Harnessing AI for a people-first approach to customer experience

“The ability to connect with customers through empathy, creativity, and emotional intelligence remains uniquely human – traits that are essential in delivering a personalised experience that AI, at its current stage, cannot fully replicate.” – Angie Tay, Group COO and EVP for TDCX

As AI becomes a fixture in workplaces across industries, leaders face the dual challenge of leveraging its potential for efficiency while fostering a human-centred, innovative culture. For Angie Tay, Group COO and EVP of TDCX, achieving this balance in the customer experience (CX) sector is both an opportunity and priority. TDCX, a digital CX provider, has adopted AI to enhance productivity while nurturing a collaborative environment where employees feel empowered rather than displaced.

“As AI becomes a mainstay for organisations, they should start focusing on redefining job roles to enable seamless collaboration between humans and technology,” Tay told HRM Asia. For TDCX, this vision means equipping CX agents with digital skills that go beyond basic customer services. “Agents will need to sharpen their digital skills, including using collaborative tools, extracting valuable insights from data, and understanding how to interpret AI-generated recommendations accurately,” she emphasised.

A core component of TDCX’s strategy is its FastTrack platform, an AI-enabled solution designed to support and augment CX agents by automating routine tasks like transcription. According to Tay, FastTrack does not just save time; it enhances the quality of human interactions. “FastTrack proactively provides solutions based on the agent’s conversation with the customer, freeing up the agent to focus on connecting with the customer on an emotional level,” she explained. This approach ensures that while AI handles the technical tasks, the uniquely human skills of empathy and creativity remain central to the customer experience.

Tay believes these interpersonal skills are critical, particularly in CX, where personalised interactions can make or break customer loyalty. “The ability to connect with customers through empathy, creativity, and emotion intelligence remains uniquely human,” she said. “These traits are essential in delivering a personalised experience that AI, at its current stage, cannot fully replicate.”

Beyond CX interactions, TDCX is leveraging AI-driven analytics to enhance people management practices. Through FastTrack, the organisation analyses data from agent interactions, which Tay said provides “deeper and more meaningful insights” for informed decision-making. These insights empower leaders at all levels and enhance agility by decentralising decision-making.

“This allows us to target training content for agents based on specific performance needs, while team leads receive detailed information to guide focused coaching sessions,” she added.

Fostering a culture of innovation is another priority at TDCX, and the organisation actively encourages employees to engage with new technologies. TDCX’s Innovation Lab serves as a collaborative space for experimentation, where employees and clients test beta products and provide feedback.

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Tay acknowledged the concerns that come with rapid technological change. “We recognise that there are also employee concerns about AI and technological skills,” she noted. TDCX is proactive in addressing these worries by investing in comprehensive training initiatives. “We help employees enhance their performance by leveraging AI, but we also ensure there are clear guidelines on data privacy, bias mitigation, and responsible AI use so that our AI tools serve the best interests of both our employees and TDCX,” she concluded.