Customers Are Shifting To Gen AI Tools Like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews For Service Issues

Consumers are increasingly adopting unofficial third-party generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Apple Intelligence to resolve customer service issues. The integration of gen AI into these widely available tools is driving a shift in consumer behaviour, as customers prefer these platforms for their convenience and availability.

By 2027, 40% of all customer service issues will be fully resolved by unofficial third-party tools powered by gen AI, according to research and consulting firm Gartner Inc.

As customers increasingly self-solve issues through gen AI-enabled tools, there will be diminished demand for official first-party customer service volume, as per Gartner. When customers do have to engage with first-party service, their expectations will be higher. 

Gen AI-enabled third-party platforms can provide customers with a significantly lower effort experience than most first-party options. While first-party service channels require customers to navigate unfamiliar user interfaces, or wait for solutions, consumer gen AI tools offer immediate answers with minimal effort, integrated into the devices, apps and websites consumers already use daily. 

Service leaders will need to create differentiated self-service experiences for customers and focus investments on more sophisticated queries that third-party options cannot easily handle. They must monitor quality and availability of third-party gen AI responses and concentrate their investments on self-service capabilities that supplement third-party options.

Customer expectations for service will evolve as they become accustomed to the low-effort, familiar, and conversational capabilities of gen AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. 

While unofficial third-party options will grow in popularity, some issues will still require first-party support. Leaders will need to meet customer expectations for natural, conversational, and low-effort service to ensure customer relationships and strengthen loyalty.

As per a Gartner survey of service and support leaders conducted in July-August 2024, 84% agreed that customers have higher expectations for service now than in the past. As a result, organisations must focus on minimising customer effort and breaking down sources of friction. 

Using gen AI can help improve self-service success by implementing a conversational experience across channels and capturing customer intent through natural language inputs, according to Gartner.