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U.S.-based Research by Vonage explores consumer sentiment around AI for customer support, highlighting perceived benefits and lingering concerns

HOLMDEL, N.J., Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Improved efficiency and personalized support experiences are driving increased consumer acceptance and satisfaction of AI in customer service interactions, according to a new regional survey by Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation and a part of Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC).

Seventy percent (70%) of respondents believe that AI has improved self-service customer support, and nearly two thirds (60%) agree AI has made interactions with brands more efficient. More than half (51%) are comfortable with AI personalizing support experiences based on previous text or chat inputs. Brands that leverage AI have significant opportunities to build customer loyalty, as half of consumers (50%) believe AI has made live agent support faster and more than a third (34%) feel AI has improved the overall quality of live agent interactions.

Still, the availability of live agent support remains critical, as 85% of consumers consider it very important to have the option to easily connect with a live human agent during customer support interactions.

The U.S.-based survey also revealed that consumers are most comfortable using AI-enabled support via website chat (87%) and mobile apps (72%). Only a third of respondents (33%) feel comfortable interacting with AI during voice calls or with virtual phone agents. While nearly all consumers (91%) believe companies should disclose when AI is used in customer support – highlighting transparency as a top priority – more than half (54%) reveal that the use of AI does not negatively impact their trust in a brand. Interestingly, 12% of consumers indicated that AI positively influences their trust in a brand, showing that a smaller but notable segment is  confident in AI's ability to enhance the customer experience.

"These findings demonstrate consumers have grown exceptionally more receptive to the use of AI in customer support. The technology is revolutionizing the way businesses engage with their customers by creating more efficient and personalized interactions that align with the rapidly evolving expectations of today's consumer," said Joy Corso, Chief Marketing Officer at Vonage. "The key for brand success lies in the ability to harness the power of AI without losing the all important human touch. Businesses that master this delicate balance will be well-positioned to stand out among competitors and drive stronger customer relationships and long-term loyalty."

Additional survey findings also revealed:

• In self-service scenarios, more than half (59%) of consumers prefer using AI-powered intelligent agents (chatbots) over voice virtual assistant/agents (voicebots) (11%). Almost a third (30%) say their preference depends on the industry or type of request being made.
• Consumer comfort with AI in self-service support varies by industry, with gaming (80%) and retail (75%) showing strong comfort, while banking (25%) and healthcare (18%) are met with more hesitation.

Vonage will release its Global Customer Engagement Report 2025 in January. This 13th annual edition will take a more extensive look at AI, customer acceptance, and other areas — with insights from 17 global markets.

To learn more about how Vonage helps businesses use AI to enhance customer support across a broad range of communication channels, visit https://www.vonage.com/ai/.

The survey findings are based on a Pollfish survey conducted in September 2024 and included responses from 1,000 U.S. respondents above the age of 18 who recently engaged with a brand's AI-based customer support.

About Vonage
Vonage, a global cloud communications leader, helps businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Vonage's Communications Platform is fully programmable and allows for the integration of Video, Voice, Chat, Messaging, AI and Verification into existing products, workflows and systems. The Vonage conversational commerce application enables businesses to create AI-powered omnichannel experiences that boost sales and increase customer satisfaction. Vonage's fully programmable unified communications, contact center and conversational commerce applications are built from the Vonage platform and enable companies to transform how they communicate and operate from the office or remotely - providing the flexibility required to create meaningful engagements.

Vonage is headquartered in New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, Israel and Asia and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), and a business area within the Ericsson Group called Business Area Global Communications Platform. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit youtube.com/vonage.

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SOURCE Vonage