Artificial intelligence and customer relations: towards an augmented customer advisor thanks to new AI tools

Artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually finding its place in customer service. Initially seen as a support tool, it is now establishing itself as a true ally for advisors, like a discreet yet ever-present colleague who helps them manage their daily workload more effectively. Step by step, advisors are learning to collaborate with these tools, leveraging them without losing their central role. Far from replacing them, AI supports advisors, enabling them to better understand customer needs, personalize interactions, and handle a growing volume of requests with greater ease. What was once a simple helping hand has become a genuine strategic asset. By integrating into business processes, AI is progressively transforming the advisor’s role into that of an “augmented” professional, more confident, more efficient, and above all, more available to focus on listening, solving complex issues, and delivering attentive care in every interaction.

In a context where customer expectations are rapidly shifting toward greater speed, clarity, and personalization, the advisor’s role must evolve as well. It is no longer enough to simply provide correct answers; responses must be fast, accurate, and delivered with genuine human connection. This requires adapting work practices, learning new tools, and strengthening both communication and digital skills.

Before the arrival of AI, the customer service advisor managed every stage of the client relationship manually. They welcomed customers, listened to their requests, navigated across multiple tools to find the right information, filled out forms, updated records, and wrote reports, all with attention, diligence, and availability. Advisors also had to show great adaptability when handling highly diverse requests: technical, administrative, or emotional. This approach, though demanding, fostered genuine proximity with customers and highlighted the advisor’s human skills. However, it relied heavily on operational organization, where repetitive tasks and time pressure often limited perspective and personalized support. Everything depended on the advisor’s responsiveness and endurance, sometimes at the expense of their work comfort or the quality of certain interactions. The role remained essential, but working conditions did not always allow advisors to fully leverage their relational strengths or build meaningful connections with each customer.

The arrival of artificial intelligence in customer service has transformed the daily work of advisors. AI goes beyond simply automating certain tasks, it reshapes the way they operate by taking over repetitive actions such as information searches, data entry, or updating records. The advisor is no longer just there to answer requests; they now lead the interaction, supported by tools that can quickly analyze large amounts of data, understand what the customer wants or feels, and suggest the right solution at the right time.

The real-time analysis of interactions, made possible by natural language processing (NLP), enables AI to capture not only the words spoken but also tone, intent, and emotion. This ability to read between the lines enhances the advisor’s support, helping them adjust their approach and response to each situation.

This shift has given rise to a new profile: the "augmented advisor" empowered by AI tools. Still at the heart of human interaction, the customer service advisor is now better equipped. With AI, they can prepare responses more easily, adapt their communication to each client, handle complex cases with greater composure, and even anticipate customer needs. They gain efficiency, responsiveness, and the ability to personalize every interaction.

One of the first tangible benefits of AI for advisors is the time saved. By automating repetitive, time-consuming tasks such as automatically classifying requests or verifying customer data, advisors can handle more interactions without sacrificing quality and remain available even during peak activity periods. This time saving translates into a +20% increase in productivity, giving advisors more opportunities to focus on high-value tasks.

The quality of responses is also enhanced. With AI, often in the form of a conversational agent powered by the company’s knowledge base, advisors gain access to reliable, contextualized, and compliant content that meets both customer expectations and internal requirements. They simply ask the agent a question and instantly receive an answer complete with sources. This avoids approximations, reinforces message consistency, boosts credibility, and saves valuable time in accessing information.

AI also helps to better manage priorities. By analyzing the volume and type of requests in real time, it can flag urgent or sensitive situations and help organize case handling based on severity. This ensures a consistently high level of service, even under pressure. Such an approach has led to a 30% increase in employee satisfaction and a 25% boost in sales, thanks to better advisor recommendations.

Another major advantage lies in the reduction of mental workload. Fewer repetitive tasks, fewer last-minute decisions, less distraction. Advisors evolve in a smoother, more structured environment. They gain peace of mind, which benefits both their work comfort and the quality of customer relationships. This has enabled companies to reduce employee turnover by up to 30% through higher workplace satisfaction. Onboarding new hires is also simplified: the AI agent acts as a training assistant, helping them quickly grasp tools, procedures, and best practices. Modernizing the work environment in this way also strengthens the company’s appeal, especially among younger generations who are sensitive to technological innovation and workplace well-being.

AI is no longer limited to chatbots, it has become a true support system for advisors, before, during, and after customer interactions. Here are the tools that are truly transforming their daily work:

Banking

In the banking sector, AI is used to automate routine requests such as tracking a transfer, reissuing an IBAN, or updating an address. A Visual IVR, for instance, allows clients to easily select the reason for their call directly from their phone before even being connected to an advisor. This reduces misrouting and optimizes handling time. Once the request is identified, an omnichannel AI agent can automatically process simple cases or forward more complex ones to an advisor, with all the context already gathered.

If the call needs to be escalated, the Augmented Advisor Agent can provide real-time support by displaying useful regulatory or pricing information to guide the advisor’s response. After the interaction, the automated post-call summary tool generates a clear synthesis and flags any points requiring special attention, such as compliance checks. Together, these tools enable smooth, fast, and secure customer interactions.

Insurance

In the insurance sector, AI tools can automate responses to common requests such as the receipt and tracking of a claim report. When a policyholder reports an incident by email, a mailbot can automatically analyze the message, extract key data (type of incident, date, location), and suggest an appropriate response with the list of required documents.

If the request requires further discussion, it can be forwarded to an advisor. Supported by an augmented advisor agent, the advisor receives real-time recommendations on best practices depending on the contract type or specific policy clauses. The AI agent can also help anticipate objections or suggest alternative solutions.

At the end of the exchange, the post-interaction summary tool generates a structured report, including alerts for potential fraud or priority cases. Altogether, these tools help shorten processing times, improve case traceability, and refocus the advisor’s role on providing human support.

Social Housing

In the social housing sector, AI tools make it easier to prioritize urgent requests and streamline the handling of recurring inquiries. When a tenant reports an issue, an omnichannel AI agent can capture the request on the appropriate channel and, if it is a frequent question (e.g., a rent receipt request), respond automatically. For urgent technical issues (e.g., heating failure, water leak), AI can trigger a priority alert and forward the request to the right department with all the necessary details.

For administrative processes (rent certificate, change of contact details), a mailbot can suggest an automatic reply template, relieving advisors from repetitive exchanges and saving valuable time.

During more complex interactions, an Augmented Advisor Agent can recommend the correct procedures based on the tenant’s profile, contract, or history. The automated call summary then records each interaction and shares useful information across departments (property management, maintenance, social support).

Together, these tools enable advisors to refocus on their core mission: supporting tenants, anticipating risk situations, and maintaining a close, trusted relationship with residents.

While offering significant benefits, integrating AI into customer service requires a strategic and gradual approach. This means ensuring the quality, diversity, and relevance of the data used, especially when it involves sensitive information (personal, banking, health data), while complying with regulations such as the GDPR and the AI Act. It is crucial to continuously improve AI scenarios so they remain aligned with the company’s operational and strategic goals, while also integrating field feedback and market developments. This ensures that responses stay relevant, accurate, and effective over time.

The hybridization between advisors and AI must follow a logic of human support: AI does not replace the advisor, it augments them by providing access to capabilities and information that would otherwise be impossible to obtain in real time. Acting as a strategic partner, AI can automate specific tasks, deliver precise and contextualized data, and assist in decision-making. This hybrid approach combines the advisor’s relational and emotional expertise with AI’s speed of analysis and near-unlimited memory.

By leveraging intelligent bots, omnichannel orchestration, self-service, and dynamic knowledge bases, the “augmented” advisor can focus on high-value interactions. Human and machine work hand in hand in a framework of transparent processes, with clear traceability of decisions and seamless exchanges. Sustained by continuous monitoring of technological advances and evolving customer expectations, this alliance turns every improvement into a driver of performance, satisfaction, and long-term value creation.

To reinforce trust, it is essential to develop verification and explainability models, such as the LLM as a Judge approach, which ensures the reliability and relevance of AI-generated responses. These practices fall within a framework of trustworthy AI, where every recommendation is validated and traceable. This constant balance between innovation and oversight transforms AI integration into a sustainable asset for customer service excellence.

Far from replacing humans, artificial intelligence is profoundly reshaping the advisor’s role. By handling repetitive tasks, streamlining access to information, and providing real-time assistance, it enables advisors to focus on what truly matters: quality interactions, attentive listening, and solving complex situations.

This is not a disruption but an evolution. Advisors remain at the heart of customer relations, better equipped, calmer, and more available. AI doesn’t take their place; it enhances their ability to perform in a more fluid and demanding environment.

This new partnership between human intelligence and artificial intelligence paves the way for clearer, more responsive, and more attentive customer relationships.