The Expert Podcast

Here's a quote that showed up on a popular YouTube channel about a new chatbot automating chat functions that a lot of websites and companies are starting to use, called ChatGPT. It's a form of machine learning—some people call it artificial intelligence. It's being used to handle customer service inquiries and phone calls. One person made a comment, saying, "Look, this new automated chatbot response feels more human compared to most corporate customer service."

We've been talking about this for months—how corporate customer service, if it exists at all, is usually handled by lower-level clerks or admin people who may not know the answers to many questions. Some of this work is even outsourced overseas.

As a consumer or user of customer service platforms, what do you prefer? Do you prefer a lower-level, perhaps less informed or less empowered live person, or a chatbot that gives canned answers? Which one do you prefer? Put your message in the comments.

And as a third option, what are your alternatives? If you need to get to the bottom of a question or inquiry and you don’t want a chatbot or a clerk/receptionist, and instead want to talk to a live person with knowledge and wisdom, what are your options for that? Again, put your message in the comments.

We’re really interested to hear your thoughts on this so we can continue to develop the advice and resources we provide for many professional environments.