AIBU to refuse to buy from these companies

[sickofai]

I just tried contacting Rituals as I had an issue with a product only to be responded to, of course in a completely uncaring and robotic way, to realise it is 100% AI generated. I have gone back and asked for my account to be deleted and my data removed.

For me, one of the biggest factors in a good company is good customer services and when a company has moved to being completely responded to with AI, that tells me they dont care and for me, I am just not interested in buying from a company that cares that little about customers.

I know companies are moving towards using AI more but AIBU to say that any company using AI completely to respond to customers is one I wont be using? Even if I have to stick to small local companies only, I am just not comfortable having interactions where the company just dont bother listening to their customers at all.

Am I the only person that feels like this?

Use whatever companies you like for whatever reason you like….!

YANBU to buy or not buy from whoever you want for whatever reasons you choose.

I don’t buy from Temu, Shein or Prinark because it’s low quality tat, or John Lewis after I saw a dog sneeze all over some clothing and the snot went everywhere.

I rarely use a high street store’s customer service but if you don’t like the service feel free to avoid.

We just have to get used to AI as initial contact and basic enquiries, as least we aren't sitting in a queue for hours. Rituals stuff is lovely btw.

Not sure why you need to ask permission to boycott whatever companies you don't like.

Fine to boycott! I've boycotted over much stupider things than that I'm sure, eg if I really hate one of their adverts it puts me off the company 😂

I'm boycotting asda after they sent me mouldy food twice in my grocery deliveries 🤢

^^This.

Personally, I find AI has a better overall response rate in terms of addressing what I've actually asked than most human customer service people. But if you don't like it, that's fine, we're all different. I think you're going to find your choice of vendors becomes very limited fairly quickly, though.

No, YANBU.

Companies often get complacent about profits. And look at the profit they are making and not the profit they could be making but aren’t !

Customer services matter. From clear communication, being interested in feedback, acting on feedback, to policies they have.

I too do and have stopped using companies who in my view have annoyed due to their ‘customer so called service’. Or part of a company service eg. Online.

A bright company even pays people for feedback. They want it. To know what they need to get right and aren’t.

Yeah I really wasn't asking permission from anyone! I was asking does it sound unreasonable and asking how others feel. Why you feel that equates to a need for permission I dont know, but I promise im quite capable of making decisions. The whole point of these forums are engaging and getting others thoughts and having discussions, its not for permission.

This is it, im highly aware this trend of using AI is only growing and I know this in future is going to massively limit what I can do but it is something I feel strongly about.

Its interesting to see how others feel about it. I have no problem in using AI and I think in some circumstances it can be incredibly useful but to just bypass any human element of customer services feels a step too far too me. You are right though, its eventually really going to limit my purchasing choices but right now its one I do feel quite strongly about.

I feel that with anything, AI has a place, but customer service is an area where I think compassionate human interaction feels non negotiable to me. It sounds like im possibly in the minority so this is something that many wont mind, and so it will change and quite fast which both frustrates and saddens me. I just think some areas are ones where we shouldn't be putting everything over to AI.

Yeah thats definitely a valid reason to boycott. I just wish it made a difference, enough that they listened but they dont and they wont.

I do see the benefit of fast responses but what is the point when those responses arent helpful and you then have to battle to find the right words to say to get a human response. I just dont like it at all and feel like customer service is one area that requires a human response.

I do love rituals products but shall have to find some alternatives.

Surely using AI for basic enquiries makes sense. Saves the company money and they don't have to fund more staff which puts up prices. Most I have used, if the bot cannot answer your question, they put you in touch with a real person.

If I found most places that use people had compassionate approaches, I would agree with you. Connection is something I value too. But most places script customer service agents fairly tightly and reading comprehension seems to be pretty poor. It can be a struggle just to get them to understand what you're actually asking if it's not one of their 10 most common queries. So I just don't think you get that sort of interaction with human customer service at most companies.

No this isnt a chat bot that filters out basic issues, this was email contact where there is no option of a person, its just responses by AI.

To me AI has a place but customer services I feel is something that requires humans. Sure AI can filter out simple things like I dont know, asking opening hours etc, but when you email and the only response is AI, I just feel like thats excessive.

I get completely what you are saying, maybe the problem is overall, companies no longer view customer service as something that requires compassion and understanding and feel that robotic, scripted responses are fine, whether that be through scripts or AI.

I think it largely depends on the company, I have had some genuinely fantastic customer services help in the recent past so I know it still exists. Let's just hope some companies still understand and value that or maybe this is all we have to look forward to in the future.

Not to point out the obvious, but have you tried phoning them? You claim you're stuck with 100% AI responses, but that you emailed them. Their customer service page gives their phone availability hours. You seem to be making an unnecessary protest.

No because email is what worked for me. I have chronic health issues, am not always able to make calls during the right hours, dont have the energy to wait on hold if it turns out its a company that has ridiculous wait times and email or online contact works best for me.

Its not an unnecessary protest, its something I feel strongly about and they are perfectly fine to run their business any way they wish but I am also perfectly able to not agree with it and choose not to use them. To me that isnt unnecessary at all, it may be to you but to me its something I dont want to support.

Is this really an AIBU?

For me, one of the biggest factors in a good company is good customer services and when a company has moved to being completely responded to with AI, that tells me they dont care and for me, I am just not interested in buying from a company that cares that little about customers.

Fair enough with your update, but you're claiming that these companies have moved 100% to AI and that simply isn't true. They have humans you can talk to 12 hours a day, including at weekends. It might not be an option that suits you, but it's still an option for the majority of their customers, including those that don't believe in using AI.

I dont know, what do you feel qualifies and what doesnt? So I can understand what your issue is with it?

But surely the relevance for what works for me is what is relevant to me? For my health and my disability, phone just isnt suitable for me to use so its irrelevant that phone is available because that just isnt an option for me. For most companies, an online contact option is available and this is what I have an issue with.

I refuse to go to Pizza Pilgrims again after they ruined my birthday and a staff member was eye wateringly rude and patronising to me. I sent them a polite email letting them know what happened and they totally ignored it. Must admit I feel pretty sour about it because I did love their smoked mozarella bites but I just can't bring myself to spend money somewhere that has such dire customer service.
Also boycotting Estée Lauder, amongst others, for their encouragement of Trump wanting to invade Greenland. Also a pain because I've had to find a new foundation after years of using double wear.
So no YANBU op. Poor customer service doesn't deserve our return custom.