Picture this: You're standing in line at your local coffee shop, and the person ahead of you is having a heated phone conversation with their bank. "No, I already explained this to three different people!" they're saying.
Sound familiar? We've all been there.
But here's what's interesting – that same frustrated customer probably just used their banking app to deposit a check, transfer money, and even apply for a loan increase. All through AI-powered systems. And they trusted those systems completely.
So what's the difference? Why do we trust AI for some things but not others?
As we look toward the emergence of Agentic AI, we're witnessing something fascinating. The old rule book about when customers will and won't trust technology? It's being completely rewritten.
The Trust Paradox: What's Really Going On
Here's where it gets really interesting. Recent research shows that the majority of customers know AI is already part of their service experience. But - and here's the kicker - 64% say they'd prefer companies didn't use AI for customer support. (Gartner Survey)
Wait, what? That sounds contradictory, right?
Let me tell you about Sarah, a marketing manager from Chicago. She loves using her airline's app to check in, change seats, even rebook flights when there are delays. All AI-powered. But when her luggage got lost last month, she spent 45 minutes fighting with a chatbot that kept asking her to "please rephrase your question" before finally screaming "AGENT!" into her phone.
Sarah doesn't hate AI. She hates bad AI.
The customers saying they don't want AI aren't rejecting the technology – they're rejecting those frustrating experiences we've all had with chatbots that clearly don't understand what we're asking for.
But here's the plot twist: More than half of those same customers believe AI will handle increasingly complex interactions in the future, and a significant majority actually trust businesses that use AI effectively.
The key word there? Effectively.
The Trust Journey: How It Really Happens
Trust in AI isn't like flipping a switch. It's more like learning to trust a new friend – it happens gradually, through positive experiences.
Take Mike, a small business owner in Portland. His journey with AI customer service started simple:
Stage 1: Testing the Waters
Mike's first interaction was basic: "What's my account balance?" The AI responded instantly with the exact number, plus his recent transactions. No hold time, no "let me look that up for you." Just immediate, accurate information. That planted the first seed.
Stage 2: Getting Bolder
A few weeks later, Mike needed to update his business address across multiple accounts. Instead of dreading the usual runaround, he tried the AI again. Not only did it update his address everywhere, but it also proactively asked if he wanted to update his billing preferences and sent him a confirmation email with all the changes. Mike was impressed.
Stage 3: The Real Test
Here's where it gets interesting. Mike's business got hit with a fraudulent charge for $3,000. This was serious – the kind of issue he'd normally want to speak to a human about immediately. But it was 11 PM, and he was stressed. He decided to try the AI.
The system didn't just take his report. It immediately flagged the transaction, initiated a dispute, temporarily credited his account, and set up fraud monitoring. Then it explained exactly what would happen next and when. Mike got his issue resolved faster than he ever had with a human agent.
Stage 4: Becoming an Advocate
Now Mike actively chooses AI for most of his service needs. Why? Because it's available 24/7, remembers every previous conversation, and gets things done without him having to explain his entire history every time.
Why Agentic AI Changes Everything
Remember those old chatbots that drove us all crazy? They were like talking to a very polite robot that could only follow a script. "I understand you're frustrated, but I can only help with billing questions."
Agentic AI is completely different. It's like having a conversation with someone who actually gets it.
Let me tell you about Jennifer's experience. She called her insurance company because her claim was denied, but she believed it should be covered. Instead of getting transferred three times and explaining her situation repeatedly, the Agentic AI system:
- Pulled up her policy details and claim history
- Analyzed the denial reason against her coverage
- Discovered the claim was miscategorized
- Automatically resubmitted it with the correct coding
- Scheduled a follow-up to ensure processing
- Sent her a detailed explanation of what happened and why
All in one conversation. No transfers, no "let me check with my supervisor," no calling back later.
That's the difference. Agentic AI doesn't just respond to what you say – it understands what you need and takes action to solve your problem.
The Coffee Shop Test
Here's how I think about it: Imagine you're explaining your problem to a really smart friend over coffee. They listen, ask clarifying questions, and then say, "Oh, I know exactly how to fix that. Let me take care of it right now."
That's what good Agentic AI feels like. It's not trying to pretend to be human – it's just being genuinely helpful in a way that feels natural and effective.
Compare that to traditional customer service, where you might explain your issue to five different people, get put on hold multiple times, and still not get a resolution. Is it any wonder that customers are starting to prefer the AI option?
Building Trust the Right Way
The companies that are winning at this do a few things really well:
They're Honest About What AI Can Do
Instead of trying to trick customers into thinking they're talking to a human, they're upfront: "Hi, I'm Pega's AI assistant. I can help you with account questions, billing issues, and service requests. For complex technical problems, I'll connect you with a specialist who has full context of our conversation."
They Make Handoffs Seamless
When someone needs help with a complex insurance claim, the AI handles the initial information gathering, document upload, and preliminary review. When it needs to escalate to a human specialist, that person already has everything they need. The customer didn't have to start over.
They Get Better Over Time
Remember how Netflix got scary good at recommending movies you'd actually want to watch? The same thing happens with customer service AI. Every interaction makes it smarter and more helpful.
The Competitive Edge
Here's what's really exciting: Companies that nail this trust equation are seeing incredible results. Their customers use self-service more often, resolve issues faster, and actually report higher satisfaction scores than traditional human-only service.
But more importantly, these customers become advocates. They tell their friends, "You should try their app – it actually works!" That kind of word-of-mouth is marketing gold.
What This Means for the Future
We're not heading toward a world where AI replaces human connection. We're heading toward something better: a world where AI handles the routine stuff brilliantly, so humans can focus on the complex, creative, and genuinely empathetic work they're best at.
Think about it this way: Would you rather wait on hold for 20 minutes to check your account balance, or have that information instantly available so you can spend your time on things that actually matter?
The Pega Advantage
This is where Pega's approach to Agentic AI becomes really powerful. We're not just building chatbots that can answer questions. We're creating systems that can understand context, orchestrate complex workflows, and deliver the kind of seamless experience that builds genuine trust.
Pega isn't replacing human connection – we're enhancing it. We're building technology that earns customer trust through consistent, transparent, and genuinely valuable service delivery.
The Bottom Line
The question isn't whether customers will trust AI for issues they care about. The question is which companies will be first to build that trust through superior experiences.
Because here's the thing: once customers experience truly effective AI service – the kind that understands their needs, takes action to solve problems, and makes their lives easier – they don't just tolerate it. They prefer it.
And that changes everything.