Klarna changes its AI tune and again recruits humans for customer service

Summary

Listen to the article 6 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. A year after claiming that its AI chatbot could do the work of 700 representatives, Klarna is turning back to people to handle more of its customer service work. The buy now, pay later firm now wants customers to always have the option to speak with a human, Klarna spokesperson Clare Nordstrom told CX Dive. “While Klarna pioneered the use of AI in customer service with groundbreaking results, this strategy will now evolve to the next level,” Nordstrom said in an email. “AI gives us speed. Talent gives us empathy. Together, we can deliver service that’s fast when it should be, and emphatic and personal when it needs to be.” It’s a drastic change from a year ago, when the firm went all in on AI, laid off workers and paused hiring. The shift highlights the need for the option to speak to a human in customer service — and to use AI as a supplement, not a replacement, for staff, according to Julie Geller, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group. “The key takeaway is that AI should augment human agents — not replace them,” Geller said in an email. “Automate the routine to drive efficiency, but always ensure customers have a clear, easy path to a human, especially when emotions or complexity come into play.” Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said just as much in an interview with Bloomberg Thursday. “From a brand perspective, a company perspective … I just think it’s so critical that you are clear to your customer that there will be always a human if you want,” Siemiatkowski said. Klarna is now recruiting workers for what Siemiatkowski referred to as an Uber-type customer service setup. Starting with a pilot program, the firm will offer customer service talent “competitive pay and full flexibility to attract the best,” with staff able to work remotely, according to Nordstrom. “AI solves the easy stuff — our experts handle the moments that matter,” Nordstrom s...