• by Todd Wasserman , March 9, 2023

It’s only March, but it’s obvious that ChatGPT will be at least one of the biggest marketing stories of the year.

Since the app was released in late 2022, marketers have toyed with the AI chatbot. For instance, actor Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile used it to make a tongue-in-cheek ad. Avocados From Mexico, meanwhile, mulled running a ChatGPT-created ad, but backed out before the big game, according to Superbowlads.com.

But marketers aren’t just gobsmacked by the app, some are using it, at least for one humble purpose: to respond to product reviews.

Most prominently, marketing firm SOCi announced that it will use ChatGPT for that purpose. SOCi works with sub chain Jersey Mike’s to respond to customer comments and reviews, according to Restaurant Business. It’s not clear how exactly ChatGPT will respond to such comments.

When I asked ChatGPT why Jersey Mike’s sandwiches are so expensive (They’re not, really. I just wanted to put it in a defensive stance), here was its response:

“Overall, the higher cost of Jersey Mike's sandwiches can be attributed to their focus on quality, freshness, and individual ownership."

It was a solid response, but I know firsthand what it’s like to get an automated response when you really need an answer. It was for such purposes that GetHumanwas invented. The site claims to “Fix Your Customer Service Issues Faster” by providing  the "All-time Most Popular Phone Numbers” for major companies.

I wonder if ChatGPT and such systems will be enough to meet such customer service issues or if it will be even more frustrating. We’ll soon find out.