According to exclusive YouGov research commissioned by Answer4u, 90% of UK adults prefer speaking to a real person when contacting a business. Almost three quarters, 74%, strongly favour human interaction, while just 2% would rather deal with an AI-powered chatbot, virtual assistant or automated telephone service.
The survey of 2,046 adults reveals a sizeable gap between the rapid adoption of AI by businesses and what customers actually want or need from their service experience. The preference for human contact was particularly strong among people aged 55 and over, reaching 95%.
This does not mean companies should reject AI. Used well, automation can deliver immediate answers to straightforward questions, process appointment bookings, provide information outside normal working hours and reduce waiting times.
The problem begins when businesses use technology to create barriers rather than remove them.
Customers quickly become frustrated when chatbots fail to understand a question, automated telephone menus offer no suitable option or there is no clear way to reach a real person. What may appear to be an efficient, money-saving system from inside the business can feel impersonal and obstructive to the customer.
“Businesses often assume the conversation is about choosing between AI and people. Our experience tells us it’s a much more practical decision than that,” Mark Menhennet, co-founder of Answer4u told That's Business.
“Customers want quick answers when their enquiry is straightforward, but they also want confidence that a knowledgeable person is available when the conversation becomes more complex.”
That distinction should guide future investment. AI is well suited to repetitive, predictable enquiries, but situations involving complaints, unusual circumstances, vulnerable customers or emotionally sensitive subjects require understanding, flexibility and judgement.
For businesses, the strongest strategy is therefore likely to be a hybrid one. Automation can handle routine work while trained employees concentrate on conversations where their expertise adds genuine value. Crucially, customers should always be given a simple and visible route to human assistance.
Answer4u’s director of operations, Stuart Wilson, said the challenge was not whether businesses should adopt AI, but where it improved the customer experience and where a skilled person delivered greater value.
The findings offer a timely warning: efficiency should not be confused with good service. AI can help businesses answer more enquiries, but customer loyalty is built through trust, reassurance and feeling heard.
The future of customer service will undoubtedly involve more artificial intelligence. Successful businesses, however, will use it to support human relationships, not to avoid them.
No comments:
Post a Comment