Elly Yates-Roberts |
Consumers are more satisfied when companies offer them human-like artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which leads them to increase their spending, according to new research from Capgemini’s Digital Transformation Institute.
Capgemini’s report, The Secret to Winning Customers’ Hearts with Artificial Intelligence: Add Human Intelligence reveals that 73% of consumers have interacted with companies via AI and that 69% were satisfied with those interactions. The report, which surveyed 10,000 consumers and over 500 companies across 10 countries, found that 63% of consumers like AI because it is available 24/7 and enables them to have greater control over how they interact with brands and organisations.
According to the report, consumers prefer interactions enabled by a mix of AI and humans, with 64% wanting AI to be more human-like and 48% saying there are interested in being able delegate tasks to a digital personal assistant. Around 48% of consumers said that AI solutions with human-like qualities encourage them to spend more and almost half said they would have a greater affiliation to a company.
Just under two thirds (62%) of consumers are keen for AI to have a human-like voice, 57% would like it to understand human emotions and 62% would be comfortable with AI having human-like intellect. However, two thirds of consumers want to be made aware when companies are enabling interactions via AI.
Despite consumer appetite for AI-powered customer experiences, 62% of businesses are prioritising cost and 59% are focusing on return on investment over customer preferences when implementing AI technology. However, Capgemini found that solving known consumer pain points is key for fostering loyalty and trust of the company because 38% of shoppers purchased more following a good AI-enabled experience, with a quarter increasing their spend by up to 10%.
“By focusing AI implementations to reimagine, streamline and simplify customer interactions, organisations can boost customer spend and loyalty,” said Mark Taylor, chief experience officer for the digital customer experience practice at Capgemini. “To see the biggest bottom-line boost, firms need to make both AI and customer experience a strategic priority.”