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Pethachi Pichappan

Guest

Pethachi Pichappan

Vice President, Information Technology Services · Concentrix

He asks what the customer actually needs before deciding what AI should automate.

Pethachi Pichappan is Vice President, Information Technology Services at Concentrix. His work spans AI-enabled infrastructure, contact centers, CRM and digital transformation. In his conversation with Bob Hansen, he draws on earlier natural-language-processing and contact-center work to explain where AI improves customer experience—and when a person should step in.

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The conversation

Bob Hansen talks with Concentrix technology leader Pethachi Pichappan about the limits of AI automation. The conversation starts with customer intent and business problems, then examines when AI should answer, when it should prevent a support request, and when a person should take over—with data, guardrails and change management built in.

Lessons from this leader

  • Start with the customer's intent and the business problem, not an automation target.
  • Design the handoff to a person for high-trust or sensitive interactions.
  • Measure customer effort and outcomes rather than the share of interactions automated.
  • Pair AI pilots with data guardrails, people training and a plan for how work changes.

Appearances