CX x AI Insights
2025 Consumer Friction Index: telecom and travel
Pine has launched its 2025 Consumer Friction Index, identifying the brands consumers struggle with most when it comes to customer service:
- Xfinity
- AT&T
- Verizon
- Spectrum
- T-Mobile
- Chase
- Amazon
- Netflix
- GEICO
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- Progressive
At the top are telecommunications companies with financial services and travel brands also making the list. Pine reports that its customers are using AI agents to handle customer service issues revolving around saving money, either by seeking refund compensation or cancelling subscription services.
For CX leaders: if your customer experience is so arduous or frustrating that customers are turning to AI agents to handle cancellations and refund requests, you need to rethink your strategy. If consumers have had a bad experience and need a refund or to cancel, making that process as smooth as possible can leave a better impression and keeps the door open for them to return as a customer!
Banking AI Chatbots found to be exploitable
An AI researcher pressure-tested 24 AI banking chatbots and found all to be “exploitable” - with it being fairly easy to override policy controls and suppress refusals via prompts. Some of the key failures included:
- revealing proprietary creditworthiness scoring logic and internal eligibility documentation
- generating fabricated customer testimonials
- misquoting interest calculations
Financial services is highly regulated and these failures have huge consequences with regulators. If you’re in financial services it’s critical to be strategic with your AI rollout and test, test, test! Check out AI Agent Evals to see how it’s possible to strengthen QA processes and keep your organization more secure.
CFOs grappling with AI disrupting the seat-based model
Experts calculate that AI is doing between 30-40% of the customer experience work that used to require a human in a seat. CX platforms and buyers are grappling with what technology pricing looks like in today’s world where work is done by both humans and AI. CFOs wonder why they are paying the same price when AI is handling much of the work, but technology providers know that everything that goes into AI computing isn’t free.
How can you as a CX leader help your organization adapt to the changing pricing models?
Get ahead of the game. Use AI-based forecasting tools to understand the human staffing levels you need and the volume of conversations your brand can expect. This relies on having solid CX and sales data to work into the model - start collecting it now if you don’t already.
Walmart’s predictions for how it will use AI
The executive vice president of AI acceleration, product and design at Walmart shared some predictions for how Walmart will move from “tinkering” with AI to transforming operations with it:
- automating routine grocery shopping
- reducing search and scrolling due to enabling intent-based, highly personalized experiences
- digitizing the in-store experience with AI, such as AI-driven replenishment
Danker says Walmart is positioned to win in ecommerce as AI agents prioritize speed, price, and convenience.
When titans like Walmart say tinkering time is over, you know it’s time to get serious and follow suit.
Amazon CEO says company will be open to external AI shopping assistants
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has changed his tune. At the World Economic Forum, Jassy said he expects that over time Amazon will work with third-party shopping agents, even though in 2025 the company took steps to block some, and that they currently get pricing and product information incorrect. It signals how AI shifts rapidly and organizations must adapt.
REI CEO on the role of store associates in the age of AI
Mary Beth Laughton, the CEO of REI, spoke at the National Retail Federation conference about the role of in-store associates with the rise of AI. My favorite point: AI does not have lived experience in the outdoors, so human employees with experience actually using the gear in different places and conditions will be able to provide actual recommendations in a way that AI inherently cannot.
It’s a sign the brand understands AI’s place in its operations with its target audience.
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