Zomato’s AI Support Struggles: Customer Experience with Nugget AI

A post on Reddit has gained traction, highlighting a customer’s frustrating interaction with Zomato’s AI-driven support assistant, Nugget AI. This user claimed to have “broken” the chatbot while attempting to cancel an order.

Encounter with Zomato’s AI Assistant

In a series of screenshots shared on the r/Zomato subreddit, the user described how the system continually refused to connect him with a human customer service representative, leading to considerable frustration.

Initial Chaos

The customer’s ordeal began when, in haste, he accidentally added multiple extra items to his cart while heading home with his one-year-old daughter. He stated that he was trying to get home with his unsettled toddler when he mistakenly placed the order filled with additional items.

Attempt to Resolve the Issue

After contacting the restaurant, they agreed to cancel the extra items but informed him that full cancellation needed to be processed through Zomato’s customer support. He described this interaction as the start of his dreadful experience.

Frustration with AI

The customer expressed that the AI system was incapable of understanding his requests. He noted that all he needed was to speak with a human agent, but the bot persistently refused to comply.

Testing the Chatbot’s Limits

In his quest for assistance, he decided to push the chatbot’s boundaries by persistently demanding to speak to customer support. Eventually, he concluded that he had “broken” its algorithm when the bot failed to respond appropriately and instead stated it would escalate the issue to a senior support executive.

Lack of Understanding in AI Communication

The user expressed shock at Zomato’s choice to implement this bot, as it seemed to lack essential understanding skills. He expressed that it was incomprehensible why Zomato introduced Nugget AI if the chatbot could not grasp fundamental human communication. He mentioned attempting to explain the importance of reducing food waste, yet the AI struggled to comprehend.

Community Reactions

The post resonated with numerous users online, with one Redditor humourously commenting that chatbots appear not to be programmed to handle spam. The original poster acknowledged this and observed that expectations during development likely did not include spam encounters.

Similar Experiences

Another user shared their own experience with Zepto, where they faced a similar situation, spending a considerable amount of time repeating messages before finally securing a refund and receiving a Rs 200 coupon. Additionally, a third commenter noted that the AI simply repeated the same responses and failed to assign a live agent despite several requests.