When AI Replaces Empathy: My Flipkart Order Delay and the Human Cost of Automation 💔

I never used to trust online shopping. There was something comforting about walking into a store and seeing what you’re buying. There was always this hesitation — what if it goes wrong? What if I never get what I paid for?

But over time, I gave in.

Slowly, I started noticing how convenient it is — saves time, energy, and in most cases, things reach you in minutes or a few days.

And honestly, these apps earned our trust over the years. It didn’t come from nowhere.
It was built over time.

So when I placed a recent order, I didn’t think twice. It wasn’t even an expensive item. Just something small. But what followed made me question more than just the order.

First, the delivery was delayed. Logistics, traffic, rain—these things happen. I told myself, “It’s okay. No big deal. It’ll come sooner or later.”

The new delivery date came.

I waited the whole day. Nothing came.
Checked the app — still showing “will be delivered today.”
It was already past midnight.

Okay. Fine. I’ll wait till tomorrow. If not, I’ll raise a complaint.

The next day I raised a complaint. I got a quick automated response — “We’re working on your issue. You’ll get a resolution soon.”

And I actually felt a bit relieved. At least they acknowledged it. At least a ticket was raised.

But after that… nothing. I kept checking. No new updates. No delivery.

When I checked again, I saw something shocking: the complaint was closed.

Closed?

With what resolution? I still hadn’t received my order.

Each time I opened the app, the order status kept shifting: “rescheduled,” “will be delivered soon,” and now — five more days?

At this point, I just wanted to cancel it or talk to someone. A real person. Someone who could just help — either get it delivered, or cancel and refund it.

But that’s when it hit me.
There’s no one to talk to.

I tried every possible way to reach someone.
The app kept giving automated options:

• “Cancellation not possible.”
• “Delivery executive not yet assigned.”
• “Order rescheduled.”

Every time I opened the chat, I got a new email hours later promising, “Your issue will be resolved by this date” — only for that date to change again. If they can’t deliver, why not just cancel the order?

I googled Flipkart’s customer care number. Tried calling. It didn’t exist anymore. Dead end.

No number to call. No option to escalate. No human in sight.

Is this what AI is doing now?
Replacing humans to the point where even when something goes wrong, there’s no one left to help?

These are the same companies that once followed “Customer first approach.” The same companies that became big because we trusted them.

And now?
They’ve left us to deal with bots.

I know how it works—I’ve worked in customer support. I know that our job wasn’t just to update someone on their delivery or issue. It was to listen, to empathise, to reassure and to solve. 

Now, that human bridge is gone. Replaced by a chatbot that repeats the same lines, again and again. It felt helpless. Frustrating. And honestly, kind of scary.

And this isn’t just my story.

As I looked deeper, I found hundreds of others saying the same thing—on Reddit,on Twitter. Some waiting for deliveries for weeks. Some for months. Some… for years.
One person even shared that Flipkart called them about a delivery from six years ago.

This isn’t just an AI problem. It’s a customer care problem that’s been going on for years. The only difference now is — AI is making it worse. Because before, at least there was a chance to talk to someone. Now? You’re stuck in an endless loop of scripted responses and “wait and watch.”

The issue isn’t AI, it’s how we’re choosing to use it.

Flipkart is using AI not just in customer service (chatbots, predictive replies, Flippi the assistant) but across everything — supply chain, personalization, even fraud prevention.But at what cost?

what’s the point of all this “efficiency” if the customer is still left helpless?

If they’re using AI to automate service, can’t they also use it to flag unresolved tickets that need a human touch?

It feels like they just replaced people to cut costs, not to serve better.

Instead of fixing broken delivery systems or preempting delays using AI, the company chose to replace its most important connection—human support—with an algorithm.

The bigger question is this:

💭 Are we using AI to improve lives? Or just to cut costs and call it “efficiency”?

💭 Are companies chasing profits so hard they’ve forgotten the very customers who made them big in the first place?

💭 Can chatbots ever replace the simple power of being heard by another human?

I don’t know if I’ll ever trust Flipkart again. Not because of one delayed order. But because of what it showed me: a company that’s now too big to care.

AI is powerful. But we’re not using it the way it should be used.
It’s not about replacing people. It’s about creating a world where both humans and AI work together—to serve, not just sell.

And if I’m feeling this way, I know others are too.
But most people don’t speak up. They don’t know how to explain what’s happening. Or they’re just too tired to fight the system.

So I’m saying it. Loud and clear.

We keep saying “AI is the future.”
But if this is the future we’re building — one where empathy is optional and connection is broken — maybe we need to stop and ask:

Is this the kind of future we want to live in?

Maybe this is just the beginning.

It’s not the tech that’s failing us… it’s how we’re choosing to use it.

Let’s stop pretending this isn’t happening.… it’s time to talk about it.