Third-Party AI Outperforms Brand Chatbots | Bitclever

Author: Bitclever AI Research ## Executive Summary A new study reveals a worrying trend for brands: while the use of third-party generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT and similar assistants) has doubled over the past year in the context of customer service, the use of proprietary company chatbots remains stagnant since 2022. This data suggests a significant shift in consumer behaviour, with people increasingly turning to generalist AI tools instead of solutions developed by the brands themselves. ## What Happened According to data reported by Marketing Dive, there has been a sharp increase in consumers' use of third-party generative artificial intelligence tools when seeking to resolve customer service issues. This usage has doubled within a year, an impressive growth that contrasts sharply with the stagnation recorded in chatbots developed and made available directly by brands. The figures indicate that, since 2022, there has been no statistically significant difference in the volume of usage of companies' own chatbots. In other words, despite ongoing investments by brands in automated customer service solutions, consumers seem to be bypassing these tools in favour of generalist AI assistants, which are more versatile and often better equipped for natural conversations and complex problem-solving. ## Why This Matters This phenomenon represents a relevant inflection point in how consumers interact with brands in the digital context. Historically, companies have invested significant sums in developing proprietary chatbots, expecting these tools to become the primary channel for resolving simple, recurring issues, thereby easing the burden on human support teams. The finding that consumers prefer to turn to third-party tools, such as generalist AI assistants, raises fundamental questions about the user experience offered by brand chatbots. It is possible that these proprietary tools are perceived as less capable, more limited in terms of contextual understanding, or simply less convenient than more advanced and widely adopted generative AI solutions. Additionally, this shift has relevant implications in terms of control over the customer experience. When consumers use external tools to obtain information about a brand's products or services, the company loses visibility and control over the quality and accuracy of that interaction, with potential reputational risks if the information provided is incorrect or outdated. ## Business Impact For organisations that have invested in proprietary chatbots, this data should serve as a strategic wake-up call. Several practical implications emerge from this trend: **Reassessing investment in proprietary chatbots**: Companies must question whether their current chatbots offer sufficient value to justify continued investment, or whether a deep overhaul of these tools is needed to make them competitive against generalist alternatives. **Risk of losing narrative control**: If customers increasingly turn to external tools to obtain information about products and services, brands risk losing control over the accuracy and consistency of the message being conveyed, which can directly affect customer experience and brand perception. **Need for optimisation for AI discovery**: Just as traditional SEO optimises content for search engines, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that product and service information is structured and accessible so it can be correctly interpreted by third-party generative AI tools — an emerging concept often referred to as generative engine optimisation (GEO or AI SEO). **Pressure to modernise internal solutions**: Companies that want to keep customers within their own service channels will need to invest in more sophisticated generative AI capabilities, capable of rivalling the conversational quality offered by leading market tools. ## Bitclever Perspective At Bitclever, we closely monitor the evolution of the AI landscape as applied to customer service, and we recognise that this trend represents both a challenge and a strategic opportunity for Portuguese and European companies. Our experience in automation and artificial intelligence projects allows us to help organisations better understand their customers' behaviour and identify where their proprietary chatbots may be falling short of modern expectations. This involves a careful analysis of the current user experience, identification of functional gaps, and evaluation of more advanced generative AI technologies that can be integrated into the brand's own channels. Furthermore, we believe that the answer to this challenge is not only about improving existing chatbots, but also about ensuring that institutional and product information is well-structured and optimised to be correctly interpreted by third-party AI tools — since, regardless of consumer preference, the brand must ensure that the information available about its products and services is accurate and up to date. Our consultative approach focuses on helping companies define a balanced strategy: modernising their own service channels with competitive generative AI technologies, while simultaneously preparing the organisation for the reality that many customers will turn to external tools for information. ## Conclusion The stagnation of brands' proprietary chatbots, in contrast to the accelerated growth in the use of third-party generative AI tools, is a clear sign that consumers are redefining how they seek support and information. Companies that ignore this trend risk losing relevance within their own digital channels and control over the customer experience. The way forward requires a serious reassessment of customer service strategies, with investment in more sophisticated generative AI technologies and careful preparation to ensure that brand information is accessible and accurate, regardless of the channel chosen by the consumer. Organisations that can adapt quickly to this new reality will be better positioned to maintain customer trust and loyalty in a constantly evolving technological landscape.

Third-Party Generative AI Tools Outperform Brand Chatbots in Customer Service

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