Tech article
Stop relying on chatbots for customer care, UK service providers urged
Publisher description: Citizens Advice says providers of services such as energy, banking, phone and internet should guarantee the ‘right to talk to a human’
The Guardian | Sep 21, 2026 | Robert Booth UK technology editor
Automated excerpt
It uncovered slower and less reliable support for people who struggle with or have limited access to online systems and found the erosion of phone, face-to-face and paper communication had created a two-tier support system. “Going round in circles with a chatbot isn’t just annoying, it can be a blockade to essential services,” said Tom MacInnes, policy director at Citizens Advice. “We’ve seen organisations’ overreliance on chatbots and online forms leaving people unable to fix billing problems, sort out their debt or even access homelessness prevention services.
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