Letter to the Editor: AI Makes People Cry

A new report has found that 70% of New Yorkers said that when they speak to an AI on the phone, it has left them in some kind of emotional or practical wreckage, either giving up, hanging up for good, losing their temper, feeling genuine anxiety, or even crying, with only 26% getting through the experience unscathed.

When speaking to an AI customer service system, for the majority it has gone wrong, with the breakdown of what people have been through:

• 24% gave up entirely because they couldn’t get the help they needed
• 19% hung up without resolving the issue and never called back
• 16% left the call feeling worse than when they started
• 18% felt the call actively made their situation worse
• 13% lost their temper or raised their voice
• 13% felt genuine anxiety before or during the call
• 11% felt embarrassed or judged
• 8% cried or became upset during the call

The consumer report from Answering Service Care looks at the desire for Americans to speak to a human or AI when dealing with businesses and explores their positive and negative experiences with both, but with AI becoming an even bigger part of our lives, it’s no wonder frustrations spill over during difficult conversations.

Let me know if you’d like any more information on this data for a story; I’d be happy to help with more details on the data or expert insights.

Thanks,
Dan

67% demand humans for tough calls, but a third of Americans are happy to let AI handle the easy ones

The research found that Americans are most open to AI when there is a clear, straightforward outcome.

Finding store opening hours was the closest scenario to an even split, with 33% preferring an AI agent and 34% preferring a human. Similar attitudes appeared for routine tasks such as tracking an order or delivery (31% AI preference) and checking an account balance (30% AI preference).

But as soon as a situation involves responsibility, financial risk or emotional consequences, preference shifts strongly towards humans.

The findings suggest that the dividing line is not whether AI can complete a task, it is whether customers need someone to understand the situation, take responsibility and provide reassurance, as 12% of Americans have cried on a call to a business.

What sends people to a human is that it’s easier to discuss a complicated problem (40%), money at stake (39%), something already gone wrong (38%), and wanting someone to take responsibility (36%); accountability they feel AI can’t offer.

However, the people who think AI is the easier choice say it’’s quick and simple (26%), and available any time, day or night (23%).

Americans will trade speed for a human when the issue matters

While speed is often seen as one of AI’s biggest advantages, the research shows many Americans are willing to sacrifice convenience for human support.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) said they would wait longer to reach a human if the issue was important.

Americans will wait an average of 11 minutes on hold to reach a human on a routine call, rising to 12.3 minutes when the call is sensitive – patience grows with the stakes.

Younger generations are more patient

Younger Americans were particularly willing to wait. Those aged 18–24 said they would wait 17 minutes for a human on a routine call and 19 minutes for a sensitive call, compared with just 7 and 9 minutes respectively among people aged 55 and over.

San Antonio is the city willing to wait the longest, waiting 20.12 minutes on average for a routine call, rising to 21.48 minutes for a sensitive call.

San Diego is the least patient; respondents only wanted to wait 3.64 minutes for a routine call, but it rises to 9.36 minutes for a sensitive one.

Healthcare and financial services face the strongest demand for human support, despite being the most stressful for Americans

The industries where Americans most want a human voice to answer the call:

Interestingly, when asked which calls they find most stressful, 52% of Americans said family crisis calls, followed by calls regarding money troubles (41%) and healthcare calls (38%). This shows that Americans value human interaction during stressful times.

The challenge for businesses: knowing where AI helps and where it hurts trust

The research comes as businesses continue to increase their use of AI in customer interactions. More than half of business owners surveyed (53%) said they plan to use more AI on customer calls within the next two years.

However, the findings suggest businesses need to carefully consider where automation belongs. 73% of business owners say AI can make sensitive situations worse and 62% say it already does. 53% plan to use more of it anyway; only 10% plan less.

For consumers, AI can provide speed and convenience for simple requests. But when something has gone wrong, money is at stake, or a person needs understanding and accountability, the preference remains clear: Americans want a human.

Logan Shooster, Vice President at Answering Service Care, said:

“The research shows that Americans still want human interaction when situations matter the most. However, there is also a significant number of people who are comfortable with AI taking the lead. This leaves businesses with an important question: should this call be handled by AI or a human? Ultimately, it comes down to businesses understanding the customer and choosing the approach that best fits the service.”

-ENDS-

About Answering Service Care:

Answering Service Care (ASC) has been serving organizations in every industry since 1974. Small and medium-sized businesses love our personalized approach, and large enterprises are confident that we can handle their call and chat volume with our innovative and friendly approach.

Methodology:

The findings are based on two nationally representative U.S. surveys commissioned by Answering Service Care and conducted between July 10 and July 13, 2026. The research surveyed 2,003 U.S. consumers and 252 U.S. business owners to examine attitudes toward artificial intelligence in customer service.