Are Chatbots Ready for Prime Time?

Research into consumers’ attitudes towards chatbots reveals trust gap.

The pandemic has accelerated the mainstreaming of chatbot technology. This is great news for contact centres looking to deal with increasing demand. Chatbots are without doubt becoming normalised as a self-service option for basic transactions. However, providers need to work harder to build customers’ trust in chatbots and to ensure that the option of a human advisor is still available for more complex queries. For now, the role of the chatbot is to act as a gatekeeper.

More than 2,000 interviews took place in November 2020 to uncover usage and perceptions of chatbots from the consumer perspective. The findings have led to a conclusion that contact centre leaders have an opportunity to improve the use of chatbots and increase consumer trust in them. The CCMA report, supported by 8×8, ‘Are Chatbots Ready for Prime Time?’ recommends five approaches.

For the full story, including statistics, please download the report.