New Report: AI Can Solve Many Poor Customer Service Interactions

It is a well know fact that poor customer service can be damaging to a brand’s image. Yet according to new research released by Replicant, 91 percent of consumers report they still have experienced poor customer service in the last six months alone.

So just how damaging can poor customer service be? The answer: extremely damaging.

The report shows that 74 percent of customers would be willing to lose an average of $15.72 to avoid poor customer service interactions. In addition 76 percent of consumers have had their perceptions of a brand changed and 33 percent have had their loyalty changed by an inadequate interaction with customer-facing teams.

Earlier this month, the AI solution provider designed for call centers  released these findings and others in its Survey: The Effects of Bad Customer Service and How Brands Can Fix It. The findings of the survey prove what many business leaders already know (and fear): poor customer service can significantly impact brand image and revenue generation.

The survey included answers from 1,000 adults located in the United States who have interacted with customer service teams in the past 6 months. Long wait times tends to be the most common culprit, according to 56 percent of those surveyed. Rounding out the top three customer service infractions include having to explain issues several times and being constantly transferred to different representatives.

The survey reveals customers believe they are being forced to wait longer now than before the pandemic. 32 percent feel like their wait times are double what they used to be before the pandemic. 44 percent of respondents report feeling angry or upset when they have to wait for at least 5-15 minutes to be serviced.

However, there is a solution to the problem that has been proven to shorten wait times and increase overall customer satisfaction. AI customer service solutions can be leveraged to grant customers immediate support and can handle simple inquiries, freeing time for customer service representatives to handle more complex issues.

Related: Genesys Expands Customer Engagement Solutions With Two Acquisitions

The report suggests that almost 80 percent of customers would rather speak to a machine than wait in long service queues to speak to a representative. AI can handle several common customer inquiries such as scheduling appointments, initiating and ending services, editing reservations, billing and product questions, and refund requests.

“This data shows that customers are looking for better service, notice when it’s poor, and voluntarily switch brands as a result,” said Gadi Shamia, CEO and co-founder of Replicant. “Spikes in call volume and challenges in staffing call centers worsened during the pandemic and are now the new normal, so companies must think of a new path forward. For companies, AI Thinking Machines are providing a first line of support for overburdened contact centers to give customers quicker and more efficient customer service.”