There’s a new kind of customer service hell brewing — and it doesn’t involve long wait times or elevator music. It’s the AI-generated chat and email responses that seem to be everywhere, infiltrating inboxes, live support, and even those “How can I help you today?” chat pop-ups that ambush you within seconds of opening a website.
What was once hailed as a game-changing advancement in customer service — instant answers, 24/7 support, and automation at scale — has now turned into a cold, repetitive, frustrating mess. And customers are starting to say, loudly and clearly, enough is enough.
The chatbot market is set to grow from $15.57 billion in 2025 to $46.64 billion by 2029, the real question is why customers don’t like and hate chatbots—with frustration stemming from their failure to handle complex problems, lack of genuine human interaction and the concerns over data privacy.
“Your Query Is Important to Us” — Is It Really?
We’ve all been there: you reach out for help because something has gone wrong — your order hasn’t arrived, the software won’t load, your account is locked, or you’re just trying to get a straight answer about pricing.
But instead of support, you get a vague, robotic message that regurgitates something about “valuing your concern” and “please refer to our FAQ.”
You know, the FAQ you already read. The one that didn’t answer your question.
“It’s not just annoying — it’s offensive,” says digital services customer Megan Lowe. “I asked a very specific question about my subscription renewal, and they sent me an email that looked like it was scraped from a blog post. It had nothing to do with my issue,”
AI Responses: Fast, Cheap, and Hopelessly Generic
While companies are slashing support costs and patting themselves on the back for “AI-powered customer care,” many customers feel they’re being treated like an afterthought. Sure, the responses are fast — but they’re also bland, tone-deaf, and often completely irrelevant.
Worse, they create more work for consumers. Instead of providing clarity or solving problems, these AI-generated replies push people into endless loops.
First you ask a question, then you receive a response that doesn’t help, and only after poking around in frustration do you finally figure out how to “escalate” or find the hidden option to speak to an actual person — if that’s even possible.
“This is not efficient. This is not clever. It’s a waste of everyone’s time,” says Julian Ramos, a small business owner who deals with dozens of software platforms. “It’s like they’ve decided to outsource customer support to a semi-literate parrot.”
When Did Human Support Become a Luxury?
The real kicker? Some companies are now bragging that AI handles 90% of their customer interactions. But customers aren’t cheering — they’re raising eyebrows.
Yes, AI has its place — triaging basic questions or confirming delivery dates, for example — but the moment a query requires nuance, context, or accountability, the system falls apart.
There’s nothing quite like being told “I understand your concern” by an emotionless bot that very clearly does not understand your concern.
“It feels dehumanizing,” says IT consultant Carla Mendoza. “You can tell immediately it’s AI — the empathy is fake, and the answer dodges the actual issue. It makes me feel like the company doesn’t respect my time or my business.”
AI Should Assist, Not Replace
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about hating AI. Used properly, AI can support human agents, streamline workflows, and give customers faster access to information — when it actually works as intended.
The problem is, too many businesses have replaced support staff entirely with chatbots and email auto-responders that lack intelligence, context, and care.
And therein lies the real danger: the erosion of trust. Every time a customer gets a useless AI response, it chips away at their confidence in the brand. It signals that their time doesn’t matter, their issues don’t matter, and real help may be out of reach.
The irony? Many of these companies claim to be more “customer-centric” than ever. Meanwhile, their support feels like yelling into the void.
The Human Touch is Not Optional
If you run a business, take this as a wake-up call: people are tired. Tired of being patronised by fake-friendly bots. Tired of getting templated gibberish in their inbox. Tired of wasting time just to speak to someone who actually knows what’s going on.
Consumers aren’t just asking for better service. They’re demanding it.
If you’re going to use AI, fine — but let it assist, not replace. Make it easy to reach a real person. Ditch the fake empathy and actually listen. Because in a world flooded with generic AI, it turns out the most revolutionary thing you can offer is a well-trained, real human being who actually gives a damn.
