Customer Demand for Human Support Grows as AI Frustration Rises
More customers are rejecting AI chatbots in favor of talking to real people, according to new research from AnswerConnect. Between October 2025 and April 2026, preference for human support increased from 83% to 85%, while those willing to use AI dropped from 7% to 5%.
The shift reflects mounting frustration. Fifty-nine percent of customers now say they're frustrated with AI agents, up from 54%. Nearly a third (31%) would hang up if routed to a bot, compared to 29% six months earlier.
Trust and Loyalty Moving Away From AI
The research reveals deeper concerns about AI in customer service. Fifty-seven percent say their trust in a business would decrease if it relied primarily on AI-up from 53%. Seventy percent believe customer service would worsen if humans were removed entirely.
Loyalty numbers tell a similar story. Seventy-three percent say they would be more loyal to companies using real people for all service interactions, compared to 69% previously.
The Gap Between Business Investment and Customer Expectations
Companies continue pouring money into AI automation. Yet the data shows customers moving in the opposite direction. The gap suggests businesses may be optimizing for cost reduction rather than customer satisfaction.
AnswerConnect CEO Natalie Ruiz framed the issue directly: "AI isn't failing because of the technology, it's failing because it removes what customers value most: being understood."
What This Means for Customer Support Teams
For customer support professionals, the data points to a straightforward reality: humans remain central to the customer experience. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for staff, the evidence suggests using it to support human agents works better.
The research was based on a survey of 6,000 consumers across the US, UK, and Canada conducted in May 2026. The full report is available from AnswerConnect at answerconnect.com.
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