Why customers don't like bots

Posted by Ahmed Macklai on October, 4 2019 7:29 pm

Dealing with human beings is one of the biggest downfalls of the customer service industry. What do we mean by that? Consider how many times you’ve seen someone get upset at a retail worker or food service professional over something relatively minor, watching as the employee did their best to defuse the situation. It seems that some people are just easily upset by anything less than ideal service.

That discerning taste for flawless customer service is perhaps one of the reasons why so many people don’t like artificial intelligence applications - also known as “bots”. Unlike bots, humans are notoriously difficult to please - and sometimes get upset simply because they are asked to interact with a machine or program rather than a live person.

Here are some of the biggest reasons why your consumers might be upset by the sound of a bot on the other end of the line - and what you can do to provide them with the kind of customer service they want. (Here’s a hint: You don’t have to bust your budget to do it!)

The Problem: Reducing Customer Service to a Few Words

When you tell someone that you work in a contact center, you’re like to hear at least a few “Press one for English” jokes. Unfortunately, that joke is often made from a place of frustration on the part of those who call these centers. They don’t enjoy having customer service being reduced to a set of commands that they must then respond to.

IVR - or interactive voice response - processes can combat this somewhat by enabling voice responses to automated menus. Still, many consumers feel like this automated menu-style is too robotic in nature and feel and are not fond of encountering these types of processes while contacting customer service agencies.

The Solution: Enhancing IVR Processes with AI

What can be done to satisfy consumers who want more from your automated services without giving them access to live agents when they aren’t available? Enhance your IVR processes and other automated features with artificial intelligence. Give your callers the option to respond to menus in whole sentences that are more similar to those that they use in everyday conversation. This allows for a more natural feel and a more satisfying experience - all without employing more live agents.

The Problem: Your Consumers Feel That Their Time is Not Valuable to You

Oftentimes, callers feel as if their question, concern, or comments are not important to the call centers they are connecting with because they are being handled by an automated system. Their logic is that if their comments are not important enough to be heard by human ears, they aren’t seen as important to your company at all. What’s more, these consumers may also feel wary of interacting with machines at all, worried that they are further contributing to the replacement of live agents with automated processes.

The Solution: Your Automation Process Can Work in Collaboration with Live Service

The truth is, machines and automated processes can never and will never replace human work. This is true of nearly every industry, but especially when it comes to customer service. Humans provide far better service and are simply capable of more and better-quality work than machines or software will ever be.

All of that is important to stress because many consumers have fears that they are contributing to an imagined replacement of agents by interacting with automated processes in your contact centers when they cooperate with these services. Obviously, this isn’t the case. Good AI serves to enhance the efforts of hardworking agents and ease the burden of their workloads.

To prove this to wary consumers, you can use automated directory systems and other AI systems to direct calls to live agents when necessary. While some consumers are happy to stick with self-service, others would prefer to speak with a human being - and keeping those customers satisfied is as easy as using your automated processes in collaboration with the work of live agents.

The Problem: Many People are Underwhelmed by the Service They Receive with AI

While automated processes and artificial intelligence can make things much faster and easier for both your call center agents and your consumers, it is important to remember that faster and easier doesn’t always equal better. The service that many consumers receive through these processes leaves them feeling under-served. When serving customers is the backbone of your business, that is a major problem. It can leave a bad impression of AI and automation overall in the minds of these consumers as well, giving them the idea that this type of technology will always let them down.

The Solution: With the Right Tech, You Can Provide Excellent Service Every Time

Thankfully, these situations are not necessarily something every consumer is doomed to. In fact, with the right training and tools, you can ensure that your callers are properly served and left feeling satisfied with their experiences.

It is important to provide appropriate training for your employees in how to handle consumers who are having difficulty. It is equally crucial that you provide them with the right technology to provide this type of service. A call that has gone south can be salvaged - and a customer satisfied with their service - if your agents have the tools they need for success.

When you’re ready to turn the tide on customer perceptions on the use of artificial intelligence in your contact center, contact the industry experts at ChaseData. We have the tools and technology you need to create better customer service and experiences for every caller and consumer - and do it without putting a strain on your budget or overwhelming your call center agents in the process. Don’t wait until the complaints about bots pile up; give us a call today to learn more about what AI applications can really do!

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