Voicebot: Morgan Freeman Ahead of Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Swift
A survey in the USA shows that customers can very well imagine interacting with a virtual customer advisor – if it has the voice of their favorite celebrity.
According to the survey, more than a third of US consumers are interested in having a celebrity as a spokesperson for their customer experience bots. Actors and musicians topped the list, followed by social media influencers and podcasters.
Morgan Freeman, with his memorable and highly recognisable voice, is the number one most requested voice for a voicebot across all generations. “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds, known for his witty commentary, came second in the Genesys study “Humans and AI in unison: Driving the new era of customer experience“. The popular singer Taylor Swift was voted third place by consumers. The “Poor Things” star Emma Stone and the “I’m Just Ken” singer and actor Ryan Gosling rounded off the top five.
Not too much emotional empathy
In addition to prominent voicebots, consumers also have preferences regarding the characteristics of their virtual customer advisors and reject too much emotional empathy in voicebots. In fact, 60 percent of survey respondents get angry or frustrated when a bot uses phrases like “I’m sorry” or “I understand your frustration.” With the exception of baby boomers, consumers of all ages feel most comfortable talking to a bot that sounds like a British robot. They prefer to speak to a chatbot that sounds like a real person.
Genesys study shows which characteristics are preferred by the generations when it comes to virtual customer advisors. (Source: Genesys)
Whether it's a celebrity or a robotic-like voice, customer-facing companies need to ensure that their voicebots deliver fluid, personalised customer experiences that meet the needs of consumers of all generations. An entertaining voicebot experience may be fun at first, but if it doesn't address the customer's concern, it could quickly lead to disillusionment and frustration.
Methodology
Genesys conducted the online survey of 1,000 adults aged 18 and over in the US. The sample was evenly split between genders, with different age groups and geographic regions represented. The data was collected from October 31 to November 6, 2023. Respondents were provided with ten pre-selected celebrities and were also given the opportunity to indicate their top celebrity.
