November 25, 2025

How AI and Humans Can Be Better Together Featuring Amazon’s Pasquale DeMaio

27 minutes

From Transactional Service to Relationship Building with the Help of Technology

Shep interviews Pasquale DeMaio, Vice President and General Manager of Amazon Connect. He talks about how Amazon leverages AI and technology to enhance customer service, with a "better together" approach where automation and human agents work hand-in-hand to create efficient, empathetic, and proactive customer experiences.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:  

What is the "better together" approach in customer service technology and human interaction?

How can automation and AI improve efficiency in handling repetitive customer service tasks?

Why is genuine empathy important in customer service, and can technology replicate it?

How does empowering human agents with technology lead to better customer outcomes?

How can customer insights from support interactions drive continuous improvement?

Top Takeaways:  

Customer service works best when technology and real people come together. While AI and automation can make things faster and easier, people still want to talk to humans for help with complex or emotional problems.

The goal should always be to use AI to support employees, not replace them. Technology should make it easier for humans to do what they do best: listen, empathize, and solve tricky issues.

It's important to treat every customer with respect and kindness, as you would a friend. Customers want to feel valued, not manipulated, so the best approach is to be sincere by helping them in a way that matches their needs and preferences.

Every interaction is an opportunity to build a relationship and encourage customers to return. Focusing on both solving the issue and making people feel good about the experience creates loyal customers.

Modern tools allow companies to analyze every conversation, not just a few. Every conversation with your customers, whether by phone or chat, is a rich source of information that can reveal trends, problems, and opportunities. This real-time insight can help fix issues faster, spot patterns, and make better decisions to improve service for everyone.

Taking action before problems start, or even before the customer notices there’s a problem, makes for an amazing customer experience. When a customer encounters a problem, contacting them with a new option before they ask for help is an example of proactive service. The best companies work to prevent problems or solve them instantly, making customers feel cared for and stress-free.

AI can make agents' jobs better, not obsolete. AI can handle the boring and repetitive parts of the job, like taking notes or finding information, so people can focus on helping customers. This makes work more enjoyable and lets agents do what they're best at, which is solving problems and building relationships.

The end goal should be more than just fixing a problem. Create a positive memory. Make every interaction with a customer one that leaves them feeling happy, satisfied, and eager to return.

Plus, Shep and Pasquale answer the question, "Can computers fake empathy?" Tune in!

Quote: 

"Humans are core to the experience. The end customer is a human being, and often, the main contact they have with a company is through human customer service. Everything we do with technology should be designed to fade into the background and allow any human being to be more effective."

About:  

Pasquale DeMaio is the Vice President and General Manager of Amazon Connect, the cloud-based contact center solution from Amazon Web Services. Amazon Connect leverages the same underlying technology that Amazon's own global customer service team uses to manage millions of customer interactions every day.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  

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By Shep Hyken & C-Suite Radio

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