More than half of customers say they would consider switching brands if they discovered AI was handling their customer service interactions. That’s the striking finding from Gartner research that sits at the heart of a new book challenging how businesses are approaching the AI revolution.
Despite many companies now treating AI as a top strategic priority with plans to invest in generative AI over the next three years, customer appetite for AI-driven service tells a different story. Gartner found that 64% of customers would simply prefer companies not to use AI for customer service at all — a disconnect that marketing strategist Si Elliott argues businesses can no longer afford to ignore.
In Customer Experience Thinking, released internationally on 21 May 2026, Elliott contends that modern organisations have become obsessed with metrics, automation and scale, while overlooking the psychological drivers that shape how customers actually think, feel and make decisions.
Elliott, co-owner of creative agency Diversity and founder of customer experience consultancy Fabricx, brings together behavioural science and real-world business insight in what he describes as a practical guide for leaders navigating a world dominated by data and digital platforms.
“Customer experience is the perception and feelings a person has from the interactions and experiences they have with a product, brand or business,” Elliott explains. “But the ‘thinking’ behind that experience is just as important. It’s about understanding how people process information, what drives behaviour and how organisations should design experiences around that.”
The warning is pointed. “One of the biggest concerns customers have about AI in marketing and customer service is that it will make it harder to reach a real person,” he says. “Brands need to work harder than ever to strengthen rather than weaken human connection with their customers.”
The rapid pace of AI adoption makes this tension all the more urgent. Today, 67% of SMEs use AI in their marketing, 60% of marketers rely on it daily, and among digital marketers that figure rises to 88%. Yet more than a third of non-users admit they still don’t understand how AI works — suggesting adoption is outpacing comprehension across the board.
For Elliott, the technology itself isn’t the problem. “AI has the potential to transform how businesses operate,” he says. “But if we allow technology to dictate the experience entirely, we risk creating a world where people are serving the systems rather than the other way around.”
That theme — efficiency versus human connection — runs throughout the book. “Businesses are increasingly driven by metrics, platforms and performance data,” Elliott says. “But behind every click, impression and conversion is a person. When we forget that, experiences quickly become transactional rather than meaningful.”
Elliott’s central argument is that the organisations that succeed in the next decade will be those combining technological innovation with a deeper understanding of human behaviour. “Great customer experience doesn’t happen by accident,” he says. “It’s designed through thousands of small moments that shape how people feel.”
Customer Experience Thinking is available now in hardback and digital formats.
