88% consumers prefer talking to humans over AI bots: Report
What's the story
A recent report from Verizon has revealed that a staggering 88% of consumers prefer interacting with real humans over artificial intelligence (AI) bots. The study highlights the growing gap between operational efficiency and consumer satisfaction in the era of AI. Despite over 70% of company leaders claiming that AI has improved customer experience, only 60% of customers are actually satisfied with their interactions with these systems.
Consumer frustration
Top frustration is just trying to reach a real human
The report also highlights that nearly half of the respondents' top frustration is just trying to reach a real human. This suggests that while companies are adding more AI tools, many consumers feel these changes aren't making things easier, at least not yet. The study further notes that personalization, one of AI's main uses, is still a problem, with only 26% of consumers feeling it has improved.
Personalization challenges
Privacy restrictions are one of several challenges
The report also highlights that privacy restrictions are one of several challenges companies face in improving personalization. Despite these hurdles, most businesses aren't planning to go full robot anytime soon; only 7% expect customer experience to be all-AI. Instead, they're training staff and using AI as a helper, like giving agents real-time info, so you get both smart tech and genuine human understanding when you need it.