Why Brits Are Ruder to AI Chatbots and Still Willing to Pay More for Human Help

42% of Brits Are Ruder to AI Chatbots Than to Humans

Nearly half of British consumers admit they treat AI chatbots with less politeness than real human agents. A recent report from Quantum Metric highlights a growing frustration with automated customer support tools in the UK. This attitude reflects wider dissatisfaction with AI chatbots’ ability to effectively resolve customer issues.

More than half of UK shoppers—54%—believe that only human interaction can truly solve their support problems. Despite advances in AI and automation, this belief remains strong. Interestingly, 77% of shoppers prefer to avoid asking for help in physical stores, yet 40% are willing to pay extra to speak with a human agent online rather than rely on AI-driven support.

Why the Distrust in AI Chatbots?

Consumers find AI chatbots frustrating for several reasons. Common complaints include slow response times, repetitive questions, and failure to address unique concerns. This leads to poor customer experiences and even impacts sales, with 57% of UK customers abandoning purchases due to inadequate or unavailable support.

Even in-store, digital tools dominate. About 75% of shoppers use their phones to find answers instead of engaging with staff. However, this digital preference doesn’t translate into satisfaction. A key frustration is having to repeat issues multiple times, with 39% citing this as their top annoyance during support calls. This points to communication gaps within customer service teams, even when human agents are involved.

A Practical Approach: Combining AI with Human Support

To address these issues, a hybrid support model is gaining traction. Leading brands like United Airlines have started using AI summarization tools to help human agents quickly grasp customer context. This reduces the need for customers to repeat themselves and leads to faster, more accurate resolutions.

• One call center cut handling times by 60% after adopting AI-assisted tools.
• A healthcare provider saved over $1 million annually by fixing issues in their self-service options, decreasing call volume by 5,000 per week.

These examples show that AI can improve efficiency when paired with strong human oversight. The goal is not to replace humans but to empower them with better information and reduce friction in the support process.

Key Takeaways for Customer Support Professionals

• Understand that many customers still prefer human interaction, especially for complex issues.
• Use AI to assist—not replace—human agents, focusing on tools that summarize and contextualize customer history.
• Work to eliminate repetitive questioning and improve internal communication to boost customer satisfaction.
• Recognize that digital convenience alone won’t win customer trust; resolution quality matters most.

For support teams looking to improve their AI skills and find effective ways to blend automation with human touch, exploring specialized training can be valuable. Resources like Complete AI Training’s courses for customer support offer practical guidance on integrating AI tools into daily workflows.

Ultimately, AI’s role in customer service should focus on enabling human agents to deliver faster, clearer, and more satisfying support experiences. This balanced approach helps reduce customer frustration and keeps sales from slipping away.