Dive Brief:
- Nearly two-thirds of customers don’t want companies to use AI in customer service, according to a survey of 5,700 customers Gartner released last week. But 3 in 5 customer service leaders are under pressure to adopt AI.
- Leaders shouldn’t be dissuaded from adopting the technology, according to Thomas Randall, Director of AI Market Research at Info-Tech Research. Instead, leaders should understand their customers’ concerns and work to mitigate those worries.
- “Ultimately, it will not be a competitive advantage to forego AI implementation — customers will likely experience worse wait times and time-to-resolution than companies that are implementing AI for high-value use cases,” Randall said.
Dive Insight:
Overcoming customers' AI reluctance requires leaders to prove the technology is helpful, and not another cost-cutting measure that will negatively impact their experience.
The skepticism surrounding how AI will be used isn’t different from how consumers react to any new technology, according to Keith McIntosh, senior principal of research in Gartner’s customer service and support practice.
Trust will grow as AI proves its worth, according to McIntosh. Voice of the customer data can help companies apply AI to service journeys in ways that respond to consumers’ changing needs.
“Service leaders should treat AI as a new tool that can be leveraged to meet their CX and business goals,” McIntosh told CX Dive in an email. “Service leaders should remain aware of the need to continually build customer confidence as they introduce AI in the service experience.”
It's on leaders to keep a human in the loop and frequently test AI solutions like chatbots to ensure the technology is working as intended, according to Randall. Regular assurance reviews and clear criteria for escalating from chatbot to live agent help ensure consistently great experiences.
The handoff from AI to a human requires special attention. Customers don’t want to repeat themselves, and a seamless transition can help AI feel like a useful part of the customer service process even if it couldn’t resolve the issue by itself.
