Question: How are consumers feeling about AI-enabled chatbots conducting our frontline customer support?
According to most customers, it depends; particularly on whether the technology works or not. Companies that get it wrong "risk alienating a large portion of their customer base if the customer experience is compromised," according to a new survey from Acquire BPO, a customer experience (CX) and business process outsourcing company.
The company’s new report, the “2024 AI in Customer Service Survey” was conducted for Acquire BPO by the third-party survey platform Pollfish to, quote, "explore consumer sentiment insights and how companies can proactively map out their AI customer experience strategies."
When asked how likely they’d consider a different brand after a frustrating experience with an AI chatbot, 70% of consumers said they’d take their business elsewhere after just one bad experience.
Other findings included how consumers are "2.5x more positive" about their experience chatting with humans versus AI-powered bots. About half of consumers feel negatively about companies relying more on AI for customer support, citing downsides such as the lack of personal touch, decreased accuracy and longer resolution times.
The study’s results also indicated that some consumers prefer speaking with chatbots. 57% of chatbot fans saying they’ve chosen a service or product because they knew it offered chatbot support, whereas 72% of those with a human preference saying the availability of human customer support factored into their buying decisions. It's a flip; many chatbot fans would rather complete an unpleasant or inconvenient task instead of speaking to a human customer support agent, with 29% saying they’d rather file their taxes, 29% saying they’d rather help a friend move out of a sixth floor apartment with no elevator, and 26% saying they’d rather clean the toilet.
To maximize AI’s benefits while avoiding its pitfalls, the report advises that companies use AI bots judiciously for the right tasks and do the same for human agents, as well. Customers are more likely to appreciate and use a chatbot if they know it will escalate their call to a human if it’s having trouble solving the customer’s issue.
"Unlocking the power of AI is essential for companies to gain a competitive edge, however the future of exceptional customer service requires striking the right balance between AI and human support,” said Scott Stavretis, CEO of Acquire BPO. “By carefully mapping out an experience that blends AI and human support seamlessly, brands can meet customers where they are and deliver consistently outstanding service across all touchpoints."
Edited by
Alex Passett
