Citizens Bank is nailing AI-powered customer experience while others lag with robotic alerts.
The issue: automated messages often miss the mark — bland, irrelevant, and tone-deaf. A LinkedIn user shared two starkly different experiences with banks. One got a generic, daily-triggered warning about minimum balance changes — quickly outdated by market moves. It felt robotic and pointless.
Soon after, Citizens Bank sent a student loan renewal message that anticipated needs and made the process seamless. No wasted steps, no generic templates. 
The lesson: some companies use tech to humanize CX, others trap customers in automated frustration loops.
“Whether AI was involved or not, the takeaway was clear: some companies are using technology to create experiences that feel intelligent and human. Others are stuck in the era of template-driven alerts that barely acknowledge the person on the other side of the screen.”
Companies often chase flashy AI without clear goals, ending in failure. Success comes from solving real problems like reducing churn or improving onboarding.
Start small. Prioritize use cases based on customer insight and tech readiness — like email send-time optimization or sentiment detection on support tickets.
“If you skip understanding your customer, AI can quickly become a barrier instead of a bridge.”
Trust is key. Zendesk data shows 59% expect generative AI to transform CX soon but 63% worry about AI biases. CX leaders stress transparency and data protection.
Measure results. Iterate. Scale responsibly. Track metrics like conversion lift and call deflection. Blend AI and humans to keep it real.
Citizens Bank shows that when AI anticipates needs and cuts friction, technology makes customer experiences more human — not less.
