Customers say they are open to using customer service chatbots, but only 27% of customers say they would be willing to try a chatbot again after a negative experience, according to a Gartner survey.

We spoke with Eric Keller, Sr Director Analyst in the Gartner Customer Service & Support Practice, to discuss findings from the Gartner survey of 3,566 B2B and B2C customers, conducted in February and March 2026. He explained why chatbot adoption remains low, how negative experiences affect customers’ future willingness to use chatbots, and how service leaders can build adoption without sacrificing customer trust.