Despite the rising use of AI customer service tools in online shopping journeys – from chatbots to AI agents – UK consumers still want human-to-human contact to support their digital buying experiences.

So much so, that they’re willing to pay for it: 40% of UK shoppers would now pay a monthly fee to guarantee access to human customer service reps instead of AI tools, research from digital analytics platform, Quantum Metric, reveals.

Original research of over 1,600 consumers across the UK and the U.S. in its latest report showed that online shoppers have an average of 14 calls or chats with brands’ customer service teams every year. However, in spite of the prolific AI and automated chatbot options available, over half (54%) feel their issues are only properly resolved when they speak to a real person.

And, despite the same proportion (54%) of shoppers holding a negative view of customer service, adequate provision for customer support – across both human and automated tech tools – proves vital in driving both conversions and long-term loyalty.

Over half (57%) of UK shoppers have abandoned purchases due to poor customer assistance, while 48% said the customer service they receive from a brand would shore up their longer term loyalty to a retailer, even during times of economic uncertainty. 

“Poor support doesn’t just frustrate customers, it damages loyalty, which is the foundation of long-term brand success,” Efrat Ravid, Chief Marketing Officer at Quantum Metric, said.

While human-to-human experiences remain key for consumers’ digital shopping journeys, the same can’t be said of the support they favour in-store, preferring to consult their own devices or opting to use in-store tech. 77% of shoppers prefer to search for answers online themselves rather than asking staff in the store, while a further 44% say in-store tech helps enhance their overall physical shopping experiences.

“Our research highlights the crucial need for brands to optimise both their digital and human-first customer support options, across physical and virtual channels,” Ravid concluded.