Are You Prepared for Emerging Human Customer Support Mandates?

Customer Support Regulatory Readiness Checklist

 

1) People Readiness

Human Access and Accountability

• Can customers reliably reach a human agent when requested?
• Are human agents available for complex, escalated, or high-risk interactions?
• Is human coverage available across time zones and peak demand periods?
• Are agents trained to handle sensitive situations requiring empathy and judgment?
• Is ownership clear when a human agent intervenes after automation?

Risk if unaddressed: Inability to demonstrate meaningful human access when required by regulators or during audits.

 

2) Process Readiness

Escalation, Transparency, and Governance

• Are escalation paths from AI to human agents clearly defined and documented?
• Is it clear when automation should stop and human intervention should begin?
• Are response expectations defined when a customer explicitly requests a human?
• Are surge scenarios (outages, recalls, incidents) covered by escalation processes?
• Is there documentation demonstrating how human access is maintained over time?

Risk if unaddressed: Inconsistent execution, unclear accountability, and difficulty proving compliance as expectations mature.

 

3) Technology Readiness

Supporting Human Access at Scale

• Can support platforms route human-requested interactions appropriately?
• Is technology configured to prioritize high-risk or regulated interactions?
• Can systems support rapid scaling of human agents if demand increases?
• Is AI monitored to ensure it does not block or delay human access?
• Are audit logs and reporting available to demonstrate compliance?

Risk if unaddressed: Technical friction that prevents or delays human access, even when policy intends otherwise.

 

4) Operational Flexibility

Adapting as Requirements Change

• Can human support capacity scale up or down without long-term commitments?
• Is surge capacity available if mandates increase demand unexpectedly?
• Are costs aligned to actual usage rather than fixed assumptions?
• Can changes be implemented without redesigning the entire support model?

Risk if unaddressed: Overcorrection, unnecessary cost, or inability to adapt quickly as rules evolve.

 

5) Documentation and Evidence

Demonstrating Readiness

• Is human-access policy clearly documented and maintained?
• Can you show how requests for human support are handled in practice?
• Are internal teams aligned on regulatory expectations?
• Is readiness reviewed periodically as guidance evolves?

Risk if unaddressed: Difficulty responding to regulatory inquiries, audits, or customer complaints.

 

Final Readiness Questions

Ask yourself:

• If a mandate requiring human access were enacted tomorrow, could we comply without disruption?
• Can we demonstrate—not just claim—that customers can reach a human when needed?
• Is our approach flexible enough to adapt as requirements continue to evolve globally?

If any of these answers are unclear, regulatory readiness may need some attention in your organization..