Latest news with #ConsumerVoiceReport
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Nearly half of UAE consumers feel AI not meeting their customer service expectations
More than half (54 per cent) of UAE consumers say that failing to understand emotional cues is more of an AI trait than human, a study showed. According to research by ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation, Despite rapid advancements in AI and its widespread use in customer service, UAE consumers overwhelmingly (at least 68 per cent) prefer to interact with people for customer support. ServiceNow's Consumer Voice Report 2025 surveyed 17,000 adults across 13 countries in EMEA — including 1000 in the UAE — and explores consumer expectations when it comes to AI's role in customer experience (CX). Based on the findings of the research, the perceived lack of AI's general emotional intelligence (EQ) is a critical factor in shaping consumer sentiment in this regard. Fifty one per cent feel agents having a limited understanding of context is more likely to be AI; and an equal number say misunderstanding slang, idioms and informal language is more likely AI. Meanwhile, nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of UAE consumers feel repetitive or scripted responses are more of an AI trait. 'The key takeaway for business leaders is that AI can no longer be just another customer service tool – it has to be an essential partner to the human agent. The future of customer relationships now lies at the intersection of AI and emotional intelligence (EQ). Consumers no longer want AI that just gets the job done; they want AI that understands them,' commented William O'Neill, Area VP, UAE at ServiceNow. High stakes, low trust The report also highlights a clear AI trust gap, particularly for urgent or complex requests. UAE consumers embrace AI for speed and convenience in low-risk/routine tasks — 23 per cent of UAE consumers trust an AI chatbot for scheduling a car service appointment and 24 per cent say they are happy to use an AI chatbot for tracking a lost or delayed package. However, when it comes to more sensitive or urgent tasks, consumer confidence in AI drops. Only 13 per cent would trust AI to dispute a suspicious transaction on their bank account with 43 per cent instead preferring to handle this in-person. Similarly, when it comes to troubleshooting a home internet issue, only 20 per cent of consumers across the Emirates are happy to rely on an AI chatbot, with 50 per cent preferring to troubleshoot the issue with someone on the phone. Humans and AI For all the frustrations with AI — almost half (47 per cent) of UAE consumers say their customer service interactions with AI chatbots have not met their expectations — the research does suggest that consumers consider AI as crucial for organizations looking to deliver exceptional customer experiences. For one, in addition to seamless service (90 per cent), quick response times (89 per cent) and accurate information (88 per cent), more than three quarter (76 per cent) of UAE consumers expect the organizations they deal with to provide a good chatbot service. But perhaps more interestingly, 85 per cent of consumers across the Emirates expect the option for self-service problem solving, which does indicate the need for organizations to integrate AI insights and data analysis into service channels to anticipate customer needs before they arise. 'While AI in customer service is currently falling short of consumer expectations, it is not failing. Rather, it is evolving. There is an opportunity for businesses to refine AI by empowering it with the right information, making it more adaptive, emotionally aware, and seamlessly integrated with human agents to take/recommend the next best action and deliver unparalleled customer relationships,' added O'Neill. 'Consumers do not want less AI – they want AI that works smarter. By understanding the biggest pain points, companies can make AI a trusted ally rather than a frustrating barrier.'
Arabian Business
28-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
UAE consumers say AI customer service fails to meet expectations: Report
Forty-seven per cent of UAE consumers report AI chatbots fail to meet customer service expectations, with emotional intelligence gaps driving preference for human interaction, a new report finds. The ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report 2025, released on 27 May 2025, surveyed 17,000 adults across 13 countries in EMEA, including 1,000 respondents in the UAE. The report examines consumer expectations regarding AI's role in customer experience. UAE consumers prefer human support UAE consumers show a preference for human interaction in customer support, with at least 68 per cent favouring people over AI systems. The research attributes this preference to perceived limitations in AI's emotional intelligence. William O'Neill, Area VP, UAE at ServiceNow, said: 'The key takeaway for business leaders is that AI can no longer be just another customer service tool – it has to be an essential partner to the human agent. The future of customer relationships now lies at the intersection of AI and emotional intelligence (EQ). Consumers no longer want AI that just gets the job done; they want AI that understands them.' The survey findings highlight specific areas where consumers perceive AI limitations: 54 per cent of UAE consumers identify failure to understand emotional cues as an AI trait rather than human 51 per cent believe limited understanding of context characterises AI more than humans 51 per cent consider misunderstanding slang, idioms and informal language typical of AI 64 per cent associate repetitive or scripted responses with AI systems Consumer trust in AI demonstrates clear patterns based on task complexity and sensitivity. For routine, low-risk activities, UAE consumers show acceptance of AI assistance: 23 per cent trust AI chatbots for scheduling car service appointments 24 per cent accept AI chatbots for tracking lost or delayed packages However, confidence drops for sensitive or urgent matters: Only 13 per cent would trust AI to dispute suspicious bank transactions, with 43 per cent preferring in-person handling 20 per cent accept AI chatbots for troubleshooting home internet issues, whilst 50 per cent prefer phone support with human agents Despite frustrations with current AI performance, UAE consumers consider AI essential for organisations delivering customer experiences. The research identifies key expectations: 90 per cent expect seamless service 89 per cent require quick response times 88 per cent demand accurate information 76 per cent expect organisations to provide chatbot services 85 per cent want self-service problem-solving options O'Neill added: 'While AI in customer service is currently falling short of consumer expectations, it is not failing. Rather, it is evolving. There is an opportunity for businesses to refine AI by empowering it with the right information, making it more adaptive, emotionally aware, and seamlessly integrated with human agents to take/recommend the next best action and deliver unparalleled customer relationships. Consumers do not want less AI – they want AI that works smarter. By understanding the biggest pain points, companies can make AI a trusted ally rather than a frustrating barrier.'
TECHx
27-05-2025
- Business
- TECHx
ServiceNow Reveals 2025 Consumer Voice Report
Home » Emerging technologies » Artificial Intelligence » ServiceNow Reveals 2025 Consumer Voice Report ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation, has released the ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report 2025. Now in its third year, the report surveyed 17,000 adults across 13 EMEA countries, including 1,000 respondents from the UAE. It explored how consumers view AI's role in customer experience. The findings revealed that despite the rise of AI in customer service, many UAE consumers still prefer human interaction. In fact, 68% said they favor speaking with people over AI for customer support. ServiceNow reported that this is largely due to AI's perceived lack of emotional intelligence. 54% said AI is more likely to miss emotional cues 51% believe AI struggles with context and informal language 64% said scripted responses are mostly associated with AI William O'Neill, Area VP, UAE at ServiceNow, stated that AI must now evolve beyond being just another support tool. He noted that customers expect AI to understand them emotionally, not just complete tasks. The report also revealed a clear trust gap when it comes to AI handling complex or sensitive issues. For simple tasks, UAE consumers show more acceptance: 23% trust AI for scheduling car service 24% are fine using chatbots to track lost packages However, only 13% would trust AI to handle a suspicious bank transaction. Instead, 43% would prefer to speak with a human. Similarly, only 20% would rely on AI to fix home internet issues. Half of the respondents preferred a phone call with a human agent. ServiceNow reported that 47% of UAE consumers feel AI chatbots still fall short of expectations. Yet, the report confirmed that consumers see AI as essential for top-tier customer experiences. According to the findings, UAE consumers expect: Seamless service (90%) Quick responses (89%) Accurate information (88%) In addition, 76% said companies should offer quality chatbot support. Meanwhile, 85% want self-service tools that help solve problems independently. O'Neill added that AI is not failing but evolving. He emphasized that businesses must enhance AI with data, emotional awareness, and human collaboration. He concluded that customers don't want less AI, they want smarter AI. By resolving pain points, ServiceNow reported, companies can turn AI into a trusted ally.
Tahawul Tech
27-05-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
UAE consumers believe that AI is not meeting their customer service expectations
ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation, has released the ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report 2025. Now in its third year, the report, which surveyed 17,000 adults across 13 countries in EMEA — including 1000 in the UAE — explores consumer expectations when it comes to AI's role in customer experience (CX). Need to put the EQ in AI Despite rapid advancements in AI and its widespread use in customer service, UAE consumers overwhelmingly (at least 68%) prefer to interact with people for customer support. Based on the findings of the research, this can be attributed to the perceived lack of AI's general emotional intelligence (EQ). More than half (54%) of UAE consumers say that failing to understand emotional cues is more of an AI trait than human; 51% feel agents having a limited understanding of context is more likely to be AI; and an equal number (51%) say misunderstanding slang, idioms and informal language is more likely AI. Meanwhile, nearly two thirds (64%) of UAE consumers feel repetitive or scripted responses are more of an AI trait. 'The key takeaway for business leaders is that AI can no longer be just another customer service tool – it has to be an essential partner to the human agent. The future of customer relationships now lies at the intersection of AI and emotional intelligence (EQ). Consumers no longer want AI that just gets the job done; they want AI that understands them', commented William O'Neill, Area VP, UAE at ServiceNow. High Stakes, Low Trust The report also highlights a clear AI trust gap, particularly for urgent or complex requests. UAE consumers embrace AI for speed and convenience in low-risk/routine tasks — 23% of UAE consumers trust an AI chatbot for scheduling a car service appointment and 24% say they are happy to use an AI chatbot for tracking a lost or delayed package. However, when it comes to more sensitive or urgent tasks, consumer confidence in AI drops. Only 13% would trust AI to dispute a suspicious transaction on their bank account with 43% instead preferring to handle this in-person. Similarly, when it comes to troubleshooting a home internet issue, only 20% of consumers across the Emirates are happy to rely on an AI chatbot, with 50% preferring to troubleshoot the issue with someone on the phone. Humans and AI For all the frustrations with AI — almost half (47%) of UAE consumers say their customer service interactions with AI chatbots have not met their expectations — the research does suggest that consumers consider AI as crucial for organisations looking to deliver exceptional customer experiences. For one, in addition to seamless service (90%), quick response times (89%) and accurate information (88%), more than three quarter (76%) of UAE consumers expect the organisations they deal with to provide a good chatbot service. But perhaps more interestingly, 85% of consumers across the Emirates expect the option for self-service problem solving, which does indicate the need for organixations to integrate AI insights and data analysis into service channels to anticipate customer needs before they arise. 'While AI in customer service is currently falling short of consumer expectations, it is not failing. Rather, it is evolving. There is an opportunity for businesses to refine AI by empowering it with the right information, making it more adaptive, emotionally aware, and seamlessly integrated with human agents to take/recommend the next best action and deliver unparalleled customer relationships', added O'Neill. 'Consumers do not want less AI – they want AI that works smarter. By understanding the biggest pain points, companies can make AI a trusted ally rather than a frustrating barrier'. Download the full ServiceNow Consumer Voice Report 2025 here. Image Credit: ServiceNow
