AI is making it possible for businesses to do more than ever before. But not everything you can do is good for your customers, or your business.
Take Delta, for example. They are rolling out AI-driven dynamic pricing. From a consumer perspective, that is unsettling. Every time someone goes to buy a ticket, the thought creeps in: “Am I paying a fair price, or is an AI model unfairly extracting dollars based on what it thinks I am willing to pay?”
That perception matters.
So, what should Delta do? No one at Delta asked me, but as a long-time Delta flyer, I won't necessarily stop flying them just because they use AI-based pricing. But what I would like in return is transparency. Inside the SkyMiles app, show me what customer pricing group I fall into. Tell me whether I am in the third decile, or the eighth. Give me something to evaluate the tradeoffs between my loyalty and the prices you are asking me to pay.
If your business is using AI to create new opportunities, focus on building trust, not eroding it. Use AI to create value with your customers, not extract value from them.
Otherwise, churn might be just one AI-powered search away.