Salesforce: AI can help retailers meet customer expectations
A new survey indicates customers will abandon a retailer after a negative experience, but artificial intelligence can help keep their business.
Sixty percent of more than 15,000 surveyed global consumers believe that advances in AI make having trust in retailers even more important, according to the seventh annual Salesforce State of the AI Connected Customer study.
More than four-in-10 (43%) respondents say poor customer service experience will stop them from making a repeat purchase from a company or brand, and more than one-third say that inconvenience, such as a difficult return process or clunky purchase experience, will cause them to stop doing business with a retailer or brand.
In addition, 69% of respondents expect consistent interactions with retailers across departments, while nearly 60% prefer using fewer touchpoints to get information or complete a task.
Younger respondents in particular were willing to say AI raises the bar for customer experiences. Forty-three percent of surveyed Gen Z and millennial consumers said this is the case, compared to 32% of baby boomer respondents.
Gen Z and millennial respondents are also more likely than older generations to consider the benefits provided by AI agents. Three-in-10 overall respondents, as well as 37% of Gen Z and millennial respondents, said they would work with an AI agent instead of a person for faster service.
One-quarter of all respondents, and roughly one-third of surveyed Gen Z and millennials, said they would share their personal information with an AI agent so it can better anticipate their needs.
However, consumers do expect some structure to their interactions with AI agents:
- Nearly 75% of respondents want to know if they're communicating with an AI agent.
- 45% are more likely to use an AI agent if there’s a clear escalation path.
- 44% are more likely to use an AI agent if its logic is clearly explained.
"Retailers face a much more competitive shopping season this year, as they look to deliver higher margins in the midst of increasing customer demands," said Michael Affronti, senior VP and GM of Commerce Cloud, Salesforce. "AI agents can help brands deliver consistent, personalized experiences for shoppers across every channel – deepening customer loyalty and ultimately driving more sales."
[READ MORE: Survey: AI chatbots best used for cutting wait times]
Survey data is from a double-blind survey of 15,015 consumers conducted between July 16 – Aug. 16, 2024. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK, and U.S. adults (aged 18 and up). The survey was carried out online by YouGov.
