90% of consumers are uneasy about AI for peak shopping. Support teams can fix that.
There's a clear paradox. While 48% of shoppers say AI will make Black Friday/Cyber Monday easier, over 90% still have reservations-mostly about data use and privacy. People want AI that actually helps, but they need proof it's safe, relevant, and under their control.
"Consumers want help, not hype," said Sophie Cheng, Senior Vice President of Product Marketing at Sinch. If your AI feels invasive or unverified, you won't convert. Trust is the conversion engine this BF/CM.
What customers actually want from AI (the data)
- 48% say AI will simplify BF/CM shopping.
- 53% want AI-powered order tracking; 38% are open to chatbot-based support.
- 43% YoY increase in shoppers saying personalized messages feel invasive.
- Only 32% feel comfortable sharing personal preferences with an AI assistant.
- 53% received legitimate brand messages they first thought were spam.
- 79% trust messages more when verified with brand logos or sender IDs.
- 72% find AI recommendations helpful-only when delivered in the right context and channel.
Implications for customer support leaders
Frictionless is expected. Trust is scarce. Your edge this season is transparent, secure, verified support that proves value with every touch.
1) Make AI visible, verifiable, and optional
- Label bots clearly. Show who/what is responding and why it's confident.
- Get explicit opt-in for data use; offer granular controls and an easy "snooze/stop."
- Give a one-tap path to a human at all high-intent moments (payments, refunds, escalations).
- Publish a short, plain-language "How we use your data" summary in every key channel.
- Use verified sender and brand indicators in email/SMS. Implement BIMI and DMARC to reduce false spam flags.
2) Reduce friction where it counts
- Proactive order tracking with live status, carrier updates, and delay alerts.
- Use the channel customers prefer for each scenario: SMS for time-sensitive delivery, email for receipts, in-app for account actions.
- Pre-build intents that crush BF/CM volume: where's my order, returns, promo code issues, payment failures, store hours, inventory.
- Set clear bot limits. If confidence drops or sentiment turns, escalate to an agent fast.
3) Personalization without creepiness
- Base recommendations on session and purchase context-not sensitive attributes.
- Explain "why you're seeing this." A single line builds trust.
- Throttle frequency. Cap messages per day and suppress after resolution.
- Test copy that feels like service, not sales. "We found a faster option" beats "You'll love this."
4) Spam-proof your outbound messages
- Verify senders, align branding across channels, and avoid suspicious link shorteners.
- Respect quiet hours and regional consent rules. Include a visible preferences link.
- Track false-positive spam rates and complaint reasons. Fix root causes each week.
5) Measure trust, not just deflection
- Core KPIs: opt-in rate, verified open rate, false spam rate, complaint rate, "felt secure?" CSAT, agent escalation quality.
- Outcome KPIs: time-to-resolution, refund friction, repeat contact rate, save rate on at-risk customers.
6) Prepare your team
- Train agents to explain how your AI works, its limits, and how data is protected.
- Give agents a "trust script" and a short checklist for sensitive requests.
- Red-team your bot with worst-case prompts. Build failsafes and logging for audits.
- Set a clear incident playbook for outages, misroutes, or hallucinations.
A fast pre-BF/CM 2025 checklist
- Enable verified sender (email/SMS) and display your logo in inbox where supported.
- Ship proactive, self-serve order tracking with live status and delay alerts.
- Install one-tap human escalation in all high-stakes flows.
- Write a 100-word "How our AI helps you" explainer and link it in messages.
- Throttle promos; prioritize service updates during peak days.
- Set suppression rules after resolution or return initiation.
- Remove sensitive attributes from personalization logic.
- Monitor "legit but looks like spam" complaints daily; iterate send strategy.
- QA every bot intent with real transcripts; fix confidence thresholds.
- Report weekly on trust KPIs to leadership, not just volume deflection.
Bottom line
Customers aren't rejecting AI. They're rejecting experiences that feel invasive, generic, or unverified. Support teams that make AI helpful, honest, and secure will win loyalty-and the sale-when it matters most.
Upskill your support team on practical AI
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