Opinion: AI Can’t Console a Frustrated Borrower — Card Companies Must Keep Humans On The Line

The financial service industry is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as generative chatbots and interactive voice response (IVR) technology as an efficient way to interact with their customers. AI offers providers with a whole series of practical and measurable advantages.

According to a 2025 Nvidia survey of financial institutions, nearly 70% report that AI has driven a revenue increase of 5% or more, with a dramatic rise in those seeing a 10% to 20% revenue boost. 

However, lenders also need to keep on actual humans who can help customers over the phone as well. 

Not everyone likes dealing with tech tools, and in some situations, it can turn borrowers against the lender. 

A 2025 Accenture report noted that banks should take steps to foster communication so they can show their customers that they know them well and care about their financial future.

Customer service is one of the top drivers of customer advocacy, but less than one-fourth of banking service executives consider it a value driver. This is a problem, especially as banking customers say they are dissatisfied with how banks communicate.

Just 32% of those surveyed said service quality has improved in the last five years, and only 18% said they believe technology has made their experience better.

If credit issuers want to stand out in a crowd and increase loyalty among their existing borrowers, ensuring great customer connection is the way. 

Being able to easily access a live representative is becoming increasingly difficult and rare, so the company that does provide it as an option can come out ahead. 

Who wants to talk with their bank? A lot of people. A 2025 PolyAI survey found that 65% of Americans prefer a phone call as their primary method of contacting customer service for retail and travel brands. 

What really surprised the researchers? Eighty-six percent of Gen Z and younger millennial survey participants say they prefer the voice channel for support. This smashes the stereotype that young people prefer to avoid the phone if they can help it. 

Consumers may have a general openness to engage with IVR as they ask questions or explain what they want, but it comes with a caveat. The information needs to be accurate and getting to it can’t be a long, laborious process.

During high-demand periods that can jam up the wait time to speak with an actual person, defaulting to the fastest method to resolve a simple problem can make sense. 

However, 55% of the survey’s respondents said they are also likely to ask for a human representative to come on the line if they hear a robot talking. 

This is pertinent information, and should make lenders rethink overrelying on chatbots and IVR. A real human who can talk with the customer and address their needs now feels special. 

Lenders should make sure prospective borrowers and current customers have swift access to a person under the following circumstances: 

• Fraud and other legal matters. Dealing with identity theft, fraud, or any other legal issue pertaining to an account can be scary and upsetting. Lenders need to ensure there are as few prompts as possible to connect the person to an employee who will take the customer through the next steps.  

• Billing disputes. If a customer is upset about their account, the last thing the lender should do is make it harder to connect with a customer service representative who can actively listen. A person who can explain and offer remedies should be available.  

• Complicated situations. The Accenture report noted that most chatbots struggle even with simple tasks like retrieving documents or resolving issues. And plenty of people have trouble communicating what they want or explaining what is happening. For anything but the basics, a customer service representative should be at the ready. 

• Emotional issues. While AI tools can get the job done, the process can also come off as cold. Humans offer emotional reassurance, especially when stressful financial issues arise.

Providing live customer service comes with challenges, of course. Call centers are costly to run. Hiring, training, and keeping a skilled staff is far more expensive than leaning into technology. 

Not having sufficient qualified people to do the job can translate into longer than acceptable wait times. Deferring to an international workforce can ease the pain, but that can present language and cultural problems that may also frustrate the customer. 

As technology continues to improve, more people will choose to deal with chatbots or talk to robots, and they’ll be perfectly satisfied with the results. That’s great. 

In the end, though, financial institutions need to have both machines and humans available for their customers. A warm greeting and personal attention can be of tremendous value to the borrower and will reflect positively on the company.