Can You Tell What’s Real? Why authentic CX still wins
Technology continues to redefine customer experience, often focusing on remote and digital services that prioritise efficiency and scale. However, what happens when customers desire more than a technologically advanced response—when they simply want an authentic, human interaction?
Our new insights come with an important warning: beware of outsourcing empathy to machines. This raises a key question for every organisation—do you know your company’s CX ‘moments of truth’? Those moments where authentic connection matters most to your customers.
Customers Are Cautious About AI
The world wants efficiency with transparency. Algorithms and speed of service are important, but customers also want authenticity—and to know when they’re speaking with a human or a robot.
In a recent Harris Poll UK study on AI in CX:
65% of customers said it’s difficult to tell when information from AI is real or fake.
62% find it hard to know if they’re speaking to a real person or an AI in remote conversations.
Just 17% said they prefer AI when resolving a customer service query.
Customers Want Real Connection
Compounding the human need for connection, there’s a poly-crisis in perceived value and anxiety. Consumers are increasingly focused on the here and now.
Our customer closeness research found:
75% think they are no longer getting value for money from services.
Two-thirds say ongoing cost-of-living pressures have left them unwilling to look further ahead.
This paints a picture of customers feeling at best neglected — and at worst cynical. Yet amid this fatigue, one thing still resonates in customer service: authentic human connection. It’s what drives perceived value, builds trust, and creates the feeling of “winning” that every brand wants to deliver.
What the Best Brands Get Right
Some companies already understand the importance of these connections in the moments that matter. In our 2025 study of the 100 most talked-about companies for CX, four stood out for their ability to balance efficiency with genuine connection—achieving top rankings across our CX Fundamentals:
Lush brings innovative, ethical products to life through immersive retail. They align their company purpose with innovation to create in-store demonstrations that can’t be replicated through digital-only experiences. As leaders in Continuous Improvement, they show the power of genuine human connection.
Bupa leads with a best-in-class score for Supportive Service by empowering contact centre employees to be fearless in doing the right thing for customers. On days when empathy matters most, staff are encouraged to prioritise people over algorithms—confident they’ll be supported afterwards.
Giffgaff builds a unique relationship with customers through its online community, enabling direct, honest conversations that influence everything from problem resolution to product development. This culture of fairness and transparency helps them top the Valued and Understood category.
Jet2 has risen above the often-volatile air travel environment by putting real people “on the ground” at every stage of the journey. Whether in airports, resorts, or during disruptions, having a human presence ensures fast, clear communication when customers need it most—earning Jet2 second place in our CX Index despite a 12% increase in passenger numbers (Supportive Service).
Each of these brands understands where technology enhances service—and where authentic, human connection still matters most.
AI Has a Role to Play — at the Right Time and Place
The challenge for companies is to understand where and when customers most want an authentic connection, and where they’re happy with automation.
This isn’t about pitting humans against machines. The key to future success is adopting technology in the right way, at the right time.
Customers are open to AI when it makes life easier, such as:
Finding the lowest prices (only 12% disagree with using AI for this).
Searching and navigating websites (only 14% disagree).
In these moments, transparency and speed are paramount. But for more emotional or complex interactions—those moments of truth—human empathy still wins.
For employees, the narrative around AI should shift from “replacement” to “empowerment.”
Technology should make it easier to access information, complete repetitive tasks, and spend more time where it counts—connecting with customers.
The winners in CX will be those who use AI to enhance and amplify the human experience, not replace it.
This strategy not only turbocharges your service delivery but also engages your employees to adopt new technology. By shifting the narrative to how AI can help teams deliver better, more targeted service, you will drive more rapid uptake and engagement.
Empathy Is Still Your Competitive Advantage
As AI continues to evolve, it’s tempting to delegate emotional engagement to machines that can simulate empathy. But while AI can manufacture engagement, it can’t feel it—and customers know the difference.
Brands that succeed in the next wave of CX will be those that:
Identify where authentic connection truly matters, or when to escalate to a real person.
Equip their people with technology that amplifies—not replaces—human strengths.
Deliver emotionally resonant experiences that build lasting bonds.
So, What Does this Mean for Brands?
The lesson is simple: don’t outsource empathy to machines—and don’t deny it to your people. The brands that will win will balance automation and emotion and use their technology to enhance, not erode, human connection. As AI becomes abundant, authentic human interactions at the right moment may be your differentiator.
Let’s Talk About Your CX “Moments of Truth”
Do you know the points in your customer journey where authenticity matters most? We can help you identify them and design the right blend of human and digital connection to keep your customers close.
Contact us at The Harris Poll UK to start the conversation.
Written by a real person, based on genuine customer feedback. 😊