In this edition of Silicon UK’s Head to Head interview series, we explore how customer experience (CX) is being radically reshaped by AI, automation, and evolving consumer expectations. Legacy CX models—once reliant on siloed tools and static solutions—are no longer fit for purpose in a world where customers demand seamless, personalised, and always-on interactions.
We sit down with Pedro Andrade, Vice President of AI at Talkdesk, to unpack the shift toward intelligent, holistic customer journeys. From the pitfalls of legacy systems to the role of predictive analytics, mobile-first design, and emotion-aware AI, Andrade offers a compelling vision of what the future of CX looks like—and the practical steps organisations must take to get there.
What were the defining pain points of legacy CX models, and how have modern technologies addressed them?
“A key problem with legacy CX models is that they treat AI automation as isolated, point solutions. For example, deploying chatbots only for self-service or handling one or two specific tasks. This fragmented approach fails to consider the customer journey as a whole. Today, successful CX requires a holistic mindset that automates the entire journey through a virtuous cycle of discover, build, orchestrate, and measure.
“This cycle begins by discovering what parts of the journey truly benefit from automation, based on real data and business impact across key metrics like First Contact Resolution (FCR), Average Handle Time (AHT), and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). Then, customisable automation solutions are built using flexible tools, enabling orchestration across every touchpoint, ranging from self-service and agent assistance to supervisor support, admin tasks, and back-office operations.
“Finally, continuous measurement and transparent evaluation allow organisations to understand what works and what doesn’t, enabling iterative improvement. This shift marks the end of monolithic, static AI deployments and moves toward AI systems that have their own dynamic lifecycle, adapting, evolving, and fully integrated into the entire customer experience.”
How have customer expectations evolved in the last 10 years – and what’s driving that change?
“Customer expectations have dramatically evolved from merely wanting issues resolved to demanding seamless, personalised, and proactive experiences available anytime, anywhere. This shift is fuelled by rapid technological advances, the ubiquity of mobile devices, and the “always-on” culture consumers live in today. With the rise of powerful AI tools like ChatGPT, customers are no longer willing to tolerate experiences, such as “press 1 for sales, press 2 for support” menus or messages saying: “our agents are currently unavailable.”
In what ways are brands using predictive analytics to anticipate and resolve customer needs before they’re expressed?
“Predictive analytics ties directly into the virtuous cycle I mentioned earlier, starting with the discovery phase, where brands analyse data patterns to truly understand customer behaviour. For example, if a brand notices customers tend to call about 12 hours after a delivery is expected but hasn’t arrived, they can proactively reach out before the customer even makes that call. Anticipating these needs and communicating in advance not only prevents frustration but creates a truly exceptional experience by resolving concerns before they arise.”
How is mobile shaping customer engagement strategies today, and what does “mobile-first” truly require?
“Mobile-first is often better said than done. It requires a deep understanding of mobile user behaviour and a strong focus on simplicity and accessibility, without sacrificing essential functionality. Delivering fast, seamless experiences with quick load times and intuitive interfaces is challenging. On top of that, brands must ensure that the experience and service quality remain consistent across all channels, whether it’s voice, chat, phone, laptop, or tablet, creating a truly unified customer engagement strategy. And that is a challenge, and that’s why truly omni-channel platforms are so important.
What are some powerful examples of companies delivering seamless, end-to-end omnichannel experiences?
“I think there are two standout examples that go beyond merely adding channels or automation: they showcase intelligent, integrated customer journeys where automation, context, and empathy converge to drive real results.
“Pogust Goodhead (international class‑action law firm): After migrating to an AI‑powered, cloud‑native contact centre, agents gained instant access to caller context – identity and case details – within seconds instead of minutes. Omni-channel orchestration seamlessly connected voice, chatbots, and AI tools, ensuring self-service could hand off to human agents with full context. Back‑office operations were also streamlined: automated admin tasks and identity verification freed agents to focus on higher‑impact work. These improvements helped Pogust Goodhead save over USD $750,000 in operating costs within the first year, while reducing wait times and increasing capacity.
“Travelopia (global travel specialist): Travelopia operates 23 brands across multiple time zones. By switching to a unified, cloud‑based contact platform, they enabled agents to work effortlessly from office or home. The migration reduced missed calls and leveraged real-time analytics to proactively suggest personalised travel offers – using data as the foundation for CX improvements.”
How are emotion and empathy being integrated into digital interactions, especially in self-service channels?
“With today’s technology, it’s now possible to recognise emotions not just through keywords, but by understanding the full context of a conversation. This marks a big improvement over earlier systems, which often misread tone or irony. For example, a legacy bot might hear “What? Is my package delayed? That’s exactly what I needed” and wrongly respond with “I’m glad you’re happy,” failing to grasp the frustration behind the sarcasm. Modern AI can interpret these nuances, allowing digital interactions – especially in self-service – to feel far more empathetic, relevant, and human-like.”
What mistakes do companies make when mapping or redesigning customer journeys?
“One of the biggest mistakes is ignoring cross-channel integration and failing to use contextual data. Data is the most critical asset in CX transformation. Without a 360-degree view of the customer’s interactions with the company, it’s nearly impossible to deliver truly personalised experiences. Instead of a generic “Welcome to Company X, how can I help?”, imagine hearing “Hi Pedro, looks like you’re still waiting on your snorkel gear – can I help with that?” That level of context transforms customer journeys from transactional to genuinely meaningful.”
How can B2B organisations – often lagging behind B2C – rethink their approach to CX transformation?
“In B2B CX, success depends heavily on enabling collaboration across sales, support, and marketing teams. These corporate customer journeys are often more complex and require deeper integrations with enterprise systems. The goal is to build strong, ongoing relationships, not just handle transactions by automating key moments like partner assistance, which is critical in B2B ecosystems.
“For example, a reseller of electronic equipment in a different time zone might urgently need support with a quotation or setup during off-hours. Intelligent automation and well-orchestrated CX can ensure they get timely help, strengthening trust and efficiency in the relationship.
“I think CX is no longer about isolated fixes or one-time improvements. It’s not just another chatbot thrown at the website. It’s about designing intelligent, connected systems that continuously learn, adapt, and improve.
“Automation with AI should not be seen as a black box or a static add-on. It should be treated as a living, evolving part of the customer journey, across self-service, agent assistance, analytics and back office operation automation. The future of CX belongs to companies that build this dynamic cycle of continuous discovery-build-orchestrate and measure, where automation adds real value, and empathy remains at the core.”
Pedro Andrade, vice president of AI at Talkdesk
Pedro oversees a suite of AI-driven products aimed at optimising contact centre operations and enhancing customer experience. With a fervent interest in the influence of AI and digital technologies on the CX market, Pedro is particularly keen on exploring the potential of Agentic AI as a source of innovative solutions to disrupt the contact centre industry.
