Five9: 75 Percent Prefer Talking to a Human over AI

Five9, the provider of the intelligent CX platform, released the results of a consumer survey for helping organizations understand how consumers perceive AI and evolving customer experiences. The report explores consumer sentiments around AI and CX, as well as around holiday shopping, travel and healthcare.

The data highlights the continued importance of the “human touch” in CX, as 75 percent prefer talking to a real human – either in-person or over the phone – for customer support. This indicates that brands need to improve online customer support. As upcoming events such as open enrollment and holiday shopping create higher demand, brands will face mounting pressure to deliver exceptional CX while balancing the use of AI to enhance and streamline experiences. Given that 40 percent of consumers note that positive CX ensures their brand loyalty, Five9 concluded that companies must prioritize total transparency for how AI and human counterparts work together to improve customer satisfaction during peak periods.

“AI has the power to mitigate customer service frustrations, but it’s the human touch that makes the difference. By using AI to automate transactional and routine tasks, human agents can free up time to focus on more complex issues that require critical thinking and sensitivity,” said Niki Hall, CMO, Five9. “As consumer demand and expectations increase this season, brands must prioritize transparency and empathy to build enduring trust and loyalty with consumers.”

Survey findings included:

  • 84 percent of consumers are aware that some companies use AI to handle customer service interactions.
  • 48 percent of consumers say they do not trust information provided by AI-powered customer service bots, while 56 percent of all consumers are often frustrated by AI customer-service chatbots.
  • 53 percent of consumers agree that online self-service has improved in the last three years. This figure is higher according to Gen Z (61 percent) and Millennials (61 percent).
  • Gen Z is less likely to prefer talking to a real human in-person or over the phone for customer support (66 percent) compared to Gen X (76 percent) and Baby Boomers / the Silent Generation (86 percent).
  • 63 percent of Gen Zers and 60 percent of Millennials say they trust information provided by AI-powered customer service bots, with 33 percent of both groups more likely to say they find AI very helpful and efficient.

Research was conducted in partnership with TEAM LEWIS, which surveyed 4,000 general consumers across the U.S. and U.K.. All respondents were 18 or older, and the sample was census-balanced by age and gender. TEAM LEWIS collected data through an online survey fielded Sep. 25-30, 2024. Respondents were independently sourced from global market research panel provider Cint.

Visit Five9 at CVxEXPO24 booth #6002.