justin․searls․co

I just haggled with a chatbot

We ordered a wood chest that arrived with cosmetic damage. After logging the damage in their customer support interface, it prompted me to start a chat with their AI virtual assistant.

What happened next:

  1. It immediately offered me a 15% refund to keep the product
  2. I asked for 20% and it immediately agreed
  3. I asked for 25% and it immediately agreed
  4. I asked for 30% and it turned me down
  5. I took the 25%, which was, indeed, immediately refunded

Turns out that negotiating with a rules engine is way easier than negotiating with a human tasked with operating a rules engine.

So basically, all Wayfair did was add a chatbot to the end of their existing "Report a Problem" interface that will give customers more money if they ask for more money. What a world. 🌍

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