Are Chatbots & AI Assistants Ruining Customer Experience?

Sales

Apr 11

Don’t Yell at the Robots

You’ve been there.

You just want to change your shipping address or cancel a subscription, and instead of a human, you get a cheerful little chatbot named “SupportBot 3000” who’s totally not helpful and definitely doesn’t understand what you’re asking.

AI is everywhere in customer service now—and while it’s not all bad, let’s be honest: a lot of it sucks.

Here’s what’s actually going wrong—and what companies need to fix before the bots take all the blame.

1. Automation Without Empathy = Frustration

AI assistants are great at pulling order numbers or answering FAQs.
But when the problem isn’t cookie-cutter, the bot hits a wall—and the customer hits the roof.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that.”
“Let me connect you to someone who can help…” (followed by 20 minutes of nothing)
“Would you like to take a survey?”

If your AI doesn’t know when to hand things off to a human, it’s not helping—it’s stalling.

2. Most Companies Use AI to Save Money, Not Improve Experience

Let’s be real: companies aren’t rolling out chatbots because customers asked for them.
They’re trying to cut costs.

One bot can replace a whole call center.
AI is cheaper, faster, and never needs PTO.
On paper, it’s “efficient.”

But if your bot creates a longer, more frustrating experience, it’s not actually saving anything—because bad service costs you trust, loyalty, and repeat business.

3. Bad AI Makes Your Brand Look Lazy

When your chatbot gives copy-paste answers or loops people into oblivion, it doesn’t just fail—it makes your whole brand look incompetent.

It tells customers:

“We don’t want to pay for real support.”
“Your problem isn’t important enough for a human.”
“Good luck.”

You might not mean that—but that’s how it feels.

4. Good AI Knows Its Limits

The best AI tools don’t pretend to be perfect. They:

Handle the simple stuff fast
Know when to escalate to a real person
Keep customers informed the entire time

And most importantly, they’re designed around the customer’s needs, not the company’s convenience.

Use AI to Help People, Not Replace Them

AI has a place in customer service—but it’s not a replacement for empathy, nuance, or common sense.

So no, don’t yell at the robot. It’s doing its best.

But if you’re the one deploying the bot? Make sure it’s actually improving the experience—not just checking a box.

Because nothing drives people away faster than feeling like they’re stuck talking to a toaster.

Bruen Creative Co.