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February 25, 2026

The Hidden Cost of Friction — and Why AI Can Help Remove It

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: When…

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 Outdated processes.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.

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Get Me a Person

Winning Human Connection and Loyalty in the Age of AI. On sale December 8 — signed, personalized copies are available now.

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Written by

Joseph Michelli

Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., is a Certified Speaking Professional and #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books are drawn from his work inside Starbucks, The Ritz-Carlton, Mercedes-Benz, Airbnb, and Zappos. His new book, Get Me a Person, releases December 8. Signed, personalized copies available now. He helps leadership teams design human-centered, technology-aided experiences that build loyalty and referrals. Start a conversation about your team.

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