Ever had the experience of not being able to reach a real human when dealing with a brand’s customer service? We recently surveyed 1,000 U.S.-based consumers about their experiences with brands, and the results are clear: the No. 1 CX dealbreaker that causes consumers to ghost a brand is not being able to reach a live human.
Learn the biggest “dealbreakers” that make customers abandon brands in the free report.
While the potential for Agentic AI in CX is huge, adoption is an uphill battle with consumer patience running thin, trust hard to come by, and a preference for humans undeniable. Companies cannot afford unvalidated or poorly governed AI implementations – other common dealbreakers include long hold times and slow responses, having to repeat themselves across multiple agents or channels, and a lack of resolution or unclear next steps after an issue. Even a single misfire in a CX pathway can leave your brand exposed to reputational, financial and compliance risks.
Our survey helps gain insight into how consumers feel about their CX experiences and whether they believe AI can help. One likely impact on these responses: too few consumers have had an amazing customer experience with an AI agent. Here are some top takeaways to set up your CX for success with the right balance of innovative tech and a human touch.
AI in CX isn’t just a product issue; it’s a brand issue.
A whopping 73% of respondents say that human agents resolve issues faster than AI bots, but in reality, AI could resolve things almost instantly if properly validated and implemented. The data suggests a perception problem as much as a performance problem.
Expectations for issue resolution across the board are high for human agents, with 87% stating they are higher than for bots (chat or voice). That expectation reflects respondents’ confidence in a human agent’s ability to resolve issues. Frustration comes more easily, and compassion is less prevalent with AI bots, with 61% of respondents stating that they are more frustrated when an AI bot cannot resolve their issue than when dealing with live human agents in the same situations. (This is one reason why some enterprises are deploying a “2 strikes rule” in their AI strategies. If the bot doesn’t get it right after two chances, customers are routed to human agents.)
Nearly eight in 10 consumers (79%) say they’d either prefer to start with a human agent or switch to one after a bot fails to solve their issue just once. This is why proactive monitoring and real-time feedback are so critical to ensure these mistakes don’t happen in the first place, or are at least caught early.
Crossing the generational divide is key.
All said, there are generational divides in preference and comfort level with AI bots. Fifty-six percent of Gen Z and 52% of millennials would prefer to interact with an AI bot over a human if they could resolve issues seamlessly, versus just 26% of baby boomers. Young consumers have an openness to AI that brands should leverage when introducing their technology.
While 81% of Baby Boomers favor human agents for resolving issues faster, Gen Z has a more positive sentiment toward AI bots, with 21% saying that human agents and AI bots resolve issues in a similar timeframe. A good balance of automation and human interaction through a hybrid model could mean the difference in each generation feeling taken care of.
Humans still remain incredibly important for the CX function.
Emphasizing the importance of human impact, 71% of respondents stated they prefer to initiate customer service interactions with a live human agent. Only 11% prefer starting customer service interactions with a bot and 9% like to use self-service tools first. AI voice bots continue to be the least preferred customer service option, with just 4% of respondents preferring to initiate their customer service interactions with the technology.
Even with the guarantee of a seamlessly resolved issue, 57% would still prefer to speak with a human over an AI bot. AI bots still have a long way to go in providing a quality customer experience, with consumers complaining that bots don’t understand what they’re saying or asking for, they struggle to resolve issues and make escalation difficult, and they lack the help or options needed. To help break these barriers and build trust, end-to-end customer journey visibility and testing from the beginning becomes critical when implementing CX enhanced with AI.
Where AI bots have permission to grow vs. where trust will take time
When examining specific sectors, some have more opportunities than others for early impact and success with AI. Only 30% said they would never trust AI to handle travel disruptions, such as cancellations and rebooking. This makes travel one of the most AI-ready verticals, where speed and efficiency matter more than human touch for many customers.
Some longer-term trust battles were identified as well, with consumers saying they would never trust an AI bot to handle the following types of issues:
- Financial/account security (65%) – This was the top area of concern. Winning trust here will require bulletproof security, transparency, and likely a hybrid model with human oversight.
- Healthcare (53%) – Personal health information is inherently sensitive, meaning AI adoption will need regulatory clarity and strong privacy assurances before consumers feel safe.
- Legal/government paperwork (50%) – Similar to healthcare, accuracy and liability risks make this a slow-moving sector for AI trust.
Rather than a blanket rejection of AI, consumers are signaling a sector-by-sector adoption curve. Industries like travel can scale AI more quickly, while finance, healthcare, and government services must first win the trust battle by implementing stronger safeguards and human-in-the-loop models.
Patience is low, and good CX is an urgent need to retain customer loyalty.
Twenty-eight percent of consumers said just one bad experience would cause them to stop using a brand. Almost half (48%) said they are done after just two or three disappointing interactions. Companies need to get it right the first time and ensure their CX is working around the clock.
To meet that need, Cyara recently unveiled the CX industry’s only true AI-driven, single-platform solution for continuous testing and monitoring. Spanning all channels customers use to reach brands, Cyara enables enterprises to test, monitor, and optimize customer journeys in real-time, ensuring gaps are eliminated and your AI implementation is a success. Learn more here.
