As more and more applications are found for AI in business, some industry leaders are finding that customers may appreciate the human touch more when it comes to customer service. From experts like Gartner and Pew Research, in this issue of The Pulse, we take a look at the findings. 

Chatbot use is at an all-time high.  

According to Pew Research Center, around half of U.S. adults use chatbots to some extent in their regular life. Additionally, 38% of employed Americans reportedly use chatbots for tasks at work. For this reason, it’s no surprise that companies are investing significantly in AI tools.  

However, at the same time, consumer skepticism and data concerns are also a growing trend among the general public. Around two thirds of people feel AI is advancing too quickly, and thus may feel uneasy about seeing it in all aspects of life. Likewise, an overwhelming 71% of Americans believe AI will make their personal data less secure.  

When using AI tools in customer service situations, these concerns need to be front of mind. 

The user experience is critical for customer service chatbots 

If your business is adopting an AI chatbot for customer service, Gartner recently released some critical research that you may want to keep in mind. They have found that customers – both B2C and B2B buyers – are open to using customer service chatbots as part of their experience, however, 73% wouldn’t use one again following a negative experience. Meaning, your business likely has only one shot to leave a good impression in these scenarios.  

This doesn’t just apply to experiences with your business, either. Customer hesitation towards a chatbot can stem from previous experience with other businesses’ tools. For example, Gartner found that despite 49% of respondents claiming willingness to use a company’s customer service chatbot, in practice, only around 7% did during their most recent service interactions. 

According to the research, “if chatbots have previously misunderstood their issue, provided generic information or made it harder to reach a person, customers are more likely to choose another channel.” This includes, notably, switching to a third-party chatbot, rather than the company-provided option. 

This reflects a risk to your ROI in a customer service chatbot. One bad impression, even with a platform that isn’t connected to your business, could mean you’re spending money on a tool customers don’t want to use. Even if you improve the tool over time, they may be hesitant.  

Something to keep in mind 

One of the biggest frustrations customers appear to have with customer service chatbots is being kept away from a human agent. Gartner suggests that the successful tools are the ones that “prioritize reliability over reach” by consistently resolving “a targeted set of issues” and “serve as seamless connectors to human support.” 

In conclusion… 

If your business is looking to adopt a customer service chatbot, it’s important to proceed with caution and strategy. Despite general consumer AI adoption, these tools can be hit or miss with customers, according to Gartner research.