AI customer service can frustrate, Hong Kong consumer watchdog warns
Hong Kong's Consumer Council received 2,705 complaints about merchant customer service by August this year, nearing last year's total. It urged businesses using artificial intelligence chatbots to provide clear guidance and allow transfers to human agents when needed.
The Consumer Council said it received 2,705 complaints about merchant customer service in the eight months to August this year, a figure close to the total number of complaints received for the whole of last year. The council said the numbers reflected a gap between the quality of merchant customer service and consumer expectations.
Further analysis found that common complaints included merchants failing to follow up, customer service being unreachable, rudeness and slow responses. In one case cited by the council, a complainant booked tickets through a company's online ticketing platform for an event five days later. Noting the weather forecast was unstable and that tickets could not be cancelled once confirmed, the customer asked the company's online artificial intelligence (AI) customer service whether tickets could be rescheduled if a No 8 typhoon signal was issued. The AI service replied that tickets could be rescheduled depending on the day's situation, so the customer bought three tickets for about HK$400.
On the event day, a No 8 typhoon signal was issued and the tickets could not be used. When the customer contacted the online service to reschedule, the AI chatbot could not help. Attempts to call the hotline went unanswered, and emails and social media messages also drew no response for several days. The customer eventually sought help from the Consumer Council and successfully changed the ticket date.
The council said the application of artificial intelligence is an inevitable trend. AI customer service and self-service tools can help improve the efficiency of handling enquiries and complaints, but when consumers need further assistance, AI chatbots may not fully understand their needs and human support may still be required.
The council recommended that businesses introducing AI should provide clear guidance to customers on how to use such services effectively and how to transfer to a human agent when necessary. It also advised consumers to note the various support channels and instructions provided by merchants, keep records of communication, and consider requesting a transfer to a human agent if AI customer service is not helpful.