Customer Service Chatbot Statistics 2026
This page collects 53 figures on chatbots and AI agents used for customer service: how many businesses run them, how many conversations they resolve, how customers feel about them and what they save. Official business surveys come from Statistics Canada, Eurostat, the UK government and the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Customer and service leader surveys come from Gartner, Qualtrics, Zendesk, Salesforce, Intercom, Five9 and Cisco, and company results come from Klarna and Bank of America. Most figures describe 2025 and 2026.
By the DBotMaker research desk · Updated November 6, 2026 · 53 numbers drawn from 20 publishers and reports
Short answer
Only 7% of customers used a chatbot in their most recent service interaction, even though 49% said they would have, and just 27% would try one again after a bad experience (Gartner, 2026). Businesses keep investing anyway: service leaders put a median 12% of their 2025 budget into AI, but only 24% show positive returns (Gartner), while service teams expect AI to handle 50% of cases by 2027, up from 30% (Salesforce).
Headline numbers
- 7%Only 7% of customers used a chatbot or digital assistant in their most recent service interaction, even though 49% said they would have been willing to use one, in Gartner's survey of 3,566 customers in early 2026.Gartner
- 27%Only 27% of customers said they would be willing to try a chatbot again after a negative experience, in Gartner's 2026 survey of B2B and B2C customers.Gartner
- 12%Service and support leaders invested a median 12% of their 2025 budget in AI, the highest of 10 business functions in a Gartner survey of 1,303 senior leaders.Gartner
- 24%Only 24% of service and support leaders demonstrated positive financial returns across their AI use cases, according to Gartner's 2026 survey.Gartner
- 30%Service teams surveyed by Salesforce estimated that 30% of their cases were handled by AI in 2025.Salesforce
- 76%Intercom reports that customers of its Fin AI agent average a 76% resolution rate across more than 12,000 customer businesses.Intercom
- 28.2%Among Canadian businesses that used AI in the 12 months to the second quarter of 2026, 28.2% used it for virtual agents or chat bots, the third most common application.Statistics Canada
- 40%Klarna reported that customer service costs per transaction fell 40% between the first quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2025 while customer satisfaction held steady.Klarna
Reading the numbers
The numbers point to a gap between investment and use. Gartner found that service and support leaders put a median 12% of their 2025 budget into AI, more than any other business function, and Intercom found 82% of senior support leaders invested in AI for customer service in the past year. Yet in Gartner's 2026 customer survey only 7% of customers used a company chatbot in their latest service interaction, and use of company chatbots has not grown since 2022 while use of third-party GenAI tools nearly doubled.
Official statistics show adoption is real but narrower than vendor figures suggest. Statistics Canada reports that 28.2% of Canadian businesses using AI used it for virtual agents or chat bots in 2026, but only 19.2% of businesses used AI at all. Eurostat puts EU enterprise AI use at 19.95% in 2025, rising to 55.03% among large firms, and the UK government found about one in six UK businesses used AI. Chatbots are concentrated in large companies and in sectors such as banking, where the CFPB found every one of the 10 largest U.S. banks uses them.
Where chatbots are deployed at scale, the reported results are strong but self-measured. Intercom reports a 76% average resolution rate for its Fin agent, Klarna said its assistant handled two-thirds of service chats and later cut cost per transaction by 40%, and Bank of America says 98% of Erica users find what they need. These are company figures with company definitions of resolution, so they are best read as upper bounds for well-run deployments rather than typical outcomes.
Customer tolerance is the main constraint. Gartner found only 27% of customers would try a chatbot again after a bad experience and 87% say access to a human is essential, Five9 found 86% value human connection over speed, and Qualtrics found nearly one in five people who used AI for service got no benefit. Gartner's prediction that half of firms planning large AI-driven staff cuts will drop those plans by 2027 reflects this: most organizations are moving to a mix of bots and people rather than full automation.
How many businesses use service chatbots
- 1.
Among Canadian businesses that used AI in the 12 months to the second quarter of 2026, 28.2% used it for virtual agents or chat bots, the third most common application.
Statistics Canada, Use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Among businesses that reported using AI over the last 12 months (19.2%), the most commonly used applications were data analytics (36.6%), followed by text analytics (34.5%) and virtual agents or chat bots (28.2%).
- 2.
In the second quarter of 2025, 24.8% of Canadian businesses using AI used it for virtual agents or chat bots, so the share rose by about 3 points in a year.
Statistics Canada, Use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Similarly, in the second quarter of 2025, the most commonly used applications were text analytics (35.7%), data analytics (26.4%) and virtual agents or chat bots (24.8%).
- 3.
Among Canadian businesses with 100 or more employees that used AI, 50.5% used it for virtual agents or chat bots in the 12 months to mid-2026.
Statistics Canada, Use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Over half (50.5%) of such businesses used AI for virtual agents or chat bots followed by 40.4% having used AI for data analytics in the last 12 months.
- 4.
In Canadian finance and insurance, 35.0% of businesses using AI reported using virtual agents or chat bots in 2025.
Statistics Canada, Analysis in Brief: Use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2025 (2025)
Exact wording at the source
In finance and insurance, 30.6% of businesses reported having used AI , with text analytics (40.8%) and virtual agents or chat bots (35.0%) being most reported.
- 5.
Eurostat found that 19.95% of EU enterprises with 10 or more employees used at least one AI technology in 2025.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Exact wording at the source
In 2025, 19.95% of EU enterprises used AI technologies.
- 6.
Large EU enterprises were far more likely to use AI: 55.03% did so in 2025.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Exact wording at the source
In 2025, 55.03% of large EU enterprises used AI technologies.
- 7.
Among EU enterprises using AI in 2025, 34.70% used it for marketing or sales, the most common purpose and the one that covers customer-facing chat.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Exact wording at the source
In 2025, 34.70% of enterprises using AI technologies used these software or systems for marketing or sales and 31.05% for the organisation of business administration processes or management.
- 8.
A UK government survey found that around one in six UK businesses (16%) used at least one AI technology in 2025.
UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, AI Adoption Research Report (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Around one in six businesses (16%) are currently using at least one AI technology.
- 9.
Among large UK businesses using or planning to use AI, 57% used it or planned to use it in customer service.
UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, AI Adoption Research Report (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
These included: IT (90%), operations (74%), customer service (57%), finance (48%), HR (53%), security (31%), legal (28%).
- 10.
The CFPB found that all 10 of the largest U.S. commercial banks had deployed chatbots as part of customer service.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Chatbots in consumer finance (Jun 2023)
Exact wording at the source
Our review found that each of the top 10 largest commercial banks have deployed chatbots as a component of their customer service.
Chart
Most used AI applications among Canadian businesses using AI, 2026
Share of Canadian businesses that used AI in the 12 months to the second quarter of 2026
- Data analytics36.6%
- Text analytics34.5%
- Virtual agents or chat bots28.2%
Source: Statistics Canada, Use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026
Service leaders' AI plans, budgets and returns
- 11.
In a survey of 187 customer service leaders in mid-2024, Gartner found that 85% would explore or pilot customer-facing conversational GenAI in 2025.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Reveals 85% of Customer Service Leaders Will Explore or Pilot Customer-Facing Conversational GenAI in 2025 (Dec 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Gartner Survey Reveals 85% of Customer Service Leaders Will Explore or Pilot Customer-Facing Conversational GenAI in 2025
- 12.
In the same Gartner survey, 44% of service leaders were exploring a customer-facing GenAI voicebot, 11% were piloting one and 5% had one deployed.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Reveals 85% of Customer Service Leaders Will Explore or Pilot Customer-Facing Conversational GenAI in 2025 (Dec 2024)
Exact wording at the source
A Gartner survey of 187 customer service and support leaders conducted in July through August 2024 found 44% of leaders report exploring a customer-facing GenAI voicebot, in addition to 11% who are already piloting this technology, and 5% who have this solution deployed.
- 13.
Service and support leaders invested a median 12% of their 2025 budget in AI, the highest of 10 business functions in a Gartner survey of 1,303 senior leaders.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Customers Are Three Times More Likely to Use Third-Party GenAI Than Company-Provided Chatbots for Customer Service (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
According to a separate Gartner survey of 1,303 senior leaders across various industries, conducted in January through April 2026, service and support leaders invested a median of 12% of their 2025 budget in AI, the highest amount among the 10 business functions assessed.
- 14.
Only 24% of service and support leaders demonstrated positive financial returns across their AI use cases, according to Gartner's 2026 survey.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Customers Are Three Times More Likely to Use Third-Party GenAI Than Company-Provided Chatbots for Customer Service (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
However, only 24% of service and support leaders demonstrated positive financial returns across their AI use cases.
- 15.
Gartner predicts that by 2027, 50% of organizations that expected to cut their service workforce significantly because of AI will drop those plans.
Gartner, Gartner Predicts None of the Fortune 500 Companies Will Have Fully Eliminated Human Customer Service by 2028 (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Gartner further predicts that by 2027, 50% of organizations that expected to significantly reduce their service workforce due to AI will drop these plans, as many will have failed to achieve their agentless staffing goals.
- 16.
Gartner predicts that by 2028 none of the Fortune 500 will have fully eliminated human customer service.
Gartner, Gartner Predicts None of the Fortune 500 Companies Will Have Fully Eliminated Human Customer Service by 2028 (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
By 2028, none (0%) of the Fortune 500 companies will have fully eliminated human customer service, according to Gartner, Inc, a business and technology insights company.
- 17.
In Intercom's survey of 2,470 support professionals, 82% of senior leaders said their teams invested in AI for customer service in the previous 12 months.
Intercom, The 2026 Customer Service Transformation Report (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
82% of senior leaders say their teams invested in AI for customer service over the last 12 months, with 87% planning to invest in 2026.
- 18.
Only 10% of respondents to Intercom's 2026 survey said their team had reached mature AI deployment in support.
Intercom, The 2026 Customer Service Transformation Report (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
But while most teams are using the technology, only 10% of respondents say they’ve reached mature deployment
- 19.
Improving customer experience became the top priority for 58% of support teams for 2026, up from 28% a year earlier, according to Intercom.
Intercom, The 2026 Customer Service Transformation Report (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
As AI takes on more work, improving customer experience has become the top priority for 2026 – cited by 58% of all teams, up from just 28% last year.
- 20.
In Salesforce's survey of 6,500 service professionals, 51% of service leaders said security concerns had delayed or limited their AI initiatives.
Salesforce, AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Security remains the top concern, with 51% of service leaders saying security concerns have delayed or limited their AI initiatives.
Automation, deflection and resolution rates
- 21.
Service teams surveyed by Salesforce estimated that 30% of their cases were handled by AI in 2025.
Salesforce, AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
This shift is already underway: Service teams estimate 30% of cases are currently handled by AI.
- 22.
The same service teams expected AI to handle 50% of cases by 2027.
Salesforce, AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
By 2027, as AI agents — or digital labor — gain momentum, they project that figure will reach 50%.
- 23.
Intercom reports that customers of its Fin AI agent average a 76% resolution rate across more than 12,000 customer businesses.
Intercom, Fin AI Agent (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Fin has industry leading resolution rates, averaging 76% across 12,000+ customers, with many seeing over 85%.
- 24.
In Cisco's survey of 7,950 business and technical decision makers, respondents expected 68% of their service interactions with technology vendors to be handled by agentic AI within three years.
Cisco, Agentic AI Poised to Handle 68% of Customer Service and Support Interactions by 2028 (May 2025)
Exact wording at the source
They predict that 68% of their customer experience interactions with technology partners will be handled using agentic AI within the next three years.
- 25.
The same Cisco respondents expected 56% of those interactions to run through agentic AI within 12 months.
Cisco, Agentic AI Poised to Handle 68% of Customer Service and Support Interactions by 2028 (May 2025)
Exact wording at the source
And, surprisingly, they expect more than half (56%) of interactions to be through agentic AI within the next 12 months, representing a significant increase and heaping pressure onto those vendors who are still only in the early stages of thinking about agentic.
- 26.
In its first month after global launch in 2024, Klarna's AI assistant held 2.3 million conversations, two-thirds of the company's customer service chats.
Klarna, Klarna AI assistant handles two-thirds of customer service chats in its first month (Feb 2024)
Exact wording at the source
The AI assistant has had 2.3 million conversations, two-thirds of Klarna’s customer service chats
- 27.
Bank of America says more than 98% of users of its Erica virtual assistant find the information they need, which it credits with reducing call center volume.
Bank of America, A Decade of AI Innovation: BofA's Virtual Assistant Erica Surpasses 3 Billion Client Interactions (Aug 2025)
Exact wording at the source
More than 98% of users find the information they need, significantly decreasing call center volume and allowing financial specialists to spend time focusing on more complex financial conversations with clients.
- 28.
Klarna said its AI assistant cut repeat inquiries by 25% because it resolved errands more accurately.
Klarna, Klarna AI assistant handles two-thirds of customer service chats in its first month (Feb 2024)
Exact wording at the source
It is more accurate in errand resolution, leading to a 25% drop in repeat inquiries
Chart
Share of service cases handled by AI, now and expected by 2027
Salesforce survey of 6,500 service professionals worldwide, published November 2025
- 2025 (estimate)30%
- 2027 (expected)50%
Source: Salesforce, AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows
How often customers actually use service chatbots
- 29.
Only 7% of customers used a chatbot or digital assistant in their most recent service interaction, even though 49% said they would have been willing to use one, in Gartner's survey of 3,566 customers in early 2026.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Only 27% of Customers Would Try a Chatbot Again After a Negative Experience (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
While 49% of customers said they would have been willing to use a chatbot if the company had provided one, only 7% used a chatbot or digital assistant during their most recent service interaction.
- 30.
Customers were about three times as likely to use third-party GenAI tools as company-provided chatbots in their most recent service interaction, Gartner found in 2026.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Only 27% of Customers Would Try a Chatbot Again After a Negative Experience (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In fact, Gartner found that customers were approximately three times more likely to use third-party GenAI tools than company-provided chatbots during their most recent service interaction.
- 31.
Among customers who use GenAI, 58% said they had used it to complete a task on their behalf, according to Gartner's 2026 customer survey.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Customers Are Three Times More Likely to Use Third-Party GenAI Than Company-Provided Chatbots for Customer Service (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Among customers who use GenAI, 58% said they have used it to complete a task on their behalf.
- 32.
The CFPB estimated that more than 98 million people, about 37% of the U.S. population, engaged with a bank's chatbot in 2022.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Chatbots in consumer finance (Jun 2023)
Exact wording at the source
In 2022, over 98 million users (approximately 37% of the U.S. population) engaged with a bank’s chatbot.
- 33.
Bank chatbot users in the United States were projected to reach 110.9 million by 2026, according to the CFPB report.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Chatbots in consumer finance (Jun 2023)
Exact wording at the source
This number is projected to grow to 110.9 million users by 2026.
- 34.
Bank of America's Erica had passed 3 billion client interactions by August 2025 and averaged more than 58 million interactions a month.
Bank of America, A Decade of AI Innovation: BofA's Virtual Assistant Erica Surpasses 3 Billion Client Interactions (Aug 2025)
Exact wording at the source
assisting nearly 50 million users since launch, surpassing 3 billion client interactions, and now averaging more than 58 million interactions per month.
- 35.
In Five9's survey of more than 1,000 consumers in the U.S., UK and Canada, 59% preferred an instant AI chatbot over waiting for a live agent.
Five9, New Five9 Research Reveals Balancing AI with Human Connection is Key to Winning Customer Experience (Mar 2025)
Exact wording at the source
59% of consumers prefer an instant AI chatbot over waiting for a live agent.
- 36.
Five9 found that 72% of consumers were open to AI-powered interactions as long as they could escalate to a human.
Five9, New Five9 Research Reveals Balancing AI with Human Connection is Key to Winning Customer Experience (Mar 2025)
Exact wording at the source
72% of consumers are open to AI-powered interactions, provided they can escalate to a human when needed.
- 37.
In Zendesk's 2026 survey of more than 6,000 consumers in 22 countries, 74% said AI has made them expect customer service to be available 24/7.
Zendesk, CX Trends 2026 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
With AI becoming the new normal, 74% of consumers now expect customer service to be available 24/7.
Chart
Customers willing to use a chatbot vs those who actually did
Gartner survey of 3,566 B2B and B2C customers, February and March 2026
- Would have used a chatbot if offered49%
- Used a chatbot in latest service interaction7%
Source: Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Only 27% of Customers Would Try a Chatbot Again After a Negative Experience
Frustration, trust and the demand for a human
- 38.
Only 27% of customers said they would be willing to try a chatbot again after a negative experience, in Gartner's 2026 survey of B2B and B2C customers.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Only 27% of Customers Would Try a Chatbot Again After a Negative Experience (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Only 27% said they would be willing to try a chatbot again after a negative experience.
- 39.
Gartner found that 87% of customers say access to a human agent is essential when companies use GenAI in customer service.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Only 27% of Customers Would Try a Chatbot Again After a Negative Experience (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Gartner found that 87% of customers say access to a human agent is essential when companies use GenAI in customer service.
- 40.
Nearly one in five consumers who had used AI for customer service saw no benefit from it, according to Qualtrics XM Institute's survey of more than 20,000 consumers in 14 countries in 2025.
Qualtrics XM Institute, AI-Powered Customer Service Fails at Four Times the Rate of Other Tasks (Oct 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Nearly one in five consumers who have used AI for customer service saw no benefits from the experience.
- 41.
Misuse of personal data was consumers' top concern about companies automating interactions with AI, cited by 53%, up 8 points in a year.
Qualtrics XM Institute, AI-Powered Customer Service Fails at Four Times the Rate of Other Tasks (Oct 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Misuse of personal data is now consumers’ top concern when companies use AI to automate interactions – 53% of consumers share this fear, up 8 points over the past year.
- 42.
Half of consumers worried that companies' use of AI would stop them from reaching a human being, Qualtrics found.
Qualtrics XM Institute, AI-Powered Customer Service Fails at Four Times the Rate of Other Tasks (Oct 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Half of consumers are concerned that companies’ AI use will prevent them from connecting with a human being, and 47% are worried about job losses.
- 43.
In Five9's 2025 survey, 86% of consumers said human connection matters more than a quick response.
Five9, New Five9 Research Reveals Balancing AI with Human Connection is Key to Winning Customer Experience (Mar 2025)
Exact wording at the source
The Enduring Value of Human Connection: Human connection is crucial, with 86% of respondents indicating it matters more than a quick response.
- 44.
Zendesk found that 74% of consumers are frustrated when they have to repeat information to different agents.
Zendesk, Contextual intelligence becomes the new standard for exceptional customer experience in 2026 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Consumers now expect service that picks up where they left off: 81% want agents to continue the conversation without backtracking, and 74% are frustrated when they have to repeat information.
- 45.
In Zendesk's 2026 research, 95% of consumers said they expect an explanation for decisions made by AI.
Zendesk, Contextual intelligence becomes the new standard for exceptional customer experience in 2026 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
79% of consumers say plain-language reasoning is important, 95% expect an explanation for AI-made decisions, and 80% of CX leaders agree AI transparency will be required for any customer-facing AI within two years.
- 46.
Only 37% of CX organizations currently offer any reasoning behind their AI's decisions, according to Zendesk.
Zendesk, CX Trends 2026 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
But while 80% of CX leaders agree transparency will be non-negotiable for customer-facing AI, only 37% currently offer any reasoning behind AI’s decisions.
- 47.
In Cisco's survey of B2B technology buyers, 96% said human relationships are very important when dealing with technology partners' support.
Cisco, Agentic AI Poised to Handle 68% of Customer Service and Support Interactions by 2028 (May 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Human connection is irreplaceable: customers want to retain human interaction when engaging with support and services, with 96% stating that human relationships are very important when interacting with B2B technology partners.
Cost savings and productivity
- 48.
Klarna said its AI assistant was doing the equivalent work of 700 full-time agents one month after its 2024 global launch.
Klarna, Klarna AI assistant handles two-thirds of customer service chats in its first month (Feb 2024)
Exact wording at the source
It is doing the equivalent work of 700 full-time agents
- 49.
Klarna reported that customer service costs per transaction fell 40% between the first quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2025 while customer satisfaction held steady.
Klarna, Klarna accelerates global momentum in Q1 2025 and unlocks large gains from AI innovation (May 2025)
Exact wording at the source
AI is slashing costs across the business, most noticeable in customer service, where costs per transaction have dropped by 40% since Q1’23 whilst maintaining customer satisfaction levels.
- 50.
Klarna's AI assistant handles inquiries in more than 35 languages.
Klarna, Klarna AI assistant handles two-thirds of customer service chats in its first month (Feb 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Wherever you're from and whatever you speak, Klarna’s AI Assistant is always ready to chat in your mother tongue – adept at handling inquiries in over 35 languages.
- 51.
Service reps using AI spend 20% less time on routine cases, freeing about four hours a week, according to Salesforce's 2025 survey.
Salesforce, AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Reps using AI spend 20% less time on routine cases — freeing up an estimated four hours per week for more complex work.
- 52.
In Intercom's 2026 survey, 87% of teams at the mature AI deployment stage reported improved metrics since implementing AI, compared with 62% of all teams.
Intercom, The 2026 Customer Service Transformation Report (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
87% of teams at the mature deployment stage report improved metrics since implementing AI, compared to 62% overall.
- 53.
Clients have spent more than 18.7 million hours talking with Bank of America's Erica since it launched.
Bank of America, A Decade of AI Innovation: BofA's Virtual Assistant Erica Surpasses 3 Billion Client Interactions (Aug 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Clients have spent more than 18.7 million hours conversing with Erica.
Chart
Support teams reporting improved metrics since adopting AI
Intercom survey of 2,470 support professionals, January 2026
- Mature AI deployment87%
- All teams62%
Source: Intercom, The 2026 Customer Service Transformation Report
Questions readers ask
- What percentage of customers use customer service chatbots?
- Fewer than the hype suggests. Gartner's 2026 survey of 3,566 customers found only 7% used a chatbot or digital assistant in their most recent service interaction, although 49% said they would have been willing to. In U.S. banking, the CFPB estimated about 37% of the population engaged with a bank chatbot in 2022.
- What is a typical chatbot resolution rate?
- There is no independent industry benchmark. Intercom reports a 76% average resolution rate for its Fin AI agent across more than 12,000 businesses, Klarna said its assistant handled two-thirds of service chats in its first month, and service teams surveyed by Salesforce estimate AI handles 30% of cases. Each company defines resolution in its own way.
- How many businesses use chatbots for customer service?
- Statistics Canada found 28.2% of Canadian businesses that used AI in 2026 used it for virtual agents or chat bots, and 50.5% among AI-using firms with 100 or more employees. Eurostat reports 19.95% of EU enterprises used any AI technology in 2025, so chatbot use across all businesses is lower than either figure.
- Do customers prefer chatbots or human agents?
- It depends on the situation. Five9 found 59% of consumers prefer an instant AI chatbot over waiting for a live agent, but 86% say human connection matters more than a quick response. Gartner found 87% of customers say access to a human agent is essential when companies use GenAI in service.
- How much money do customer service chatbots save?
- Company reports show large savings at scale but independent evidence is thinner. Klarna said customer service cost per transaction fell 40% from early 2023 to early 2025, and its assistant did the work of 700 full-time agents in its first month. Gartner found only 24% of service leaders could show positive financial returns from their AI use cases.
- Will chatbots replace human customer service agents?
- Not fully, according to Gartner, which predicts none of the Fortune 500 will have eliminated human customer service by 2028 and that 50% of firms planning large AI-driven staff cuts will drop those plans by 2027. Salesforce respondents expect AI to handle 50% of service cases by 2027.
Where these numbers come from
We used primary sources only: national statistical offices (Statistics Canada, Eurostat), government research (UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), analyst and research firms that ran their own surveys (Gartner, Qualtrics XM Institute), vendors that published their own survey results (Salesforce, Intercom, Zendesk, Five9, Cisco) and companies reporting on their own chatbots (Klarna, Bank of America). Every quote was checked against the live source page. Samples, regions and definitions differ: official surveys measure the share of businesses using AI, vendor surveys measure the views of their own respondents, and resolution rates are each company's own metric. Vendor surveys may favor findings that support their products. Some figures are forecasts or older fundamentals, such as the CFPB's 2022 estimate of bank chatbot users and Klarna's 2024 launch results, and are labeled with the year they describe. We store the sentence each number appears in, and a script loads the publisher's page again to make sure that sentence is still there. Our methodology has the details.
Sources
- Bank of America. A Decade of AI Innovation: BofA's Virtual Assistant Erica Surpasses 3 Billion Client Interactions (Aug 2025).
- Cisco. Agentic AI Poised to Handle 68% of Customer Service and Support Interactions by 2028 (May 2025).
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Chatbots in consumer finance (Jun 2023).
- Eurostat. Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025).
- Five9. New Five9 Research Reveals Balancing AI with Human Connection is Key to Winning Customer Experience (Mar 2025).
- Gartner. Gartner Survey Reveals 85% of Customer Service Leaders Will Explore or Pilot Customer-Facing Conversational GenAI in 2025 (Dec 2024).
- Gartner. Gartner Survey Finds Customers Are Three Times More Likely to Use Third-Party GenAI Than Company-Provided Chatbots for Customer Service (Jul 2026).
- Gartner. Gartner Predicts None of the Fortune 500 Companies Will Have Fully Eliminated Human Customer Service by 2028 (Sep 2025).
- Gartner. Gartner Survey Finds Only 27% of Customers Would Try a Chatbot Again After a Negative Experience (Sep 2026).
- Intercom. The 2026 Customer Service Transformation Report (Jan 2026).
- Intercom. Fin AI Agent (2026).
- Klarna. Klarna AI assistant handles two-thirds of customer service chats in its first month (Feb 2024).
- Klarna. Klarna accelerates global momentum in Q1 2025 and unlocks large gains from AI innovation (May 2025).
- Qualtrics XM Institute. AI-Powered Customer Service Fails at Four Times the Rate of Other Tasks (Oct 2025).
- Salesforce. AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows (Nov 2025).
- Statistics Canada. Use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (2026).
- Statistics Canada. Analysis in Brief: Use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2025 (2025).
- UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. AI Adoption Research Report (Jan 2026).
- Zendesk. CX Trends 2026 (Nov 2025).
- Zendesk. Contextual intelligence becomes the new standard for exceptional customer experience in 2026 (Nov 2025).
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DBotMaker. (2026, November 6). Customer Service Chatbot Statistics 2026. https://dbotmaker.io/customer-service-chatbot-statistics
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