Francesca Roche

As AI agents become embedded in CX, deploying them on fragmented data and disconnected systems turns them into a liability at enterprise scale. The urgency to ship AI-powered experiences is creating a dangerous gap between what organizations think they are delivering and what the business can stand behind.

At ODEON Cinemas, particularly, that belief has shaped both its guest experience strategy and its approach to adopting AI, using Zendesk technology to strengthen service while protecting the human moments that define the brand. CX leaders must therefore be thinking about how to deploy AI to enhance efficiency without diminishing the relationships customers value most.

As enterprises race to deploy AI-powered bots and virtual agents, automation can quietly erode customer trust when the right foundations aren't in place. The difference between automation that scales and fails often comes down to how organizations prepare for a bot to handle its first interaction.