The Heart of Service: A Blueprint for Human-Centric AI in Customer Service (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798291466834)

The Heart of Service: A Blueprint for Human-Centric AI in Customer Service is a business parable and practical playbook rolled into one. Through the lens of a fictional but all-too-familiar company, Carelio, readers follow Chloe Chen-a determined contact center leader-as she faces high volumes, low morale, and the pressure to adopt AI without a clear plan.

Instead of chasing trends, Chloe builds a movement: one grounded in listening to frontline agents, questioning vendor promises, and using AI to strengthen-not replace-human connection. Along the way, she assembles a diverse team, earns executive buy-in, and designs a contact center model that works in the real world.

This isn't a story about robots taking over. It's about what happens when leaders slow down just enough to ask the right questions-before the tech goes live. Each chapter blends narrative with leadership takeaways, practical tools, and "Monday Morning Moves" to help real-world readers take action now.

You'll learn how to:

• Spot and avoid the most common AI traps in customer service

• Blend automation with empathy across voice, chat, and digital channels

• Build a clear business case for AI-one that improves outcomes without killing morale

• Lead change that sticks by putting agents and customers at the center

• Rebuild trust after failed implementations and tech fatigue

• Use practical frameworks like the AI Readiness Assessment, ROI calculator, and transformation checklist

Written by Nick Glimsdahl, host of the Press 1 For Nick podcast and a leading voice in contact center strategy, The Heart of Service reflects decades of real-world lessons-distilled into one engaging story.

Whether you're a customer experience leader, head of operations, or tech exec tasked with "making AI work," this book offers something rare in today's marketplace: honesty, clarity, and a people-first path forward.