Bots on Hotlines. Armatis Customer Experience Index Study

After interacting with a bot, Poles most frequently (31%) feel frustration, with 11.2% experiencing it to the extent that they shared their negative experience with someone. In contrast, 15% of respondents expressed satisfaction with bot service, with an additional 2% sharing their positive experience with friends. 40.3% of Poles served by bots hold a neutral opinion on them.

Positive and Negative Aspects of Bot Interaction

- The percentage of Poles feeling frustrated after interacting with a bot is nearly half that of the global rate, where according to a recent UJET study, as many as 80% of consumers experience discomfort after encountering a bot in customer service - says Krzysztof Lewiński, country director at Armatis Polska, a customer service and sales outsourcing provider.


The most frequently cited positive aspects of bot service among Poles include:

• 24/7 availability (35%),
• efficient connection to a consultant when the bot cannot resolve the issue (28%),
• quick answers to questions (22%).

On the other hand, negative feelings among those served by bots were mainly due to:

• the inability to directly contact a human without going through the bot (39%),
• the bot’s inability to help the customer (38%),
• the bot not understanding or responding appropriately (37%).

A total of 15% of respondents report no negative experiences. However, the majority (71%) prefer human service, even if it means waiting in line. Almost one in five people (18%) would choose immediate service by a chatbot, and one in ten would choose immediate voice bot assistance.

The Growth of AI-Supported Customer Service

As many as 35% of respondents believe that companies should implement bots in their service channels, but with the option to easily switch to a human. A slightly smaller portion (32%) thinks bot service should be one of the options, not a mandatory start. One in four believes bots should identify the issue and then connect to a human. Twenty-two percent of respondents view the implementation of bots in customer service negatively.


- Responses to this last question clearly show Poles` openness to bots in customer service centers if certain conditions are met, such as the option to switch to a human at any time or the non-compulsory nature of bot service - comments Krzysztof Lewiński. - It is worth adhering to this, given the generally negative sentiment among Poles toward bots in customer service. However, I am convinced this will change due to the increasing quality of chatbots and voice bots, with the advent of a new generation of AI-based solutions.

The Armatis Customer Experience Index study was conducted by SW Research on behalf of Armatis in April 2023. The main goal of the study was to examine the experiences and opinions of Poles regarding AI-based bot customer service.