Dive Brief:
- Close to half of consumers — 46% — say AI-powered customer service either “rarely” or “never” leads to successful outcomes, according to a survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Pegasystems Inc. released last month.
- Nearly two-thirds of consumers say they are "not very confident" or "not at all confident" with how companies use generative AI to interact with customers, according to the survey of more than 4,700 consumers in North America and the U.K. Just over half aren’t confident that businesses can use the technology responsibly.
- Over three-quarters of consumers say only dealing with a human “always” or “often” leads to better outcomes in customer service. Only 2% say they want to interact exclusively with generative AI chatbots.
Dive Insight:
Business leaders who have invested in AI often tout the benefits of the technology in customer service. But those reported successes are at odds with consumer sentiment toward AI support.
After Airbnb rolled out its AI agent ahead of schedule last year, CEO Brian Chesky said that it “can do an incredible job of customer service.” Last fall, Williams-Sonoma introduced AI agents across its brand portfolio to increase efficiency, reduce service costs and offer 24/7 support.
However, most consumers aren’t as excited by the technology as business leaders. Consumers are wary of fully automated customer support, though they are more open to human-led service in which AI exists in a supporting role.
Two-thirds of respondents say they prefer human-led support, while just under half — 48% — of consumers say they don’t trust companies when they use AI to completely handle customer service queries, according to Pegasystems.
The real power of AI is in helping live agents follow a measured plan, according to Julie Geller, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group. The technology can help teams act in a unified manner by helping them find the right next-best action without sacrificing the human touch.
“By removing the inconsistency where a customer’s experience depends on which agent they happen to get, we take the guesswork out of the interaction,” Geller said in an email. “The result is a reliable, polished journey where the customer feels the brand’s intent in every touchpoint.”
One company taking a people-led approach is Lowe’s, which equipped its associates with the Mylow AI assistant for use in customer interactions. This resulted in “dramatic improvements in customer service,” CEO Marvin Ellison said on an earnings call last month.
Consumers are wary of their own use of generative AI as well, though they recognize its growing presence. Nearly half of consumers — 48% — say they don’t actively choose to use it in their everyday tasks, though one-quarter suspect they use it daily without noticing.
Consumers are more comfortable using the technology for research than making a purchase, according to Riskified research from last fall. Top concerns regarding autonomous AI purchases included payment security, potential mistakes and loss of control.
