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Klarna Brings Back Human Touch After AI Customer Service Backlash

Klarna is bringing back human agents after relying on AI for customer support. They found empathy and quality are key alongside AI’s speed and efficiency.

2 min read
Customer support

Klarna Shifts Back to Human Customer Service Amid AI Pushback

After a year of relying heavily on artificial intelligence for customer support, Swedish fintech Klarna has decided to bring human agents back into the fold. The company acknowledges that while AI offers speed, it lacks the empathy that human agents provide. Klarna now insists that customers always have the option to speak with a real person.

“AI gives us speed. Talent gives us empathy,” said Clare Nordstrom, Klarna's spokesperson. “Together, we can deliver service that’s fast when it should be, and emphatic and personal when it needs to be.”

Reevaluating the AI-First Strategy

Klarna’s AI assistant still handles roughly two-thirds of customer inquiries, improving response times by 82% and reducing repeat issues by 25%. However, the company admits it prioritized efficiency over quality, which ultimately impacted customer satisfaction.

CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski recently commented that cost-cutting became too dominant a factor in their strategy. “As cost unfortunately seems to have been a too predominant evaluation factor… what you end up having is lower quality,” he explained.

Introducing a Hybrid Support Model

Klarna is now rehiring customer support agents under a flexible, Uber-style work model that offers competitive pay and remote opportunities. The pilot program targets highly educated students, professionals, and entrepreneurs for roles that combine frontline support with real-time product feedback.

The long-term plan is to replace thousands of outsourced roles with this hybrid model that integrates human empathy with AI efficiency.

Lessons for Customer Support Professionals

This shift highlights an important lesson for those working in customer service: automation can handle routine tasks, but complex or sensitive issues often require a human touch.

  • Customers overwhelmingly prefer human interaction for empathy and trust.
  • Speed is important, but not at the expense of quality and satisfaction.
  • Flexible work models can attract skilled agents who provide valuable feedback beyond simple issue resolution.

Surveys by Verint and Five9 show that 86% of customers prioritize empathy over speed in support interactions. Julie Geller from Info-Tech Research Group sums it up well: “Automate the routine to drive efficiency, but always ensure customers have a clear, easy path to a human.”

For customer support teams considering the balance between AI and human agents, Klarna’s experience is a practical reminder to maintain that balance carefully.

To explore how AI can enhance your customer service without sacrificing quality, check out relevant courses on Complete AI Training.

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