# Customer experience: How to maintain consumer trust with AI | Capterra > As U.S. businesses use AI to aid customer service operations, how can they ensure it positively impacts the customer experience? Read more here. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-ai-benefits-customer-service-operations --- Call CenterSales & Business Development # As Half of U.S. Businesses Use AI in Customer Service Operations, Their Biggest Obstacle Is Maintaining Consumer Trust Written by: Laura Burgess Laura BurgessAuthor Content Analyst Experience I've been writing for Capterra since April 2021, specializing in B2B SaaS adoption across various industries. My role involves pro... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/laura-burgess/) and edited by: Caroline Rousseau Caroline RousseauEditor Senior Content Editor Experience As a senior content editor, and formerly as a content analyst, at Capterra, I have been crafting, writing, and refining rese... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/caroline-rousseau/) Published August 5, 2024 7 min read Table of Contents - [AI use in customer service operations increases productivity](#ai-use-in-customer-service-operations-increases-productivity) - [Consumer trust and data accuracy are main concerns of AI](#consumer-trust-and-data-accuracy-are-main-concerns-of-using-ai) - [Effectively implement AI into your operations to aid CX](#effectively-implement-ai-into-your-service-operations-to-aid-cx) - [Employee outlook on AI and customer experience is positive](#employee-outlook-on-ai-and-the-customer-experience-is-positive) ## Adopting AI should complement the customer experience As over half of U.S. businesses (53%) now use AI-enhanced customer service software, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, delivering excellent customer service must remain a priority.  While customers might be hesitant about AI-driven interactions —assuming the tech lacks the personal touch, needs help understanding or addressing complex queries, or faces data privacy issues— proactive businesses can mitigate these concerns.  Capterra's first article in this two-part series found that service technologies, such as [call center software](https://www.capterra.com/call-center-software/), help to boost customer satisfaction scores for most U.S. businesses.  However, AI can't fully replicate the human approach in customer services, and transparency around its general usage and data handling needs careful consideration. Companies will want to avoid declining customer satisfaction levels if individuals feel their needs are not effectively or safely addressed. To learn more about the benefits and challenges of utilizing AI-driven software, Capterra’s Customer Service Technology Survey[\*](#methodology) collected responses from 2,307 employees worldwide involved in their company’s customer service operations. This article focuses on the results from U.S. respondents and outlines what other businesses must consider when implementing AI into the customer experience (CX). Key findings - **Better CX:** Sixty-one per cent of customer service-related staff say that AI-enhanced software has positively impacted customers overall. - **Less waiting:** Fifty-five per cent find that the top benefit of AI in customer support operations is faster customer service response time. - **Improvements are still needed:** Seventy-two per cent of employees admit they are concerned about the accuracy of information given to customers by AI-enabled software. - **The human touch:** To reduce errors and poor CX, nearly half of companies (47%) allow customers to choose between AI or human-assisted customer service interactions. - **AI use for customer service will continue to increase:** Employees predict that within the next five years, AI will manage around half (52%) of call center interactions. ## AI use in customer service operations increases productivity Leveraging AI customer support tools can help companies significantly improve both the customer experience and operational efficiency within call centers. For example, AI chatbots can handle repetitive and straightforward queries, such as checking account balances or tracking orders, freeing up human agents for more complex tasks.  When asked what they believe would be the top benefits of adopting AI-enabled customer service software, employees mostly cited that it would help with faster customer response times (55%), as well as cost savings (47%) and improved customer satisfaction (27%). Customers undoubtedly appreciate quick responses to their inquiries and issues, as long wait times can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction.  Employees who are already using AI tech were asked about the impact it’s made on their company’s customer service operations. Respondents say AI has generally increased productivity (61%), customer satisfaction levels (58%), and call volume (53%)—three important areas that impact the CX. This is made possible as AI automation reduces the workload on human support agents, allowing them to focus on higher-value interactions. ## Consumer trust and data accuracy are main concerns of using AI Implementing AI-powered solutions within customer support can be complex, but can be handled relatively easily if strategically addressing some of the potential challenges.  Employees who work in customer service operations say maintaining customer trust (44%) and ensuring accurate information (38%) are the main challenges of adopting AI-powered support software. Getting these elements wrong can alienate customers (37%). Other areas of concern in utilizing AI usually revolve around privacy breaches and data security. If an online bank implements an AI chatbot to handle customer inquiries, including sensitive financial information and the system is hacked, customer data is compromised. Trust in the company protecting private information is damaged, and customers will lose confidence in using AI tools to secure transactions, fearing further breaches.  Most employees (72%) agree that they are concerned about the accuracy of information being provided to customers via AI-enabled tools. If, for example, a customer uses an AI-enabled chatbot to inquire about loan eligibility and interest rates, bank employees may worry about the accuracy provided by the chatbot, fearing it might be outdated or incorrect. This could impact the customer’s financial decisions.  Companies can proactively address these areas of concern by ensuring that the AI tool is frequently updated with the latest information on loan policies and other financial data. It is important to communicate that, while the AI tool is designed to provide up-to-date information, they can always contact a human agent for verification.  Businesses must also implement robust security measures—[firewall solutions](https://www.capterra.com/firewall-software/), [Multi-Factor Authentication](https://www.capterra.com/multi-factor-authentication-software/) (MFA), and endpoint detection—and communicate when AI is in use and the limitations of what information it can provide. Educate customers via various channels (website, email, social media) about the benefits that AI brings to the CX. ## Effectively implement AI into your service operations to aid CX Implementing AI into customer service operations requires a well-thought-out strategy to ensure a smooth transition and maximized benefits. Business decision-makers should consider the following:  ### 1\. Identify the areas in which both AI and humans perform best  Identifying the strengths of both AI and human agents allows management to allocate tasks more efficiently. For example, AI can handle repetitive, straightforward queries, while human agents can focus on complex, nuanced, and emotionally sensitive issues. Balancing work tasks between AI tools and human call center agents can be difficult and companies need to define clear roles to ensure seamless collaboration.  According to Capterra’s survey, employees think humans perform better in most core customer service areas, such as personalized interactions (76%) and facilitating sales and upselling (69%). They believe AI-related customer support is better at having conversations in multiple languages (51%), analyzing data and generating insights (49%). ### 2\. Train agents in securely handling AI tools and customer data Employee training ensures workers understand how to use AI tools and facilitates a collaboration where AI assists support agents by providing relevant information and suggestions in real-time. Capterra found that 75% of employees say they have received training on handling customer data in relation to AI technology.  Employees must learn to use dashboards and understand AI-generated insights, knowing when to take over from AI during interactions. Proper training on handling consumer data also ensures compliance with data protection regulations and helps prevent data breaches, ultimately maintaining customer trust. ### 3\. Inform customers about AI support interactions  Customers are more likely to trust and engage with a company that is open about its AI practices. The most common ways that companies inform their customers about using AI in support interactions include: - Giving customers the choice between AI or human-assisted interactions (47%) - Notifying customers of the policies or terms of service (46%) - Providing a notice or labeling during customer interactions (39%) It is worth noting that 11% of employees say their company doesn’t inform customers about AI’s involvement in support interactions. However, clearly communicating AI's capabilities and limitations helps set realistic expectations. Inform customers at the beginning of an interaction that they are speaking with an AI tool, with an option to escalate to a human agent if needed. According to Gartner, businesses should position customer-facing AI as a facilitator of customers' best-fit solutions rather than an agent replacement. Customers must know the AI-infused journey will deliver better solutions and seamless guidance, including connecting them to a person when necessary.[\[1\]](#sources) Customers are more understanding and patient when they know they’re interacting with an AI tool and understand what it can and cannot do. Transparency about AI usage can increase customer acceptance and comfort, particularly for those who might be skeptical about interacting with the technology. ## Employee outlook on AI and the customer experience is positive Despite some of the concerns and challenges surrounding customer service technologies, most employees (61%) believe AI-powered software has positively impacted customers. It’s crucial that businesses have a well-defined strategy to ensure that both AI and human agents are utilized effectively, and it doesn’t negatively impact the customer experience. The future of AI adoption looks relatively promising, as employees believe that 52% of customer service inquiries will be managed exclusively by AI (rather than human agents) within the next five years. By integrating AI for routine tasks and reserving human agents for complex interactions, businesses can optimize resources, enhance customer satisfaction, build trust, and maintain operational efficiency. * * * **Survey methodology** \*Capterra's 2024 Customer Service Technology Survey was conducted online in May 2024 among 2,307 respondents in the U.S. (n=199), Canada (n=200), Brazil (n=188), Mexico (n=184), the U.K. (n=194), France (n=196), Italy (n=183), Germany (n=187), Spain (n=191), Australia (n=193), India (n=200), and Japan (n=192).  The goal of the study was to explore how emerging call center technologies are enabling brands to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Respondents were screened to be full-time employees at organizations with 1 to 2,499 employees. They must be involved in customer service operations, use or buy customer service software, and handle customer service phone calls in-house or externally. Sources 1. [4 Customer Insights to Improve the Service Experience](https://www.gartner.com/document-reader/document/5488695?ref=solrAll&refval=415641190), Gartner * * * Looking for Artificial Intelligence software?Check out Capterra's list of the [best Artificial Intelligence software](https://www.capterra.com/artificial-intelligence-software/) solutions. ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Authors [### Laura Burgess](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/laura-burgess/) Laura Burgess is a content analyst at Capterra with more than a decade of journalism experience and specializing in B2B SaaS adoption across various industries. She analyzes market trends and SMB tech, providing insights on topics such as AI-driven sales automation and its impact on the customer experience (CX). Laura's research has been featured in Australian publications such as ABC News, HR Leader, Inside Retail, Dynamic Business, Retail Biz, and Technology Decisions. [### Caroline Rousseau](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/caroline-rousseau/) After three years of building surveys, analyzing data, and writing her own research, Caroline has been a senior content editor since 2022. 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