Vanessa Hering, Executive Vice President and Client Success Officer at Beyond Finance, is making the case that while artificial intelligence is transforming customer service, empathy remains the competitive advantage technology cannot replace. In her latest article for CMSWire, “When AI in Customer Service Falls Short, Empathy Picks Up the Tab,” Hering explains why organizations that blend AI with genuine human connection will earn the trust and loyalty that increasingly define exceptional customer experiences.
In the article, Hering suggests that as AI automates routine customer interactions, human representatives are left to handle the most emotionally complex conversations — moments when compassion, patience, and sound judgment matter most. As she writes, “AI is accelerating. Customer trust is eroding. The companies winning in debt relief and financial services are betting on empathy — and it’s compounding.”
Drawing on Beyond Finance’s experience serving more than 1.3 million clients since 2011, and resolving $15 billion in debt, Hering outlines several principles for creating customer experiences that technology alone cannot deliver. She emphasizes hiring people naturally inclined toward service, investing in continuous empathy training, balancing operational efficiency with quality interactions, and treating every customer as an individual rather than a transaction. The article also challenges organizations to rethink traditional customer service metrics, noting that an overemphasis on speed can undermine trust when customers are facing stressful or emotionally charged situations.
The article reflects Beyond Finance’s longstanding philosophy that empathy is not just a “soft skill” — it is a measurable business strategy. By combining innovative technology with highly trained, compassionate professionals, Beyond Finance has built a customer experience designed to help people navigate some of the most difficult financial moments of their lives with dignity and confidence.
Published by CMSWire, one of the world’s leading publications covering customer experience, digital transformation, and service excellence, the article contributes to an important industry conversation about the future of AI-powered customer service. Hering’s message is clear: as AI becomes increasingly capable, the organizations that will stand apart are those that invest just as intentionally in the uniquely human qualities that build trust, strengthen relationships, and create lasting customer loyalty.
About Vanessa Hering
Vanessa Hering is Client Success Officer and EVP of Strategy and Operations at Beyond Finance, where she leads the teams responsible for the client experience across the company’s debt relief program. Her work centers on how financial services companies earn trust with people in genuinely difficult circumstances — building the service models, training, and support systems around clients navigating financial hardship. In 2025, she led Beyond Finance in delivering more than 10,000 hours of Client Success empathy training and under her leadership, Beyond Finance’s client care work has been recognized with multiple Gold Stevie Awards, Business Intelligent Group’s Organization of the Year, and a Banking Tech Award for financial wellness. She holds an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School, along with a M.A. in International Studies from University of Pennsylvania.