One AI Mistake Could Cost Brands Nearly Half Their Customers, New Storable Research Finds

Consumers hold companies — not the technology — responsible when AI fails.

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Storable, the leader in integrated technology solutions for the self-storage industry, today released "The Quiet Hand-Off: America's AI Audit," a national survey of 1,000 employed U.S. adults looking at what people are already letting AI do for them, and what happens when companies put AI in front of their customers.

Nearly half of Americans (48%) say a single bad AI experience would send their business elsewhere, while another 38% would give a company only two or three chances. And when AI gets something wrong, 47% hold the company that deployed it primarily responsible, compared with just 9% who blame AI itself.

The stakes are rising because AI is doing more. In the past six months, 64% of Americans have had AI take a real action on their behalf, including resolving customer service issues (27%), booking appointments or reservations (25%), sending messages they didn't write (24%) and making purchases (23%). Half say AI is handling more of their lives than it was two years ago.

People also want a person available when the stakes are high. When asked what matters most when a company uses AI to resolve an issue, 54% chose having a human who can step in when needed, compared with 27% who prioritized AI that can complete the task.

Storable's solutions power the day-to-day operations of more than 33,000 self-storage facilities, as well as thousands of marinas and RV parks, handling everything from reservations and payments to tenant communication and site access. As AI takes on more of that work, the company wanted a closer read on what customers expect.

Additional insights from the report include:

• The Age Divide on Second Chances: 71% of Boomers would take their business elsewhere after a single AI mistake, compared with 33% of Gen Z. The customers most often assumed to be slower to adopt AI are the ones least willing to give it another try.
• Experience Beats the "Best AI": When given a choice between an AI company with the most advanced technology and an industry veteran with 20 years of experience that recently added AI, Americans chose the veteran nearly two to one (36% vs. 20%). The veteran won across every generation, including Gen Z, even after respondents were told the veteran was newer to building AI.
• People Will Pay to Keep a Human Involved: 57% would pay a premium for a guaranteed human who can review or override AI in high-stakes decisions, including 22% willing to pay 15% or more. Gen Z is the most willing to pay for that protection, with 76% willing to pay something, while 68% of Boomers would pay nothing at all.
• Consumers Are Already Bringing AI Into the Customer Relationship: 44% have used AI while dealing with a company without the other side knowing it was AI, including 20% during a customer service issue and 18% who sent a complaint, review or apology that the recipient believed was their own words. Gen Z leads at roughly six in ten, about twice the Boomer rate.
• AI Is Creating More Work for Many Workers, Not Less: Only 24% of workers who use AI say it saves them far more time than it costs once supervision and rework are counted. Meanwhile, 55% have deliberately made AI output look more human before passing it along, and 68% of workers at least sometimes suspect a coworker's work was created by AI.

"A dinner reservation AI gets wrong is annoying, but you fix it with a phone call. A payment that goes out or a customer can't get to their own stuff at 9pm on a Sunday, those are the moments a business gets judged on," said Taylor Yarbrough, VP of Product, at Storable. "Deciding what AI handles alone and what still needs a person is a judgment call you make from experience, and as AI works its way into more of daily life, what customers expect from the companies deploying it is going to keep moving. Keeping a pulse on that is going to matter as much as the technology itself."

The full "The Quiet Hand-Off: America's AI Audit" report is available here.

About Storable

At Storable, we're redefining property management for specialty real estate. Powered by AI, our end-to-end platform seamlessly integrates management software with marketplace listings, websites, CRM, insurance, payments and more. Tailored for self-storage, marine, and RV & camping operators, Storable helps you Win More every day. Explore our platform solutions at www.storable.com.

Media Contact:
John Eidson
Beantown Media Ventures
[email protected]

SOURCE Storable