Spending and Inflation, Procurement Expenses, Impatience with AI Service Bots

Spending and Inflation, Procurement Expenses, Impatience with AI Service Bots

July 2, 2026 · 10 min · Season 6 · Episode 37

About this episode

The episode discusses inflation, procurement expenses, and consumer responses to AI service bots.

Americans seem undeterred by inflation hovering at 3.4%, as the personal consumption expenditures index rose 0.7% in May and is up 4.1% year over year. This could trigger raising interest rates, although host Gene Marks says a rate increase would be manageable. Gene also looks at Walmart Business uncovering the hidden costs of procurement, and what 60% of people dealing with AI-powered customer service bots say they do when faced with that situation. Listen to the podcast. Topics: 00:00 – Introduction 00:19 – Consumer Spending and Inflation 04:15 – Hidden Costs of Procurement 06:07 – Response to AI Customer Service 08:56 – Episode Wrap-up Additional Resources Meet Paychex: https://bit.ly/3VtM6bs DISCLAIMER:The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

People in this episode

Host: Gene Marks

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Walmart Business

Places: America

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