Kinney Drugs Reverts Phone System After Customer Complaints About AI Assistant
Kinney Drugs, a drugstore chain primarily serving upstate New York and Vermont, has scaled back its AI phone assistant named Burt following hundreds of customer complaints. Issues reported included incoherent calls, incorrect prescription dosages, and missed notifications. While the company…
Portland, OR, August 8, 2026 —
Kinney Drugs, a drugstore chain with locations across upstate New York and Vermont, has announced a significant reduction in the use of its artificial intelligence phone assistant, Burt, in response to widespread customer dissatisfaction.
The decision follows hundreds of customer complaints detailing a range of issues experienced when interacting with the AI system. Reported problems included calls that were incoherent, instances of incorrect prescription dosages being communicated, and missed notifications.
In addition to the functional concerns, customers also voiced worries regarding data privacy. Kinney Drugs has stated that the AI system is HIPAA compliant.
As a result of these customer issues, Kinney Drugs will be transitioning back to its previous touch-tone phone system for all incoming calls. However, the company plans to continue utilizing Burt for specific opt-in outbound communications, such as sending refill reminders to customers who have agreed to receive them.
Story summarized from the original created by Lizzie Jensen, Jordan Gartner on www.kptv.com, see more information here.
