Irish consumers embracing AI but still want humans for complex issues
Irish consumers are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and self-service for simple customer service tasks but want access to a real person when issues become complex, sensitive or require empathy, research commissioned by the Customer Contact Management Association (CCMA) Ireland has found.
“It’s no surprise that customers prefer human support for complex or sensitive issues, but what is clear is that they do not want technology to come at the expense of good customer service,” Dorothy O’Byrne, CEO of CCMA Ireland, said.
She added: “Long waiting times, difficulty reaching a real person, chatbots, inconsistent service and poor communication or follow-up remain among the key frustrations identified by customers. Consumers want advisors who understand their issue, provide accurate information, take ownership of problems and avoid scripted or generic responses.”
Seven in 10 (77%) respondents said they wanted to be told when they are interacting with AI, while almost three in 10 (29%) respondents rated AI phone agents positively.
‘The Consumer Perceptions of Customer Service in Ireland and their Views on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)’ research, conducted by W5 among 1,012 Irish consumers, examined perceptions of customer service in Ireland, preferred communication channels, attitudes towards the use of AI, customer pain points, experiences of vulnerable customers and perceptions of careers in customer service.
Overall, six in 10 (68%) consumers rated their most recent customer service interaction as good or very good, with ratings improving across most communication channels compared with a similar survey carried out in 2024.
Despite the growth of digital channels, consumers continue to rely heavily on more established methods of communication, with nine in 10 (91%) respondents used their phone and almost nine in 10 (89%) used e-mail to access customer service.
Live chat with an agent has also achieved mainstream adoption with seven in 10 (70%) respondents.
Artificial Intelligence
Consumers said they were increasingly comfortable with AI handling simple, repetitive and transactional tasks, such as making payments, booking appointments and tracking deliveries.
However, as interactions become more complex or sensitive, consumers strongly favoured human assistance. Complaints, billing issues and fraud are areas where respondents believe empathy, reassurance, understanding and problem-solving were particularly important.
AI phone agents received a relatively low satisfaction rating with almost three in 10 (29%) respondents rating the experience positively, compared with five in 10 (54%) who rated live agent chat negatively.
Transparency is a clear expectation. Seven in 10 (77%) respondents said they want to be told when AI is being used in a customer service interaction.
While just over half (57%) of respondents agreed that it is currently clear when they are interacting with an AI agent, the findings indicated a significant expectation for greater transparency.
Vulnerable customers
Vulnerable customers reported lower satisfaction with customer service, with six in 10 (63%) rated their experience as good or very good compared with seven in 10 (70%) among non-vulnerable respondents.
Almost three in 10 (26%) respondents reported having a long-term physical or mental impairment that limits daily activities or work, including age-related conditions.
The most commonly reported vulnerabilities included mental health conditions (26%), serious long-term illness (24%) and mobility impairments (24%).
Patryk Goron
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