In many companies, traditional customer service channels, such as phone, email, or web forms, are still designed to work internally, not for the end user. In other words, they aren't designed from a customer experience perspective. And, of course, this translates into frustration for the people who use them: they have to wait longer than necessary, repeat the same information multiple times, contact the company through other means, and so on.
Today, few customers are patient; they're used to quick, coherent, and predictive conversations. They expect to be understood and have their problem resolved from the first contact, without switching between channels or interruptions.
In fact, customer service can no longer be measured solely by speed, but by the ability to anticipate needs and offer complete, integrated, and contextual solutions.
Recent trends have made it clear that simply responding "quickly" isn’tenough: true excellence in CX now combines context, consistency, and personalisation.
Customers no longer tolerate switching between channels, endless forms, or agents who are unfamiliar with their customer history. What they want is a seamless flow, where each interaction builds upon the previous one and naturally leads them closer to a solution.
On the other hand, the increasing volume of requests, the complexity of products, and the diversification of channels clash with traditional contact methods such as phone, email, or web forms. Companies that fail to adapt their digital customer service models risk losing not only operational efficiency but also customer loyalty and trust.
Alsa is an example of how this paradigm shift can materialize: by unifying channels and automating complex interactions with AI Agents, they went from fragmented processes to coherent and scalable experiences, freeing up their teams to focus on cases where human attention truly adds value.
Read ALSA's success story
The challenges many companies face before Hubtype
Large companies, such as Alsa, turn to Hubtype to optimize and consolidate their customer service strategy. In general, they seek a more strategic and efficient approach.
Before the transformation, Alsa dealt with situations that needed to be resolved:
- Each channel functioned like a remote island: web forms, phone calls, emails, and a webchat limited to FAQs, with no fluid communication between them.
- The team was overwhelmed with repetitive tasks. In fact, they were generating over 33,000 tickets per month from information request forms, which could have been handled automatically.
- And, of course, if a customer contacted us through another channel, the conversation would restart without keeping the previous context.
In short: the focus was on internal processes, not on the actual customer experience. This not only slowed down operations but also eroded trust and brand perception.
Lessons learned for other companies: how to design a customer service that works
Customer service isn't just another department within a company; it's a direct reflection of the experience the brand offers. And it's important to remember that companies that don't design the experience with the customer in mind end up paying the price of churn, frustration and higher operating costs.
From the Alsa case we extract lessons applicable to any company that wants to scale its support without losing quality.
1. Automation, yes, but strategic automation
Alsa managed to automate more than 90% of interactions on WhatsApp and webchat. But the key learning goes beyond the percentage of automation; it's about how and when automation is applied.
Automating repetitive tasks and simple queries frees up time and reduces friction, as long as there is a practical reason behind it.
Lesson: It's essential to identify the critical points where automation delivers real value. Frequently asked questions, simple bookings, payments, and status inquiries are clear candidates. For complex processes, the best solution is to implement hybrid workflows where the customer can escalate to a human agent with context and decision-making capabilities.
2. Coherent and fluid conversational experiences
Today's customers expect to have their needs met without jumping between interfaces or repeating information.
Specifically, Alsa's intelligent conversational flows, combining AI Agents with human assistance, enabled interactions to be complete and consistent from start to finish.
Lesson: Every interaction should feel like part of a whole, a complete journey. Modern messaging tools allow companies to create end-to-end experiences. These were previously only possible in face-to-face environments or with intensive telephone support. Therefore, workflows must be designed to support the user, anticipate their needs, and minimize any points of friction.
3. Integration with internal systems: real-time data
A common mistake is designing customer experiences without taking internal systems into account.
Alsa avoided this by integrating its APIs and connecting the bot directly to its CRM. Thus, AI Agents can respond with up-to-date information instantly, avoiding delays and context errors.
Lesson: Customer experience and operational efficiency go hand in hand. Investing in integrations isn't just a technical expense; it's a value multiplier: it reduces repetitive tickets, accelerates resolution, and allows agents to focus on strategic cases.
4. Human touch never disappears
Although automation is crucial, Alsa didn’t eliminate human assistance; it turned it into a strategic resource.
Agents intervene when necessary and can add value.
Lesson: Automation shouldn't be seen as a replacement for people, but rather as an amplifier of their impact or an assistant. By combining AI agents with human experts, it’s easier for customers to experience consistency and quality at every point of contact.
5. Metrics that reflect real value
Alsa's KPIs measured not only operational efficiency, but also customer satisfaction, effective resolution, and friction reduction. The goal is to understand how each interaction contributes to the overall customer experience.
Lesson: What truly matters is customer satisfaction, reduced friction, effective resolution time, and instances where agents can add strategic value. And that's what needs to be measured. Automation rates or resolved tickets are secondary if they don't translate into satisfied and loyal customers.
6. Transforming CX is a journey, not a destination.
The Alsa case shows that a transformation isn’t limited to a technology launch or a channel redesign. It involves strategy, culture, intelligent workflows, real-time data, and a customer-centric approach that guides every decision.
Final lesson: It's important to understand that investing in customer experience (CX) isn't a one-off action. It's a continuous process of learning, adapting, and refining. Every improvement increases efficiency, reduces friction, and boosts customer trust, but only if it's done with vision and consistency.
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