We are a company that embraces AI in Operations and Client Service, and advocates to our clients that these tools should be utilized wherever appropriate. However, an ill-prepared strategy on the use of client facing AI will immediately impact your client satisfaction – in the worst way.
I’m probably the loudest critic when it comes to how service companies roll out their so-called ‘assistants.’ These bots are often more of a hindrance than a help—barely useful at their best and downright maddening at their worst.
Do any of these sound familiar?
Chatbot Fatigue
This term describes the frustration and exhaustion clients feel when they frequently encounter chatbots that fail to resolve their issues or provide inadequate support. Chatbot fatigue can occur when bots are overused or poorly implemented, leading to a negative user experience.
Automation Frustration
Automation frustration refers to the irritation clients experience when automated systems, such as chatbots or IVRs (Interactive Voice Response), are unable to understand or address their needs. This can happen when the automation is too rigid or lacks the ability to handle complex queries.
Digital Friction
Digital friction encompasses the various obstacles and inconveniences clients face when interacting with digital services, including chatbots. High digital friction occurs when the technology complicates rather than simplifies the client journey, leading to dissatisfaction.
Bot Blindness
Similar to banner blindness in online advertising, bot blindness occurs when clients become so accustomed to interacting with ineffective bots that they start ignoring or bypassing them altogether. This can result in clients feeling neglected or unsupported and going to extreme lengths to reach an actual (often the wrong) human.
AI Fatigue
AI fatigue is a broader term that encompasses the general weariness and skepticism clients might feel towards AI-driven interactions, including chatbots, especially when these interactions are not seamless or fail to add value.
Virtual Agent Annoyance
Virtual agent annoyance specifically refers to the irritation caused by virtual agents (another term for chatbots) when they fail to provide satisfactory assistance or when clients are forced to interact with them instead of getting human help.
Client Effort Score (CES) Issues
While not a term per se, CES issues arise when interactions with chatbots increase the effort required from clients to get their issues resolved. A high CES indicates that clients find it difficult to interact with the service, often leading to dissatisfaction.
User Experience (UX) Challenges
UX challenges in the context of chatbots refer to the various design and functionality issues that make the interaction cumbersome or unsatisfactory for clients. Poor UX in chatbot interactions can significantly impact client satisfaction.
Speaking from my own experience, I have escalated issues to CEOs, COOs, and other top executives that I could find contact information for. It gets the job done but also highlights where the job isn’t getting done (BTW, I always offer our services when I escalate an issue but have strangely yet to be taken up on those offers).
Understanding these situations and the underlying issues they represent wholly inform our team’s approach when devising strategies for our clients.
With that, today’s song of the day is I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2.
-Allison
