Gartner research indicates that customers don’t like artificial intelligence, and would prefer companies didn’t use it at all.
According to the analyst firm, 64% of customers prefer firms not to use AI in their customer service. The report also claimed 53% of customers would consider switching to a competitor brand if they found out a company was planning to use AI for its customer service.
“The future of AI in customer service can be beneficial for customers and companies alike,” begins Keith McIntosh, Senior Principal, Research in the Gartner Customer Service & Support practice. “Service leaders can respond to customer concerns by designing AI service experiences that build confidence by reassuring customers access to an agent is still possible when the customer needs it.”
Topping the list of reasons that users didn’t AI in customer service were concerns that it would become increasingly difficult to reach a human agent. Customers simply want their query resolved as fast as possible; they don’t want to sit through different IVR (interactive voice response) menus and holding music.
Many customers feel that AI will simply become another obstacle between them and a genuine agent. Previous research has found that human to human connection is important to the customer experience a business provides.
Over 42% of survey respondents also expressed concerns about AI’s capability to provide reliable information and service.
A quarter of customers feel that AI bias will not treat customers equally, and a further third highlighted data security concerns.
The research clearly highlights that customers don’t want AI in their customer service interactions. This is because they do not trust the service, and would much rather go straight to a human agent.