The 3 biggest AI missteps CX leaders make + how you can avoid them and succeed

CX leaders have long been asked to anticipate customer needs, empower agents, and deliver seamless service at scale. With AI purpose-built for CX, they’re finally meeting these demands and achieving real results—85 percent of CX leaders are already reporting positive ROI from their AI initiatives. But these gains are only possible when AI is implemented correctly, avoiding common pitfalls and ensuring no critical steps are overlooked. Many organizations seek our expertise after facing costly AI missteps, and we help them realign their strategies for success. Based on our experience, here are the three biggest AI mistakes CX leaders make—and how to avoid them in your business.

The 3 biggest AI missteps CX leaders make—and how you can stay ahead

1. They think short-term about success

Treating AI as a quick fix hinders progress and sets unrealistic leadership expectations. Instead, view AI as a transformative, long-term strategy that reshapes your entire CX organization. To fully capture its business impact, track metrics holistically, prioritizing sustained growth. For example, an initial rise in average handle time often indicates that AI tools are actually enabling agents to provide more personalized support and resolve complex issues, fostering long-term customer loyalty. Focus on key lagging indicators like customer lifetime value, satisfaction, retention, and cost to serve. Regular check-ins with stakeholders at all levels will ensure alignment on long-term goals and maintain a steady focus on continuous improvement.

And the payoff is real. By focusing on the overall impact of AI and automation, education tech pioneer Degreed saw efficiency wins turn into significant revenue boosts—achieving $1M in cost savings and 100 percent customer net retention rates.

2. They miss opportunities for easy wins and critical learning

Start small against your longer-term goals with simple, scalable use cases—CX leaders risk stalling AI adoption and missing critical insights into how AI works at their organization by jumping into complex use cases too soon. Our customers have seen near-instant results by beginning with AI-powered knowledge bases, digital autonomous agents, and agent-facing tools.

And by combining two or more of these capabilities they’re taking on more while increasing efficiency and lowering operational costs. Unity, the powerhouse behind Pokémon Go, connected a Zendesk autonomous AI agent to its knowledge base, saving $1.3 million and erasing 8,000 tickets from the queue. Now, their agents can focus on more meaningful tasks. AI tools that guide agents in real time are another way to drive immediate value—agents that use our AI features handle nearly three times the ticket volume of those without AI.

3. They overlook the importance of agent buy-in

With customer interactions set to surge fivefold and two-thirds of CX leaders anticipating leaner teams, driving agent AI buy-in has never been more critical. But agent-facing tools are only effective if agents actually use them. And if their tools aren’t purpose-built for what they need, they lose impact. Involve agents in AI discussions from day one. Opt for solutions that are user-friendly to maximize adoption, provide training, and actively seek feedback from the teams who use them daily.

Clearly define your vision for the future of your agents’ roles, highlighting opportunities for skill development, cross-training, and career growth. This will drive buy-in and engagement as your team evolves.

CX leaders who bring agents along on the AI journey are already seeing the benefits—agents using our AI features resolve issues 38 percent faster than those without them. For sports tech company Catapult, AI has transformed the agent experience—lowering agents’ first reply time by a whopping 50 percent, empowering them to anticipate customer needs, and even making their jobs more enjoyable.

The opportunity cost of inaction on AI adoption will continue to grow

Starting your AI journey doesn’t have to be daunting, and the cost of doing nothing is too high. We have the tools and expertise to help you make your AI vision a reality. Only Zendesk AI is pre-trained on over 18 billion customer interactions, grasping the complexities of CX from day one and scaling effortlessly as your automation needs grow—no technical expertise required.

Learn about our approach to delivering exceptional service for every person on the planet.