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Chatbots have become an omnipresent feature on consumer websites. But what makes for a “good” chatbot experience? According to a new report commissioned by Simplr, the answer, perhaps paradoxically, is the ability to speak with a live human: 80% of consumers become much more willing to use a chatbot if they know they can easily and quickly transfer to a live person. 

Live transfer from a bot to a human can have a major impact on long-term customer loyalty. The report also found that 60% of consumers are more likely to do business with a brand if there is a seamless transfer to a human agent. Meanwhile, when a chatbot fails and there is no live transfer available, 60% of consumers say they are less likely to do business with that brand again. 

Despite chatbot usage doubling since the onset of the pandemic with 18% having used a chatbot in the past three months, compared to just 9% in 2020, the majority of consumers still have a neutral approach towards interacting with one.

It’s clear that consumers have yet to be convinced that chatbots can deliver the quality customer service interactions they’re looking for. This represents a major opportunity for a company that designs chatbot experiences that meet the expectations of today’s consumer.

The report is based on a quantitative survey of a sample of 1,000 US adult consumers ages 18-75 who regularly shop for products and/or services online. Data for this survey was collected from February 24 to March 3, 2022, to gauge awareness, attitudes and usage of chatbots compared to other customer service channels. 

Read the full report by Simplr.