I’m one of the few people who genuinely doesn’t want anything to do with AI.
I run a national workplace drug testing company. My days are already filled with compliance rules, customer calls, and the stress of keeping a large business running across the country. AI sounded like something for technology people. Not for people who spend time thinking about custody forms and DOT regulations.
I remember telling one of our operations managers that AI was probably just a buzzword. We’ve seen a lot of those things come and go, and we thought this one would go away too.
After that, things got even more difficult. Regulations began to change faster. Our customer list continued to grow. And I wanted everyone who called into my office to feel like they were important and not just talking to a machine.
I wish I could say that I turned to AI because I saw where the industry was heading. I didn’t. I turned to it because I was stuck and needed to solve a real problem quickly. What started as a way to survive has turned into the biggest advantage I have over my competitors.
Why did I hold out for longer than necessary?
My resistance was stubborn. To be honest, part of it was ego.
Drug testing is based on reliability and accuracy. One mistake can cost someone their job or put your company at significant risk. I didn’t want to give any part of it away to something I barely understood.
At the root of this was fear. I thought AI would make my company feel distant, like an automated telephone system that makes calling your bank a no-brainer. Customers say they feel stressed. They need a real person to answer the phone, not a script.
It was fatigue that ultimately changed things. I can no longer keep up with regulatory updates on my own. So we first tested the AI in one small area. I wasn’t ready to bet my entire business on it yet.
It was also helpful to have the opportunity to speak on a panel with Tatyana Zagorovsky, a nationally recognized expert on AI for business. She opened my eyes to not only what is possible with AI, but how it works.
The maze of regulations that drove me to action
Workplace drug testing rules will never go unchecked. Federal Department of Transportation guidelines are changing. State cannabis laws change, sometimes overnight. What is compliant in Florida may not be able to operate in Ohio. Manually tracking everything became a full-time job, taking the team away from the work that actually mattered.
So I decided to use AI to track and summarize these changes as they occur. It did not replace my compliance team. That gave them a head start. Instead of having to wade through pages of thick regulatory text, they got a clear breakdown up front and were able to focus their decisions on the important points. This has saved us several hours each week and reduced the risk of missing something that could be damaging to our clients.
Cut through the clutter without losing your human side
Running a company with locations across the country means there are always moving parts. Scheduling. Report. Truly endless paperwork. All are required. Everything takes time.
We brought in AI to help with scheduling, organizing reports, and flagging small issues before they become big problems. My team has regained time, and to be honest, they’ve gotten sharper too.
People now spend more time doing things that actually require people to do, rather than immersing themselves in boring tasks. Help nervous employers get through difficult situations. Make decisions on cases that do not fit into any policy. This is where experience becomes important, and AI has given employees the freedom to use their experience.
Build stronger relationships with AI
Here’s what surprised me. AI hasn’t made customer relationships colder. That’s what made them strong.
Follow-up is everything in this business. If you miss an email or forget to check in, you could lose the clients you worked for years to earn.
Currently, I use AI to track how every relationship is actually doing. If a prospect asked a question three weeks ago and didn’t get a real answer, I know it. If a customer misses their check-in deadline, you’ll know before they’re reminded. The tool will do the tracking for you. I still make the calls myself. I just show up more prepared each time.
It creates benefits that few in my industry expected.
Many people in my industry, like me, were slow to embrace AI or ignored it completely. That gap became a real advantage for us.
We respond faster than most of our competitors. We stay ahead of regulatory changes rather than panicking after they happen. Our clients know we already have the answer before they ask a question. It builds trust, and trust is what keeps clients for years, not months.
What I would like to say to business owners who are still unsure
You don’t need to be an AI expert to get started. That certainly wasn’t the case.
Find one bottleneck in your business. Maybe it’s paperwork. Maybe you’re complying with regulations in your industry. Maybe it’s just keeping track of who you are obligated to follow up with. Start there.
I learned by solving real problems at hand, rather than waiting until I felt like an expert. Most business owners are stuck waiting for that feeling before taking the first step. My advice? Please stop waiting.
The management of the company has changed today.
I am not the one who chose this path. They found me because they had no other choice. But looking back, I wouldn’t have run the company any other way now.
AI will not replace the personal service our customers expect from us. This has given my team the room to do even more. If you’re wondering if this is all worth it, I’ll tell you from my own experience.that’s absolutely true!
No big plans required. All you need is a willingness to use it to solve your own business problems.
