AI for Breakfast

Chris Witham • January 26, 2024

Post 9 – Streamlining customer service with AI:
The ChatGPT Revolution


In the hustle and bustle of running a small business, customer service can often feel like a juggling act. You're trying to provide top-notch service, respond to queries promptly, and, let's not forget, actually run your business. That's where artificial intelligence, particularly ChatGPT, steps in as a game changer.


The AI assistant that never sleeps

Imagine having a team member who works 24/7, never takes a break, and handles customer queries with the efficiency of a supercomputer. That's ChatGPT for you! It's like having an extra pair of hands, or better yet, an extra brain, dedicated entirely to customer service.


Instant responses, happy customers

We live in a world where waiting more than a few minutes for a response can feel like an eternity. ChatGPT's ability to provide instant answers to customer queries not only boosts satisfaction but also builds trust. It's like telling your customers, "We're always here for you."


Personalisation at its best

One size doesn't fit all, especially in customer service. ChatGPT can tailor its responses to fit each customer's needs and preferences, providing a personalized experience that feels both professional and caring.


Learning on the go

The more ChatGPT interacts with your customers, the more it learns. Over time, it becomes an expert in your business, providing increasingly relevant and helpful responses.


Your data, your Insights

ChatGPT doesn't just answer questions; it gathers valuable data with every interaction. This goldmine of information can be used to improve your services, products, and overall customer experience.


Reducing workload, increasing productivity

With ChatGPT handling a significant chunk of customer queries, you or your team are free to focus on other critical aspects of your business. It's like cloning your best customer service rep, but even better.


Keeping it human

Despite its efficiency and intelligence, ChatGPT doesn't aim to replace the human touch. Instead, it's there to enhance it, ensuring that when human intervention is needed, it's more focused and effective.


In a nutshell: Why ChatGPT is a game changer for customer service

  • Round-the-Clock availability: 24/7 customer service without the burnout.
  • Instantaneous responses: Say goodbye to long waiting times.
  • Personalised interactions: Tailored responses for a unique customer experience.
  • Continuous learning: Getting smarter with each interaction.
  • Valuable data collection: Insights that help grow your business.
  • Workload reduction: Freeing up time for other tasks.
  • Human touch enhancement: AI support, human empathy.


Embracing AI in customer service isn't about jumping on a bandwagon; it's about recognising and harnessing a powerful tool that can revolutionise the way small businesses interact with their customers. ChatGPT isn't just a trendy gadget; it's a vital cog in the machine of modern customer service, one that keeps both customers and business owners smiling. 

Lines of colorful computer code on a dark background.
By Chris Witham December 11, 2025
Where AI really helps your Business If you spend any time on LinkedIn or X, you’ll have seen bold claims about how AI can help you build software in a matter of days. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of big promises, and a fair bit of confusion for business owners trying to work out what’s real. A new term doing the rounds is “Vibe Coding” —the idea of describing what you want to an AI assistant and having it generate the code for you. It’s becoming popular because it can move things forward quickly and help people explore ideas they wouldn’t have been able to create alone. And the truth is, it does have its place. The challenge isn’t the technique. It’s the expectation that AI will automatically deliver finished, reliable, production-ready tools without any real design or thinking behind them. AI accelerates the work you already do well Used properly, AI can: • Remove huge amounts of repetitive work • Speed up drafting and iteration • Generate working prototypes in hours • Help non-technical people explore ideas • Improve documentation, planning and communication This is where it shines. But it still needs clarity, structure, and well-designed processes around it. It’s like having a very fast assistant rather than a fully formed development team. Why many AI projects don’t deliver what people expect Independent research this year showed a clear pattern: • Many early AI initiatives failed to produce measurable business value • Companies abandoned AI ideas because they couldn’t scale or integrate them • The gap between an impressive demo and a reliable tool is larger than people thought This doesn’t mean AI is overhyped. It means teams jumped straight to execution without the groundwork. The technology isn’t the issue. It’s the approach. Small businesses don’t need Enterprise Platforms Most UK small businesses don’t need to build a full software product. What they actually need is: • Better workflows • Faster content generation • Clearer communication • Improved customer support • Tools that reflect the way they work • Consistency and repeatability AI is perfect for this. A custom GPT trained on your tone, your documents and your processes can become: • A writing assistant • A customer support helper • A knowledge base navigator • An internal guide for staff • A quality-control layer • A process automator No engineering team needed. No complex infrastructure. No stress. Where AI builds real value right now AI works best when it’s part of a thoughtful, guided approach: • Define the outcome you want • Build a lightweight prototype (AI helps here) • Add structure, rules and guardrails • Connect it to your real workflow • Test it with real users or staff • Iterate until it feels natural You can still move fast. You just avoid building something brittle that breaks the moment it’s needed. The key insight: AI doesn’t replace expertise, it amplifies it AI is at its strongest when someone knowledgeable decides: • What it should do • What it shouldn’t do • How it should behave • What tone it should use • How it fits into the business • What checks and constraints matter That’s where tools like custom GPTs genuinely shine. They’re not software products in the traditional sense. They’re flexible assistants shaped around your business. With the right design, they can save huge amounts of time and deliver consistent, practical value without any of the complexity of building a full system. A more useful way to think about AI in 2026 Instead of “AI will build everything for you”, a healthier mindset is: AI speeds up the work, but you set the direction. For small businesses, that’s more than enough to make a real difference.
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