New Salesforce survey shows consumers increasingly receptivity to AI agents for service

The rise of AI agents in customer service: As companies invest heavily in artificial intelligence, a new survey reveals consumer attitudes towards AI-powered customer interactions and highlights the critical role of trust in this evolving landscape.

• Gartner predicts that by 2028, at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions will be taken autonomously through agentic AI, up from 0% in 2024.
• Salesforce’s State of the AI Connected Customer survey, involving 15,015 people across 18 countries, provides insights into consumer perspectives on AI in customer service.

Trust deficit and heightened expectations: The survey reveals a concerning trend of declining consumer trust in companies, with AI further raising the stakes for brands.

• 72% of consumers report trusting companies less than they did a year ago.
• 60% believe that advances in AI make trust even more important.
• 54% of AI users don’t trust the data used to train AI systems.
• 80% of customers consider experiences to be just as important as products.
• 65% of consumers feel companies are reckless with customer data.

Consumer preferences for AI interactions: Despite trust concerns, a significant portion of consumers are open to AI-powered customer service under certain conditions.

• 30% of consumers would work with an AI agent for faster service.
• 34% would prefer AI agents over human representatives to avoid repeating themselves.
• One-third of consumers would rather purchase a product through automated/digital means than with a person.
• However, less than a third of Gen Z and millennials are comfortable with AI agents shopping for them.

Transparency and control as key factors: The survey highlights the importance of transparency and user control in fostering trust in AI-powered customer service.

• 73% of consumers want to know if they are communicating with an AI agent.
• 45% are more likely to use an AI agent if there’s a clear escalation path to human support.
• 44% are more likely to use an AI agent if its logic is clearly explained.

Customer service pain points: The survey also sheds light on current frustrations with customer service, which AI could potentially address.

• Consumers report spending up to nine hours trying to resolve a single issue with customer service.
• Over the past six months, consumers have walked away from almost a third of customer service interactions without getting what they needed.
• More than half (54%) of consumers don’t care how they interact with a company, as long as their problems are fixed quickly.

Consistency and personalization expectations: Consumers increasingly demand seamless and personalized experiences across all touchpoints.

• 69% of consumers expect consistent interactions across departments.
• More than a third say that inconveniences, such as difficult return processes or clunky purchase experiences, will cause them to lose loyalty to a brand.

The hidden use of AI in the workplace: The survey reveals an interesting trend of “underground” AI usage among workers.

• One in five workers are “underground” AI users who frequently use AI but hesitate to share this information with coworkers.

Balancing AI adoption with trust-building: As companies embrace AI agents for customer service, they must prioritize building trust and ensuring transparency to meet consumer expectations.

• The research indicates that customers are willing to use AI agents if they know they are interacting with them and if there is a clear escalation path to human employees.
• Companies that focus on trust, speed, scale, and personalization are likely to thrive in the emerging age of agentic AI.

Looking ahead: The future of AI in customer service: As AI technology continues to advance, companies must navigate the delicate balance between leveraging AI for efficiency and maintaining consumer trust.

• The adoption of AI agents in customer service is likely to grow, but success will depend on companies’ ability to address consumer concerns about transparency, data privacy, and the option for human interaction when needed.
• As AI becomes more prevalent in day-to-day work decisions, businesses must also consider the implications for workplace dynamics and employee attitudes towards AI usage.