Customers Want Access to Human Agents From Companies Using GenAI for Customer Service: Gartner
Q&A with Eric Keller, Senior Director Analyst, Gartner Customer Service & Support Practice
Gartner survey finds 87% of customers say companies using GenAI for customer service must provide access to a human agent
Stamford, CT (Aug. 11, 2026) – Customers have mixed feelings using GenAI for customer support, as 50% of customers say their interactions are easier when companies use GenAI, yet 87% of customers say it is essential for companies to provide an option to reach a human agent when using GenAI, according to a Gartner survey.
The Gartner survey of 3,566 B2B and B2C customers, conducted in February and March 2026, found that while customers are becoming more comfortable using AI to resolve service issues, they will push back when AI acts as a barrier to reaching a human.
We spoke with Eric Keller, Sr Director Analyst in the Gartner Customer Service & Support Practice, to discuss how service and support leaders should design GenAI experiences that increase customer willingness to engage, support task completion and preserve access to human agents when needed.
Q: Based on the Gartner survey, how should customer service leaders consider offering GenAI support to their customers?
A: Customers are open to GenAI, but their willingness depends on how the experience is designed. When Gartner asked customers who were not willing to engage with AI what might change their mind, the most common response was the ability to switch to a human agent if needed.
Service leaders should not use GenAI as a mandatory first step for every issue. When customers are forced through multiple unsuccessful AI interactions before they can reach a person, they are less likely to use that tool again. GenAI is more helpful when it collects information, understands intent and attempts resolution only when confidence is high, with a clear path to human support.
Q: How are customers using GenAI differently than traditional customer service chatbots?
A: Customers are using GenAI for more than answers. Fifty-eight percent of customers who use GenAI have used it to complete a task on their behalf. In B2B environments, this rises to 74%.
Many traditional chatbots were designed primarily to retrieve information or answer frequently asked questions. Customers increasingly expect AI to help them take action, such as booking an appointment, placing an order, submitting documents, managing a subscription or escalating a request.
Service and support leaders should redesign digital support around conversational, action-oriented experiences. GenAI can understand intent and guide the interaction, while traditional automation completes the transaction in the background.
Q: What should leaders do as customers increasingly use third-party GenAI tools for service issues?
A: Customers are increasingly starting service journeys outside company-owned channels. In their most recent service interaction, customers were approximately three times more likely to use third-party GenAI tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot, than company-provided chatbots.
Recognizing that many customers may bypass their digital channels entirely, service leaders should respond by investing in GenAI to improve the voice experience, for example intelligent voice assistants for customers and AI assistants for human agents. Customers may begin with third-party GenAI, but they still come to the company when they need to transact, access account-specific information or resolve more complex issues.
Additional Insights
Gartner clients can read more in the report: Customer Insights 2026: Align GenAI Investments With New Customer Behaviors.
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Source: Gartner
Tags: Artificial Intelligence (AI), consumer attitudes, Gartner, survey