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

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 t ... Read full article.