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Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

There is literally no point in having customer service anymore. The outsourced reps will tell you anything to get you off the phone, put you on hold repeatedly so they can get to their prompt on the script, transfer you to other reps so you have to start all over, and tell straight up lies against policy. They have zero power to change anything. Everything requiring a decision is handled by some "back shop" that's incommunicable.

 

So what is the point of customer service if eBay is all about policy? Just replace them with AI and it'll never give wrong info or false hope. It can tell you that there's no chance you'll win an appeal instead of someone on the other side of the world working out of a call center with zero accountability telling you to appeal and everything will be taken care of, because it's in their script.

 

It's time for this outsourced garbage customer service to go.

Message 1 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

I don't understand why all these people on the forums are having to call ebay on the phone all the time. I have been selling since the 90s, selling full time since early 2020 and I have never called them once.

 

What are you all calling them about all the time?

Message 16 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

The AI slop morass is going to drive the world back to analog, just to preserve sanity. 

_______________________
“I have a year, and who knows what might happen in that time. The king might die. The horse might die. I might die. And perhaps the horse will learn to sing.”

Hell is empty. And all the devils are here.
Message 17 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI


@onefootflipper wrote:

I don't understand why all these people on the forums are having to call ebay on the phone all the time. I have been selling since the 90s, selling full time since early 2020 and I have never called them once.

 

What are you all calling them about all the time?


I've called several times down through the years, mostly with sticky procedural problems. Haven't in about the last 10 or so years, though. My guess is that they get way too many calls from sellers complaining that they're not making any sales and to 'flip the switch'. 

_______________________
“I have a year, and who knows what might happen in that time. The king might die. The horse might die. I might die. And perhaps the horse will learn to sing.”

Hell is empty. And all the devils are here.
Message 18 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

How about USA based Ebay employed customer service reps like the old days? 

Message 19 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

AI has no motive to screw it up. It's only as good as it's developed and if it's deemed up to the task to properly interpret and advise on policy, then that's a huge advantage over an overseas call center rep going by what their script says while trying to interpret policy on the fly (like every time you're put on hold while they "do their research").

 

It's really pretty simple to me, either policy allows a course of action or it doesn't, and then what is the best decision to make based on all surrounding circumstances, past outcomes, etc. Human customer service has already proven to me (and others) it consistently fails at this with consequences for the customer. However, this is literally what AI was created for: problem solving and decision making at an enhanced level. Best part: the more it's used, the more data it gathers and the better it becomes.

 

Ya'll do realize eventually this won't even be a conversation anymore and AI will have replaced customer service entirely. I'm simply saying please look into it now, it's that bad.

Message 20 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

Usually when someone uses the "contact us" link, they're looking for guidance/action from eBay official, in a real-time manner. The forum is a great resource, but it can't supplant official eBay correspondence and action.

Message 21 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

"Best part: the more it's used, the more data it gathers and the better it becomes."

 

Careful what you wish for.

Message 22 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

I'm sure they will; coming to a theatre near you.

 

Worthless human CS will be replaced by worthless-circular-go-nowhere AI. 

 

 

Message 23 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

AI should be developed properly and not steer the customer wrong. Give the customer all the rationale, policy excerpts, etc. regarding the response. This is not an impossible feat given how far AI has advanced and continuing to advance exponentially. However this is where outsourced customer service is causing real damage, by just telling the customer to go ahead and do that, or we can do that for you and it'll all work out.

Message 24 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI


@spacecoastparts wrote:

 

AI should be developed properly and not steer the customer wrong. Give the customer all the rationale, policy excerpts, etc. regarding the response. This is not an impossible feat given how far AI has advanced and continuing to advance exponentially. However this is where outsourced customer service is causing real damage, by just telling the customer to go ahead and do that, or we can do that for you and it'll all work out.


@spacecoastparts well then it would seem quite simple. AI only needs to say

 

"please refer to our policies shown at the bottom of the opening page, 4th row from the left"

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/default/ebays-rules-policies?id=4205

 

 

 

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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI


@onefootflipper wrote:

What are you all calling them about all the time?


DUH!  Calling them to find out why their sales are slow.   😉

Zero To Sixty In Five - Pablo Cruise
Message 26 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI


@spacecoastparts wrote:

AI should be developed properly and not steer the customer wrong. Give the customer all the rationale, policy excerpts, etc. regarding the response. This is not an impossible feat given how far AI has advanced and continuing to advance exponentially. However this is where outsourced customer service is causing real damage, by just telling the customer to go ahead and do that, or we can do that for you and it'll all work out.


You might want to look into AI a little more closely (I actually do video work for AI companies). 

_______________________
“I have a year, and who knows what might happen in that time. The king might die. The horse might die. I might die. And perhaps the horse will learn to sing.”

Hell is empty. And all the devils are here.
Message 27 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

"AI should be developed properly and not steer the customer wrong. Give the customer all the rationale, policy excerpts, etc. regarding the response. "

   

Woulda-coulda-shoulda be developed properly. From what I've seen of eBay AI so far I wouldn't hold my breath on the developed properly part.

   The policy excerpts are already there for anyone to read, don't need AI to read it for me.

  Be careful what you ask for lest eBay replaces the Social Media reps. with AI and it's the only recourse one has....................................

   

Message 28 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

I've been satisfied with customer service on a few occasions. It's the exception though, especially with deeper-level policy interpretation and anything actionable. Then they're powerless, place you on excessive holds to research script/policy and start spewing anything to satisfy the encounter. In the end you may be worse off with bad advice or a bad action sent to the "back shop".

 

The idea is for AI to take the human fallacies and human element out of what should be a mostly logical process based off of correct interpretation of policy in situations.

Message 29 of 38
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Re: Can eBay please replace outsourced customer service with AI

AI is already used in a number of areas on eBay. I suspect replacing customer service, if not entirely, at least to some extent beyond the chatbot, will happen at some point anyway. If it has shortcomings, people will get used to it like they get used to any change, and it will improve based off feedback.

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