3 Things to Consider Before Embarking on Your AI Journey

We recently hosted an engaging fireside chat webinar, Elevating CX to New Heights with AI Innovation, featuring Bruno de Melo Fransoni, Contact Center Chapter Leader at SumUp—a global fintech provider supporting over 4 million merchants across 30+ countries. 

During the session, we explored how SumUp successfully transformed its global customer service operations using Five9 Genius AI. The company set out to improve self-service, reduce call volume, and deliver more personalised support across languages and regions. Within just 12 months, SumUp achieved a 10% increase in self-service and a 50% reduction in calls handed off to live agents, demonstrating the real-world impact of AI on scaling customer experience. 

“We use AI to understand why a customer is reaching out and then select the most appropriate channel. Some topics are better for chat, others for phone—it’s crucial to meet customers on the channel of their choice, in their preferred language, 24/7,” said Fransoni. “We also leverage AI insights across languages to better understand what’s happening, which makes it much easier to deliver truly global support.” 

SumUp’s success is a strong example of how AI can meaningfully improve CX when implemented strategically. In fact, our latest Business Leaders CX Report found that 81% of business leaders are already using AI, and 76% say it is delivering on its promise. 

With so much momentum and noise around AI, it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s why we focused on three key considerations every organisation should keep in mind before launching their AI journey: 

1. Start with the Customer – Not the Cost Savings 

While it’s easy to focus on operational efficiencies and cost reductions, the real power of AI lies in its ability to enhance the customer experience. The organisations seeing the most success with AI are those asking, “How does this benefit the customer?” first. When you start there, improved outcomes for your business—like efficiency and savings—will follow organically. 

2. Let Analytics Guide Your Understanding of Customer Needs 

Use AI not just to respond faster, but to understand your customers on a deeper level. Identify why customers are reaching out and guide them to the best channel for resolution—whether that’s live chat, a call-back or self-service. For example, SumUp successfully leveraged AI to identify individual needs and ensure interactions were tailored to preferred languages and communication channels—enabling more relevant, personalised experiences. Capturing and analysing data across every touchpoint helps you continually refine and improve experiences across the entire customer journey. 

3. Start Small: Focus on Low-Hanging Fruit 

You don’t need to launch an AI transformation all at once. In fact, some of the most impactful gains come from tackling straightforward, high-volume pain points first. Automating simple, repetitive tasks—like verifying customer details, handling order status inquiries or routing calls more intelligently—can dramatically improve response times and reduce pressure on your teams. These small wins help build trust internally, prove the value of AI and create a strong foundation to scale. 

AI is no longer a future vision—it’s here, and it’s working. As shown by SumUp, thoughtful implementation can drive measurable gains in efficiency, personalisation, and customer satisfaction. By starting small, staying focused on the customer, and using analytics to guide the way, businesses can unlock the full potential of AI in their contact centres. 

If you’d like to hear more from the conversation and gain deeper insights into how SumUp is using AI to transform customer experience, watch our on-demand webinar.