Are Chatbots Effective for Customer Service? Customers Say Yes in Survey
Survey Basics
Chatbots.org conducted an independent survey of 3,000 consumers across the US and the UK, using SurveyMonkey™. Responses were compiled from 3,000 consumers who had used a chatbot for customer service in the prior 12 months.
Are chatbots effective for customer service?
When respondents were asked this question, “Are chatbots effective for customer service?”
- A humongous 90% said chatbots were very effective, effective, and somewhat effective
- Only 10% said chatbots were NOT effective
Download the report for the detailed breakup
Survey Findings: Chatbot Customer Service
What Customers Say by Geography: US versus UK
Customers in the US were stricter in their evaluation of the chatbots.
- In the US, 14% rated chatbots as not effective
- In the UK, 5% rated chatbots as not effective
This is perhaps an indication that US consumers are challenging chatbots with more complex questions than the UK consumers. The former expect more from chatbots.
What Customers Say by Age
There’s no surprise here. More younger consumers than those belonging to the Gen X, Boomers, and Silent Generation groups consider chatbots to be more effective . Digitally savvy users actually save your chatbots’ reputations!
How Education Affects Customer Experience
More consumers with graduate and undergraduate levels of education found chatbots to be NOT effective, compared to those with high school or less education. This was, most likely, a result of users asking complex questions of chatbots, ones they could not answer or resolve.
The Biggest Customer Service Complaint With Chatbots
Complaint #1 with chatbots
62% in the US and 55% in the UK said that having to repeat information and context to a human agent in the event of escalation from chatbots was the biggest hassle!
Not surprisingly, this is a result of chatbot deployments that are completely disconnected from agent-assisted touchpoints.
Complaint #2 with chatbots
About 32% (29% of the surveyed in the US and 37% in the UK) complained about chatbots running out of steam, that is, they get stuck and don’t know what to do next. No experience is better than this kind of experience!
