Findings show a need to build trust and improve customer experiences to increase loyalty

Five9, provider of the Intelligent CX Platform, released the results of a consumer survey, aimed at helping organizations understand how consumers perceive AI and evolving customer experiences. The survey explores consumer sentiments around AI and CX, as well as around holiday shopping, travel, and healthcare.

"As consumer demand and expectations increase this season, brands must prioritize transparency and empathy to build enduring trust and loyalty with consumers."

New Five9 data highlights the continued importance of the human touch in CX, as 75% prefer talking to a real human in-person or over the phone for customer support, indicating that brands need to improve online customer support. As upcoming events like open enrollment and holiday shopping create higher demand, brands will face mounting pressure to deliver exceptional CX while balancing the use of AI to enhance and streamline experiences. Given that 40% of consumers note that positive CX ensures their brand loyalty, companies must prioritize total transparency for how AI and human counterparts work together to improve customer satisfaction during peak periods.

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"AI has the power to mitigate customer service frustrations, but it's the human touch that makes the difference. By using AI to automate transactional and routine tasks, human agents can free up time to focus on more complex issues that require critical thinking and sensitivity," said Niki Hall, Chief Marketing Officer, Five9. "As consumer demand and expectations increase this season, brands must prioritize transparency and empathy to build enduring trust and loyalty with consumers."

The survey's key findings include:

Consumer trust in AI is still experiencing growing pains

In the age of AI, consumers already expect some automation to be ingrained in most customer service interactions. Despite this, there is still a preference and a need for human empathy to be present alongside AI in CX. There was consensus across all generations - no matter the brand or reason for contact - that human interaction is still preferred.

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Younger generations have a better understanding of AI's capabilities and nuances

Gen Z and Millennials find more value in AI-driven interactions compared to older generations, including chatbots and Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs). The use of automated solutions in CX has also led younger consumers to feel that online self-service has improved.

Holidays and heightened customer queries go hand-in-hand, increasing AI needs

The increase in customer queries during the holidays strongly impacts healthcare, retail, and travel organizations. 72% of older generation respondents correlated poor loyalty with poor CX.