AI can now pinpoint customer dissatisfaction with near-surgical precision, ushering in an era of automated efficiency. But identifying a problem is one thing, resolving it with empathy and trust is another. That final, human leap is where AI strategies still fall short.

We spoke with Chris Rule, Head of Customer Success at Turno, a platform for short-term rental cleaning and maintenance. In a field where guest experience is everything, Rule balances tech efficiency with a firm commitment to the human element.

AI spots, humans save: "There's a real opportunity for AI to identify who's at risk by learning from the behaviors of those who've left," Rule says. "But even if AI tells you exactly who to talk to with incredible accuracy, we hit a ceiling: who is going to speak with them? I haven't seen AI that can engage with a customer at a level that will bring them back from the brink." While AI can flag potential churn, Rule identifies a crucial boundary when it comes to the nuanced work of retention. "You still need to go talk to that customer, you still need to be able to pick up the phone and have that conversation. That core of customer success isn't going away anytime soon," says Rule.

Answers on tap: For more routine interactions, Rule sees AI excelling as a kind of "content concierge." "AI is doing a fantastic job taking content we've already created and surfacing it reactively," he says. "The answer to the question was always there; AI just removes the customer's burden of seeking it out."

At Turno, AI handles initial triage for most support tickets and resolves a significant portion—around 50%—of common inquiries. The key is speed and accuracy for these simpler matters, which then frees up his staff. "Our AI bot gets very similar CSAT scores to our human agents. They're just answering faster."