Fast, simple, and automated responses are no longer enough, given that 66 percent of Canadian consumers expect artificial intelligence (AI) to read emotional cues by the end of this year, revealed ServiceNow’s Consumer Voice Report, created in partnership with Opinium.
The research delved into how Canada’s consumers feel about AI in customer service and how businesses can meet evolving needs, according to a blog post from ServiceNow.
“Organizations that use AI to craft thoughtful, seamless experiences—not just faster ones—will be best positioned to earn trust and stand out in an increasingly competitive market,” the blog post said.
The study’s findings suggested that Canada’s consumers prefer their customer service experience to be not only AI-powered but also equipped with emotional intelligence (EQ), grounded in real-time context, adaptive, intuitive, dynamic, and effortless.
“When buoyed with emotional intelligence and used to augment human agents, anticipate needs, and reduce effort, AI becomes a key driver of customer satisfaction, loyalty, and trust,” the blog post said.
ServiceNow noted that this year’s survey respondents characterized their dealings with AI as emotionally disconnected. The report also found that, among Canadians polled:
- When dealing with complex or emotional issues, 75 percent wanted to talk to a human on the phone, and 74 percent preferred in-person support
- While 44 percent were open to using chatbots and other AI tools last year, just 10 percent trusted voice assistants to perform basic support tasks this year
- 60 percent said easy problem resolution was a priority
- 53 percent valued speed
Report’s takeaways
ServiceNow said the report highlights the need for empathy and trust as businesses integrate AI technologies into their operations. ServiceNow suggested that companies meet that demand for customer trust by respecting emotional nuance in each interaction, resolving issues with empathy, and providing consistent, cross-channel experiences.
In its blog post, ServiceNow said AI should ideally serve a strategic support role rather than attracting attention. ServiceNow added that AI technologies are most effective when invisible, working silently in the background, and reducing friction or confusion while customers swiftly and efficiently get what they need.
“AI is not about replacing the human touch but enhancing it—so that customers experience smoother, faster outcomes without ever needing to know whether AI is involved,” the blog post said.
ServiceNow emphasized the opportunities of using agentic AI. ServiceNow said AI agents can read nuance, adapt to tone and emotional cues, comprehend context, make informed decisions in real time, show relevant content, take educated action, and refer issues to the proper person.