Having a good chatbot service is deemed important by more than half of Canadians. Credit: NicoElNino via Shutterstock.

A survey by digital workflow company ServiceNow found that retailers in Canada are struggling to retain loyal consumers.

Of the 1000 consumers surveyed, nearly all Canadians (92%) require quick, real-time support, and more than half (53%) want 24/7 customer service by 2025 to improve brand loyalty.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Despite immediacy and availability being a top priority, Canadian consumers today are facing prolonged customer service calls with nearly half (46%) saying they are on the line for at least 30 minutes or more.

ServiceNow highlights the potential for AI to play a critical role in improving service delivery, addressing customer frustrations over prolonged call times, and meeting the demand for always-on customer service.

When looking to solve a complex issue or troubleshoot, 61% of Canadians will prioritise turning to customer service agents, whether by phone, chat, or in-person. However, 44% would choose to use AI-powered services such as a chatbot or intelligent search engine.

Having a good chatbot service is deemed important by more than half (55%) of Canadians, with this number increasing to 70% for those ages 18-34. Some (7%) even prefer to use chatbots for all their customer service needs.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Nearly half (49%) would never want to see fully autonomous, AI-driven customer service. Additionally, 36% of Canadians hold back from engaging with AI for customer service because they do not like the lack of personalisation, further underscoring the need for a balanced approach.

Additionally, most Canadians (72%) want a company to offer self-service options. Consumers especially want to self-serve when looking for general information, preferring self-help guides (34%) or an intelligent search engine (35%).

In spite of these issues, Canadians still have the best customer service experience with retail companies (35%) compared to other industries.

A recent poll of Canadian retail investors found that a large majority are concerned about AI and want to see risk mitigation embedded in their portfolios.