AI Missing the Customer Service Mark

Meeting customer demand is contact center job number one. As customer expectations continue to ascend higher than ever, too many operations are simply missing the mark – even with AI and automation in tow.

Applause recently surveyed nearly 7,000 respondents about experiences engaging with AI in chatbots, IVR and other virtual assistant applications.

Digging into the numbers, over 90% of respondents expect chat functionality on a brand website, but less than 70% of consumers note satisfactory experiences. Some 51% of Americans and nearly 60% of Europeans would rather wait to speak to a person.

“The fact that more than half of respondents preferred to wait for a human agent instead of using a chatbot, IVR, or voice assistant speaks to a potential lack of confidence which perhaps is based on previous experiences. When a user has a bad digital experience, it is difficult to change that perception. This is a moment when quality can be a real differentiator, separating a brand from its competition,” noted said Luke Damian, Chief Growth Officer, for Applause.

Nearly 90% of customers expect contact centers to offer IVR, but execution is lacking. Only 25% of respondents prefer immediate access to automated touchtone response system, and only 22% prefer an automated virtual assistant capable of responding to voice commands.  

Mobile apps are still playing a catch up, as only 44% of customer expect voice search or voice assistant features, but respondents also highlighted expectations depend on the type of mobile app.

Damian continued, “If customers expect these solutions to disappoint, they are predisposed to anticipate failure and quickly lose patience with any alternative that isn’t a human interaction. Therefore, there is tremendous advantage to those who are able to deliver better experiences that can exceed the service level they have been conditioned to expect,”

This Applause survey displays a number of pitfalls, as AI is close, but clearly not quite ready for primetime. In a rush to accelerate digital transformation with AI and automated customers service solutions, it is foolhardy to forget the human element.

Is AI in your customer service operations?

Edited by Maurice Nagle