The Wrap #40: Why Don't You Just Tell Me The Name of The Movie You've Selected?
I was reading Lance Haun's post this week about Klarna's AI “oopsie” (remember that one from last week’s Wrap?) and it got me thinking: how long until companies start charging us extra just to speak to a real, live human?
It feels like we’re slowly creeping toward a future where the first level of service is always a chatbot or automated process. You'd think that the chatbot or automation would make the process easier, and it does, for the companies, not the customers. The customers are stuck bagging their own groceries or scrolling through menu items trying to find the one thing their kid will eat (remember my fun times at the automated Burger King on the NJ Turnpike?).
We saw we're innovating, but we're just optimizing the amount of consumers who can enjoy the same broken experience. We’ve convinced ourselves that faster is better. Fewer humans means fewer headaches. But here’s the thing: sometimes people need people. Not a chatbot. Not a workflow. Not a decision tree that dead-ends in “Sorry, I didn’t get that.”
If we build for efficiency, not empathy, we're missing the point. Automation can handle transactions. It can’t build trust. It can’t calm an anxious candidate, answer a nuanced question, or make someone feel seen. Those moments—the human ones—are what people remember.
So as we keep layering on AI, let’s not forget the basics: Treat people right. Make it easy to get help. Because when everything else feels robotic, the companies that lead with empathy? They’re the ones that stand out.
Empathy for your customers isn’t a feature request. It’s the whole damn product.
Now let’s see who’s building it right—and who’s still letting the bots run wild…
This week's Wrap features a landmark AI bias case that will have ramifications across the industry, new products from Findem, Yello.co, and Glider AI; more funding for Awardco and Flo Recruit, Bullhorn expansion, hot takes from Brian Fink and Josh Bersin, a preview of Phenom's voice agent with Chris Russell, Walmart layoffs, and troubling signs for entry-level jobs, men's health and wellness, and the affordability of groceries.
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
