Dive Brief:
- Customers are growing more comfortable with AI but overwhelmingly believe live agents will remain a critical part of customer service, according to a Kustomer survey of over 1,200 consumers, first shared with CX Dive. Four in 5 consumers believe live agents will remain in customer service in the future.
- Half of consumers believe AI has improved customer service, and 3 in 5 believe the technology will continue to improve customer service in the future.
- But there are fears of the technology, too. Nearly 3 in 5 customers are concerned about the potential for misunderstanding, and more than half are concerned about resolving complex issues.
Dive Insight:
For complex issues, consumers still want to speak to a human.
Customers are more comfortable with AI handling routine tasks like tracking orders, canceling services and technical support. Less than 1 in 5 said they would prefer an AI agent for more complex tasks, and over a third are concerned about companies being more dependent on technology over human judgment.
“This highlights the role of AI in managing repetitive tasks while maintaining human involvement for intricate or sensitive issues,” Brad Birnbaum, CEO and co-founder of Kustomer, said in an email to CX Dive.
Respondents highlighted 24/7 availability, quick response times and handling high volumes of tasks as the main benefits of AI in customer service.
Businesses are integrating AI within the customer service practice to save customers and service agents time. If agents are no longer taking the time to handle routine tasks like tracking shipments, they can spend more time on complex customer inquiries.
Younger generations are more optimistic about the future of AI in customer service, particularly those between the ages of 25 and 34, according to Birnbaum. He suggests improving responsiveness and professionalism — aspects of customer service consumers say they care most about — and using agents for more complex discussions.
“Instead of focusing on one age group over another, companies should adopt a flexible, customer-first strategy that prioritizes delivering exceptional service across all demographics,” Birnbaum said.
