Victor was confident. Victor was direct. Victor was responsive. Victor was solving my problem. But I had a sense Victor was not real. What do I say? Is it offensive to ask a person if they are, in fact, a chatbot?
It’s my own fault because I can’t help but try and make a connection with people when I call customer service. After 30 years as a negotiator, I am hard-wired to build affiliation with everyone I meet. I’ve learned if I can make a connection, the interaction will always go better. Rule #1: when people tell you their name, use their name. “A person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language,” Dale Carnegie wrote. Using someone’s name is the cornerstone to building a relationship.
So I used Victor’s name. He never used mine. His tone never changed. He asked me for my information in a manner that was devoid of emotion. But he was convincing, efficient, and solving my problem just as I would hope a good customer service professional to do.
We finished with my issue, Victor asked, “Do you have any other questions which I can help you with?”
So I went to my usual question when talking with someone virtually: “So where in the US are you sitting, Victor?”
A long pause.
“I understand you are asking me where I reside in the United States. I cannot give out my exact location,” he replied. “Do you have any other questions which I can help you with?”
Now the long pause was on my side. Do I ask this? I prepared my apology in case this was a mistake:
“Victor, are you a real person?”
Another long pause. “I understand you are asking me if I am a real person. I am a virtual agent for customer service. Do you have any other questions which I can help you with?”
My instinct was to compliment him: “Wow, you’re really good. I almost couldn’t tell!” But I held back. I did not need to praise an AI tool for the quality of its work. I said no, and hung up.
And so, the future is upon us. Real or AI? It’s getting harder to distinguish one from the other.
(Photo by Irvan Smith)
