Convincing Your Customers You Genuinely Care
You know the frustration of talking to a chatbot that doesn’t get you. It answers your question but feels cold, impersonal. For your SME, every customer interaction is a chance to build trust. A robotic AI can damage that trust, making your brand seem disconnected.
In Malaysia, where personal relationships are vital for business, especially in industries like hospitality, retail, and services, the way you communicate matters. Customers want to feel heard, not just responded to. That’s why the shift towards AI with personality is so significant.
A recent acquisition highlights this trend. AI coding startup Cognition acquired Poke, an AI assistant that chats like a friend—using humor, slang, and contextual awareness. The deal, valued in the “low nine figures” (TechCrunch), shows that interaction design is becoming as valuable as the technology behind it.
TL;DR: AI personality is the next frontier for customer experience. Malaysian SMEs that invest in AI that feels personal and engaging can differentiate themselves from competitors who rely on basic chatbots.
What This Means: AI Personality Explained
AI personality refers to how an assistant communicates—its tone, style, and ability to remember context. Instead of just processing data, it interacts in a way that feels human. For instance, Poke knows your name, recalls past chats, and adjusts its responses based on your mood. It’s like talking to a well-informed friend.
Cognition aims to bring this same interaction model to its coding assistant, Devin, making it feel less like software and more like a colleague. As Scott Wu, Cognition’s co-founder, put it: “we’ve built an agent that people love: it’s proactive, it knows you, and it’s fun to talk to” (TechCrunch). This principle applies to customer-facing AI too.
How This Applies to Malaysian SMEs
For SME owners in Malaysia, this trend offers concrete opportunities to enhance customer relationships and operational efficiency.
Localising Customer Service
Malaysia’s linguistic diversity is an asset. An AI that can switch between Bahasa Melayu, Chinese dialects, Tamil, and English—and even mix them in Manglish—resonates deeply with local customers. For example, a chatbot for a local restaurant that uses “Makan sudah?” or “Cincai lah” feels relatable and friendly. This builds immediate rapport.
Moreover, Poke’s integration with Apple’s Messages for Business platform (TechCrunch) shows that AI can be deployed on channels customers already use. For Malaysian SMEs, WhatsApp is a dominant channel, and a personality-rich AI on WhatsApp can transform customer service.
Building Brand Personality
Your brand has a personality—whether it’s professional, playful, or warm. AI can amplify this consistently. A boutique hotel could have an AI that greets guests with locally themed tips, while a tech service provider might use a more efficient, direct tone. The key is to align the AI’s voice with your brand values.
This personalisation doesn’t require heavy investment. Simple adjustments in language and behaviour can make a big difference. For instance, an AI that remembers a customer’s last inquiry or purchase history can offer tailored recommendations, making the customer feel valued.
Automating Without Alienating
Many SME owners worry that automation will make their business feel impersonal. However, with personality-driven AI, you can automate routine tasks like appointment scheduling, order confirmations, or FAQ responses while maintaining a warm interaction. This allows your human team to focus on more complex issues.
For example, a beauty salon could use an AI that chats with clients about service preferences, sends appointment reminders with a cheerful tone, and follow-ups with care. It manages efficiency without sacrificing the personal touch.
Boosting Efficiency in High-Touch Industries
In sectors like healthcare, education, or property management, initial interactions are often repetitive. An AI with personality can handle inquiries, provide information, and even nurture leads in a friendly manner. Poke’s use in productivity tasks like email management (TechCrunch) shows that even functional interactions can benefit from a conversational approach.
For Malaysian SMEs, this means you can use AI to manage customer communications across multiple channels—WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS—with a consistent, personable interface that builds loyalty over time.
Practical Takeaways for Your SME
- Choose the right channel. Start with platforms your customers frequent, like WhatsApp or Instagram. Ensure your AI there is conversational.
- Personalise with context. Use customer data to make interactions relevant. If your AI knows a customer’s name and history, it feels more genuine.
- Define your brand voice. Create guidelines for your AI’s tone—should it be formal, playful, or reassuring? Consistency reinforces brand identity.
- Test in small batches. Introduce your AI to a loyal customer segment first. Solicit feedback on the experience and iterate quickly.
- Monitor engagement and satisfaction. Track metrics like conversation duration, repeat usage, and customer feedback to measure success.
The Bigger Picture
The acquisition of Poke by Cognition is a microcosm of a larger shift. As AI becomes ubiquitous, the human element of interaction will be the key differentiator. Companies that prioritize AI personality will build stronger, more emotional connections with customers. For Malaysian SMEs, this is a chance to get ahead of the curve.
Technology is moving fast. In the next few years, AI with personality will be the norm, not the exception. By investing now, you can create a customer experience that feels uniquely tailored to your market, setting the foundation for sustainable growth.
“You probably prefer it if you have co-workers that have personality, rather than if you have co-workers that are just robots,” — Marvin von Hagen, co-founder of Poke. This insight applies directly to customer-facing AI: personality is not just nice to have; it’s a competitive advantage. (TechCrunch)
Consider the engagement numbers: Poke users exchanged over 100 million messages in just three months (source). This demonstrates that users actively seek and enjoy interacting with personality-driven AI. For your SME, this could translate into higher customer retention and advocacy.
| Aspect | Traditional AI | Personality-Driven AI |
|---|---|---|
| Interaction Style | Transactional, robotic | Conversational, empathetic |
| User Engagement | Low, functional only | High, builds rapport |
| Brand Impact | Neutral or negative | Strengthens brand loyalty |
| Memory and Context | Limited or no memory | Contextual memory of past interactions |
| Customer Retention | Few repeat uses | Higher repeat usage and advocacy |
| Examples | Basic FAQ chatbots | Poke, advanced conversational agents |
This table shows the stark differences. Traditional AI may handle queries but misses opportunities for deeper engagement. Personality-driven AI turns every interaction into a touchpoint for relationship building.
In conclusion, the message for Malaysian SME owners is clear: your AI’s personality is not an afterthought; it’s a strategic asset. Start building it today.
Read more about this trend in the TechCrunch article: Why Cognition bought Poke: AI personality is becoming a competitive advantage.
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