Customer effort remains one of the strongest and most stable predictors of loyalty. Research continually shows that people return to brands that make their lives easier and leave those that don’t.
Most friction comes from behind the scenes:
1. Internal misalignment.
When teams don’t share systems or information, customers feel the slowdown immediately.
2. Outdated processes.
Many workflows were designed for pre-AI realities and now create unnecessary steps.
3. Fragmented tools.
Service reps often spend more time navigating systems than helping customers, which increases overall effort.
AI can help reduce friction when paired with thoughtful redesign – automating the right tasks, creating real-time visibility, and clarifying the path forward.
Less friction means less frustration. And less frustration creates more loyalty.
👇 Stay Connected — Weekly Insights + Daily CX/AI Signals
Click Subscribe at the top of this page to receive these weekly insights.
To get my Daily CX/AI news signals, follow me here on LinkedIn — I post a quick, curated update every day.
Short. Practical. Timely.
Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D. is a professional speaker and chief experience officer at The Michelli Experience. A New York Times #1 bestselling author, Dr. Michelli and his team consult with some of the world’s best customer experience companies.
Follow on Twitter: @josephmichelli
FREE RESOURCES
The Starbucks Experience: Leadership Tips eBook
Elevating Care in Healthcare: Lessons from the UCLA Health System eBook
