According to Metrigy’s CEO and Principal Analyst, Robin Gareiss, many companies have faced a significant challenge with chatbots—they attempt to accomplish too much all at once. Their recent study, “Customer Experience Optimization: 2023-24,” which involved 641 companies, highlighted that chatbots are involved in 39 out of every 100 customer interactions. However, they manage to resolve only 16 of those interactions, which is a rather lacklustre performance.

Unsurprisingly, when Metrigy surveyed consumers, only 13.3% expressed a preference for using chatbots over other interaction channels. A more positive finding was that 47.4% are willing to use chatbots in specific situations—presumably for straightforward queries. Nonetheless, a substantial 40% of consumers actively avoid chatbots altogether.

Let’s dissect the reasons behind this avoidance. Among those who steer clear of chatbots, the top two grievances, shared by 62% of respondents each, are that chatbots don’t comprehend their queries and fail to provide the needed answers. About a quarter of respondents find chatbots too challenging to use, and 28% feel that interacting with them consumes too much time.

These findings should set off alarm bells for companies utilising chatbots. If users report that chatbots struggle to understand their requests, it suggests inadequate training, potential language comprehension issues, or problems with accents. On the other hand, if chatbots can’t deliver accurate answers, it may point to outdated knowledge bases. Issues with usability might indicate the need for a more streamlined user interface. And if users complain about the time it takes to interact with chatbots, it could signify problems with response times or branching logic.

Despite these challenges, there’s a glimmer of hope. When consumers were asked about their most recent chatbot experiences, more reported positive encounters (44%) than negative ones (24%), with 28% remaining neutral. Consumers tend to find chatbots most valuable when they offer assistance in identifying the right person to talk to (48.7%) and in confirming shipping orders (42.9%), according to the research conducted by Metrigy.

So, what’s the path forward for companies looking to leverage chatbots effectively? Firstly, they should actively seek feedback from consumers about their chatbot experiences and address the identified challenges promptly. Additionally, considering the pairing of human agents with chatbots is a strategy that nearly 40% of companies have already adopted, with 52.2% planning to follow suit, as revealed by the CX Optimization study. Lastly, for those situations where chatbots might not be the best fit for consumer interactions, companies must ensure a seamless transition to live agents.