The Dutch consumer "prefers telephone over bumbling chatbot", according to the KSF in the press release accompanying the announcement of the results of the fifth edition of the National Voice Monitor 2024. Main conclusions: chatbots are in need of innovation and waiting times remain a source of annoyance.

 

The biggest annoyances of Dutch consumers in contact with organizations are long waiting times (53%), menus that are too long (46%) and poorly functioning chatbots (40%). Telephony is the preferred channel of Dutch consumers when it comes to contact with organizations, across all age groups. At the same time, consumers are critical of automated customer contact; the bumbling chatbot in particular has to suffer.

Views on chatbots

Contacts that take place entirely via an employee – by telephone or via live chat – most often score an 8 or higher. While contacts that take place entirely via a voice assistant or chatbot most often score a 5 or lower. The chatbot contributes little to first time fix or customer satisfaction, if you rely on customer experiences. Consumers find chatbots useful for simple questions and it is an advantage that it is accessible and available without waiting time. But consumers often find chatbots impersonal, and only answering simple questions offers no added value compared to frequently asked questions on a website. Consumers have difficulty understanding the chatbot or are not properly understood themselves. (text continues below image)

Only 8% of questions asked to chatbots are answered correctly, according to the National Voice Monitor 2024. And when live chat and automated chat are split, it becomes clear that consumers prefer to ignore automated chat. Only 1% of consumers prefer automated chat. Consumer expectations are not yet in line with what is currently technologically possible, according to the researchers, who suggest that the research is mainly based on 'old technology'.

Moreover, the research does not make a clear distinction between rules-based chatbots and chatbots supported by generative AI - probably because consumers themselves have no idea what the difference is or do not notice it. Although sectors and ages have been briefly examined when it comes to preferences in customer contact, no attention has been paid to the role of context (such as time pressure or the device used).

Also in other studies chatbots generally fare poorly. They do not understand the consumer, give incorrect answers or are incomplete, meaning that the consumer still has to contact an employee. According to Y.digital, the first generation of chatbots is end of life; the good news is that companies are increasingly experimenting with new technology.

All opportunities for chatbot 2.0 and GenAI

Carla Verwijmeren (Y.digital) expects that the rise of Generative AI will provide a major breakthrough for the automated handling of customer contact. There is therefore a lot to be gained from better chatbots – including through the use of natural language in dialogue and making knowledge accessible.

Most organizations that participated in the survey use GenAI to route contacts, search for information within data sources, and transcribe and summarize conversations. Most organizations still see the commitment to consumers as too risky, although they do expect this to be the logical next step if the technology works well for the internal employee.

The older, the more critical

The research reveals even more interesting findings. We highlight a few.

Satisfaction with customer contact decreased slightly (but significantly) compared to last year. Telephone contact went from a 7,3 to a 6,9 and chat dropped from a 6,6 to a 6,2. Email also remains popular among consumers, while organizations are “reluctant” to use that channel due to low customer satisfaction and a low percentage of first time right.

It is often claimed that consumers increasingly demanding with regard to customer contact and/or customer service. Y.digital's research shows that the demands that consumers place on customer contact are significantly higher across the board among older consumers.

The researchers conclude that 'assisted' channels are still strongly preferred above 'unassisted' channels that are fully automated.

Also striking: based on the qualitative part of the research (interviews with managers/directors of ten different organizations), it is noted that the “overall feeling is that the use of Generative AI within KCCs will take off in the coming years”. The supporting role of AI is mainly mentioned, not the replacement role or the impact on the size of the contact center. (Ziptone/Erik Bouwer)

Customer Experience, Featured KSF