CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE IN COMPANIES IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW, AI WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUNGER

According to Salesforce research, AI is increasing the demands on brands. People would prefer AI over a human when shopping, especially for faster service.

Consumer trust in companies is currently at a record low. Yet the development of AI is increasing demands on brands. According to 60% of consumers, AI is making trust even more important. This is according to the latest State of the AI Connected Customer survey from Salesforce.

This year, nearly three-quarters of consumers (72%) trust companies less than a year ago. As many as 65% feel companies handle customer data carelessly. A consistent interaction across departments is expected by 69% of consumers, with nearly 60% preferring to use fewer points of contact to get information or complete a task.



While better deals are the main reason consumers switch to a new brand, customer service experience, convenience, and consistent product or service quality lead to longer-term brand loyalty. Just under half of respondents (43%) say that a poor customer service experience will deter them from making a repeat purchase from a company or brand. They are bothered by a difficult returns process or lack of clarity when making a purchase.

Young consumers from Generation Z and millennials are more likely to use artificial intelligence when shopping. More than a third (37%) would work with an AI agent rather than a human operator because of faster service, and the ability to avoid repetition is also a motivator. Roughly a third would even share their personal data with it so it can better anticipate their needs.



However, as many as 43% of young consumers believe that AI is the one that increases demands on the customer experience, compared to less than a third of Baby Boomers (32%). Above all, transparency is key to building trust - nearly 75% of respondents want to know if they are interacting with an AI agent, and just under half will use an AI agent if its logic is clearly explained to them.

Salesforce predicts that artificial intelligence will impact more than $200 billion in global online sales this holiday season. "Retailers are facing a much more competitive shopping season and struggling to achieve higher margins amid rising customer demands. AI-enabled agents can help brands deliver consistent, personalized experiences for shoppers across all channels - deepening customer loyalty and ultimately driving sales," comments Michael Affronti, SVP and GM, Commerce Cloud, Salesforce.

The data for the survey, conducted by YouGov, comes from a double-blind survey of 15,015 consumers conducted between July 16 and August 16, 2024. It was conducted in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US.

Source: mediaguru.cz