AI business transformation platform ServiceNow has released a new report highlighting the challenges brands face in dealing with today’s tech-savvy consumers.

The Consumer Voice Report 2024 found that almost four out of five people (77%) look up tips and ‘hacks’ online to avoid speaking to a chatbot when engaging with customer service. Just under three-quarters (73%) turn to friends and family for advice on how to avoid automated customer service.

Three out of four people (75%) also say that they opt to press no menu options at all on customer service lines in the hope that this will get them through to a human being.

The dedication among consumers to embracing these hacks is so strong that one in two (49%) admitted to having posted advice online on how to sidestep automated responses.

Simon Morris, VP solution consulting at ServiceNow said, “This research and the very existence of these ‘hacks’ reveal that businesses have yet to figure out how to get their customer experience right.

“Automation is here to enhance customer service and help increase both customers and agents’ satisfaction. For this to happen though, companies must get the right mixture of ‘high-tech’ and ‘high-touch’, one where AI and workforce work hand in hand rather than compete.”

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The results of the research highlight the broader loyalty issues that UK businesses are grappling with. The report found that most of today’s consumers (85%) demand a range of options from chatbots to phone calls and emails, but two-fifths (40%) of consumers don’t want to deal purely with AI to protect jobs from being replaced.

Consumers are happy to use chatbots for general information (21%) while 39% would opt for a phone call with a customer service representative when it comes to solving problems.

This is matched with a demand for 24/7 customer service: two fifths (39%) expect the shift to 24/7 in the next 12 months, and the overwhelming majority want 24/7 support in this decade.

According to ServiceNow, these results highlight “the opportunity to invest in rapid, intelligent technologies to propel customer experience into the future.”