WEALTH August 12, 2026 0 Comments

Why Consumers Are Ditching Chatbots for Real Humans When Customer Service Gets Tough—And What That Means for Your Business

In today’s whirlwind of digital innovation, Irish consumers are striding confidently into the realm of artificial intelligence for their everyday customer service needs—but here’s the kicker—they’re quick to tap the brakes when things get tricky or touchy. Isn’t it fascinating how folks seem totally fine letting AI handle the routine stuff like payments and appointments, yet when it comes down to complaints or billing hiccups, they want a genuine human voice on the other end? Turns out, 77% of them want to know if they’re chatting with AI, yet only 29% are genuinely impressed with AI phone agents. This paints a vivid picture: while technology has made things faster and sometimes smoother, it hasn’t quite nailed the art of human connection that customers crave during critical moments. So, how do businesses strike that perfect balance between savvy automation and heartfelt service? Let’s unpack the insights from the latest CCMA Ireland study that dives deep into this very conundrum. LEARN MORE

Irish consumers are increasingly comfortable using artificial intelligence (AI) and self-service for simple customer service tasks, but want access to a real person when issues become complex or sensitive, new research has found.

Research commissioned by the Customer Contact Management Association (CCMA) Ireland found that 77% of consumers want to be told when they are interacting with AI, while just 29% rated their experience with AI phone agents positively.

The study, conducted by W5 among 1,012 Irish consumers, examined attitudes towards customer service, preferred communication channels, AI, the experiences of vulnerable customers and perceptions of careers in the sector.

Overall, 68% of consumers rated their most recent customer service interaction as good or very good, with satisfaction improving across most channels compared with 2024.

In-person customer service remained the strongest-performing channel, with 75% rating their experience positively, up four percentage points on last year.

Email followed at 61%, up 9%, while WhatsApp and Messenger scored 60%, up 5%. Phone support was rated positively by 59%, an increase of 7%.

Despite the growing use of digital services, traditional channels remain heavily used. Some 91% of respondents said they had used the phone to access customer service, while 89% had used email.

Live chat with an agent has also become mainstream, with 70% reporting that they had used it.

The research found that consumers are increasingly willing to let AI handle straightforward and repetitive tasks, including payments, appointment bookings and delivery tracking.

However, there was a clear preference for human assistance when dealing with complaints, billing problems and fraud, where consumers said empathy, reassurance, understanding and problem-solving were particularly important.

AI phone agents received a positive rating from just 29% of respondents, compared with 54% for live agent chat.

CCMA Ireland CEO Dorothy O’Byrne said customers “do not want technology to come at the expense of good customer service”.

“Long waiting times, difficulty reaching a real person, chatbots, inconsistent service and poor communication or follow-up remain among the key frustrations identified by customers,” she said.

Consumers also want customer service advisors who understand their issue, provide accurate information and take ownership of problems, while avoiding scripted or generic responses.

O’Byrne said businesses needed to “get the balance right” by using technology to make simple interactions faster while ensuring customers could access human support when required.

The research also highlighted lower satisfaction among vulnerable customers. Some 63% rated their customer service experience as good or very good, compared with 70% among non-vulnerable consumers.

consumers — Dorothyh O’Byrne, CCMA Ireland CEO

Some 26% of respondents reported a long-term physical or mental impairment limiting daily activities or work, with mental health conditions, serious long-term illness and mobility impairments among the most commonly reported vulnerabilities.

The findings also point to a strong demand for greater transparency, with only 57% saying it is currently clear when they are interacting with an AI agent.