Chatbots drive away customers: 59% of Poles abandon online purchases, prefer own AI tools
A Payback survey reveals that nearly three in five Polish online shoppers have given up on a purchase because a store's chatbot couldn't resolve their issue, while 59% prefer using their own AI tools for recommendations.
The abandonment problem
Nearly 59% of Polish consumers have abandoned an online purchase because a store's chatbot or automated service system could not resolve their problem, according to a new Payback survey published by Rzeczpospolita. The tools that were meant to streamline customer service are instead becoming a source of frustration. The survey indicates that bots deployed by sellers clearly irritate consumers, with the same 59% figure representing those who have walked away from a transaction due to an unresolved query.
Trust but verify
Despite the friction with store chatbots, Polish shoppers are not rejecting AI altogether. Over 80% of respondents say they believe in AI-powered recommendations, either fully or to some extent. Yet trust does not mean blind acceptance: 94% independently verify the suggestions algorithms provide. Grzegorz Kielczewski, senior product expert at Payback, attributes this to growing user awareness of how large language models work, the influence of prompt quality, and the data underpinning model responses.
The first disappointments with AI hallucinations made consumers realize that it is not infallible and verifying answers matters for serious decisions made on their basis.
Own tools over store assistants
When it comes to AI for shopping, Poles show a clear preference for their own tools. The survey finds that 59% reach for personal AI assistants, while only 23% use the tools offered directly by the online store. This gap suggests that retailers' in-house solutions are failing to meet expectations, even as consumers embrace AI on their own terms. The remaining 40% of internet users do not use any AI assistant at all, the data shows.
- Abandoned purchase due to chatbot
- 59 %
- Trust AI recommendations
- 80 %
- Verify AI recommendations
- 94 %
- Prefer own AI tools
- 59 %
- Use store AI tools
- 23 %
- Do not use AI assistant
- 40 %
Poland's e-commerce profile
The survey also highlights Poland's strong position in European e-commerce. Polish consumers spend an average of 2 hours per week on online shopping, compared with 1.7 hours for the average European. They are not impulsive buyers; instead, they plan purchases carefully and prioritize value for money. Katarzyna Ciechanowska-Ciosk, managing director of Amazon.pl, describes Polish customers as highly conscious.
Poles are customers with exceptionally high awareness. They don't buy on impulse, but precisely plan expenses and carefully verify every promotion.
What it means for retailers
The findings point to a mismatch between the AI tools retailers are deploying and what consumers actually want. Shoppers are willing to use AI, but they demand reliability and prefer solutions they control. The high abandonment rate tied to faulty chatbots signals that poorly implemented automation can directly hurt revenue. As e-commerce competition intensifies, getting the AI experience right may become a decisive factor for Polish online stores.
