Why don’t companies let you talk to an actual human anymore?
Posted June 22, 2023 7:12 am.
In today’s Big Story podcast, it has become increasingly common for companies to rely on chatbots and emails as customer service solutions, instead of direct human interaction. While this approach is understandable for companies that exist entirely online, like Facebook and Instagram, it can be frustrating when businesses in time-sensitive industries, such as airlines, appliance vendors, and shipping companies, adopt the same practice.
Emily Stewart, a business and economics reporter at Vox, says customers have limited options to connect with a real person from customer service, especially as companies reduce options to cut operating costs.
“I think sometimes we just want the option … I’m happy to talk to the chatbot sometimes, but at some point you really do get to the point where it’s like, I just need to talk to somebody.”
What happens when the business-customer experience is entirely impersonal? What factors influence a company’s cost-benefit decision regarding customer service? How does a human voice impact a tense interaction? And what lies ahead as more companies turn to artificial intelligence?
You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.
You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.
