half of all companies that cut customer service staff due to AI will rehire those workers by 2027— often under different job titles, but doing essentially the same human-centered work. Gartner surveyed 321 customer service and support leaders in late 2025. Only 1 in 5 had actually reduced headcount due to AI. More than 55 % report steady staffing even while serving more customers.
Meanwhile, Forrester Research’ s 2026 Future of Work report found that 55 % of employers now regret laying off workers for AI-related reasons. Klarna— which made global headlines in 2024 claiming its AI could do the work of 700 customer service reps— quietly began rehiring humans in 2025. The full story was covered by CX Dive in February 2026. By early 2026, Klarna’ s CEO was calling human assistance a“ VIP experience.”
Here’ s what this tells me: AI is a powerful tool. But it cannot replicate the one thing that actually builds lasting customer loyalty— a genuine human connection. I wrote an entire book about this, and I’ ve been watching organizations learn this lesson the hard way. You don’ t have to. Read my earlier takes:“ AI is Replacing Employees; Will it Create an Employer’ s Market?” and“ How AI is Benefiting Customer and Employee Satisfaction.”
Trend # 1: The AI Overcorrection Is Creating A Human Experience Premium
Here’ s the irony of the past two years: the rush to automate everything has inadvertently created a massive competitive opportunity for brands willing to double down on human connection. When every company automates the same touchpoints in the same way, personalization evaporates. Your customers notice. And a real human response has become a differentiator.
I explored this with AI product expert Aurélien Coq on Episode 136 of my Customer Service Revolution podcast. My view hasn’ t changed: AI isn’ t a job killer. It’ s a tool that changes the nature of jobs and frees your people to do what humans do best. But you have to build the human infrastructure first, or the AI has nothing to support.
I said it in my book The Relationship Economy, and I’ ll say it here:
“ Being able to build true sustainable relationships is the biggest competitive advantage in a world where automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are eliminating the human experience, which is what creates the emotional connections that build true customer loyalty.”— John DiJulius, The Relationship Economy
For every CEO reading this: investing in human service skills is no longer a soft, values-based decision. It’ s your single greatest competitive growth strategy.
Trend # 2: Consistency Is The New Innovation
In a world of constant disruption— new AI tools, economic volatility, shifting consumer behaviors— your customers are craving something they can count on. I’ ve seen this in every organization I’ ve worked with: consistency has become its own form of competitive advantage.
This is a cornerstone of my X-Commandment Methodology. One of the most powerful tools in the framework is the Never & Always system— a set of non-negotiable service standards that define exactly what your customers can expect, every single time, regardless of which location they visit, which employee they talk to, or which channel they use.
“ In today’ s world, the only thing that is separating companies from offering another commodity is the relationship they have with their Customers. If you do not have a relationship with your Customer, you better be the cheapest.”— John DiJulius, The Customer Service Revolution
How To Apply This Trend In Your Organization
Start by mapping every customer touchpoint using the Customer Experience Cycle( CEC) framework. For each touchpoint, define the Never( what must never happen) and the Always( what must always happen). Assign ownership. Build accountability into your culture— not just your policy manual. Every customer, every time. That’ s been my mantra for 25 years, and it still holds.
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