Over Half of New Hires Take "Over Half a Year" to Become Independent. Survey Reveals the Limits of Training Costs in Understaffed Customer Support and the Real Opinions on "AI Utilization" That Over 60% Are Counting On

Ingage Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; President and CEO: Tetsuya Wada; hereinafter "Ingage"), which provides the communication platform "Re:lation" and boasts over 6,000 implementations (*1), conducted a "Survey on the Actual Status of AI Utilization in Inquiry Response" targeting business professionals who are regularly involved in inquiry response operations.

This survey revealed the reality of the limitations faced by on-site operations, such as the burden of new employee training and the "siloing" of operations due to severe staff shortages, as well as the real opinions and expectations surrounding AI utilization.

◆ Survey Background

The Vicious Cycle of "Training and Siloing" Pressuring Veteran Employees Amidst Deepening Staff Shortages

In recent years, with the decline in the working population, all companies are being asked to improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction with limited personnel. However, many customer support (CS) sites are burdened by "severe staff shortages" and "long-term training costs for new staff," creating a vicious cycle that strains the resources of veteran employees who are constantly training new hires. This survey highlighted the serious reality of limited personnel and time shortages caused by the "burden of training workload" on site leaders and the deeply ingrained "siloing of operations" within teams.

◆ Survey Results

The Barriers to AI Implementation Are Not Cost, But "Lack of IT Talent" and "Response Accuracy"

The survey found that attitudes towards AI implementation within departments are almost evenly split between proponents (51%) and cautious individuals (49%). The most frequently cited barriers to implementation were not financial, but rather "lack of people knowledgeable about IT" (34%) and "anxiety about AI providing incorrect answers" (32%), indicating that preparing operational systems and ensuring accuracy are the biggest bottlenecks.

On the other hand, high expectations (62%) were also revealed for autonomous AI that assumes "collaboration between humans and AI" (76% desire this) for smooth handover to humans when AI is unable to handle a query.

◆ Survey Topics

1 Over Half of On-Site Staff Feel "Staff Shortages"; Particularly Severe in Manufacturing, Construction, Healthcare, and IT

Regarding staff shortages, 52% of respondents overall feel the impact. By industry, manufacturing and construction (60%), healthcare and welfare (59%), and IT/information communication (57%) show particularly high levels, indicating the severity in Japan's core industries and sectors crucial for DX.

2 Over 20% Handle Over 500 Inquiries Monthly; Finance and Real Estate Stand Out

22% of inquiry response sites are facing a high volume of over 500 inquiries per month. This is particularly common in finance and insurance (31%) and real estate/goods rental (30%), illustrating a situation where limited staff are overwhelmed by extensive customer communication.

3 "Over Half a Year" for New Hires to Become Independent (55%); Training Burden Squeezes Leaders' Core Tasks

55% of sites require "over half a year" for new hires to become capable of handling inquiries independently. As a result, 64% of respondents feel that the work time of veterans and leaders is being reduced, highlighting the "limits of training costs" where the main workforce is consumed by training.

4 "Only This Person Knows" Siloing Affects 63%; Anxiety About After-Hours Support

63% are aware of the issue of "siloing of operations," and 45% feel anxious about prompt responses during non-business hours or peak periods. A key theme for CS systems is how to overcome situations where "only specific individuals can handle certain tasks" and establish a mechanism for uniform responses by anyone.

5 Current Status of AI Utilization: Practical Use is Divided; Usage Scenarios Centered on "Text Creation/Summarization"

While 50% of respondents "do not use AI at all" in their work, users are leveraging it primarily for "creating/proofreading replies" (40%) and "summarizing inquiry content" (35%). Although some results have been achieved in improving the efficiency of text-based tasks, there remains significant room for growth in the market.

6 Barriers to AI Implementation Are "Lack of IT Talent" and "Anxiety About Accuracy"; Cost Ranks Third

The main obstacles to AI implementation were "lack of people knowledgeable about IT" (34%) and "fear of AI making mistakes" (32%), ranking higher than implementation costs (26%). Concerns about "how to use it effectively," such as ongoing support and accuracy assurance, are hindering adoption more than cost.

7 The Ideal is "Human-AI Collaboration"; 62% Expect "AI Employees" Capable of Autonomous Response

The expected roles for AI are "automatic responses to frequently asked questions" (42%) and "support during busy periods" (41%). Furthermore, 76% prioritize "smooth handover functions to humans," and 62% expect an ideal division of labor where "AI handles initial responses, and humans take over complex cases," rather than offloading everything to AI.

◆ Survey Overview

Survey Name: Survey on the Actual Status of AI Utilization in Inquiry Response Survey Method: Online Survey Survey Period: June 3, 2026 - June 11, 2026 Valid Responses: 5,000 screened, 484 for main survey Download the detailed report here: https://ingage.jp/relation/download/ai-cs-survey/

◆ Future Outlook

This survey clarifies that the key to resolving the "training and siloing" challenges faced by customer support sites lies not in complex tools requiring advanced IT skills, but in a simple division of roles where AI can make autonomous judgments simply by being provided with manuals.

Ingage will support these on-site "pain points" and promote the creation of an environment where humans and AI can collaborate ideally. By having AI handle routine tasks, the freed-up resources will be reallocated to "service improvement" and "focusing on difficult consultations," providing a system to reallocate limited resources to core operations and optimization of customer experience, thereby contributing to companies' DX promotion and business growth.

◆ About "Re:lation"

"Re:lation" is a communication platform that centrally manages multiple inquiry channels such as email, phone, chat, and social media, allowing teams to share information. It offers visualization of response status, AI-powered response support, and task/process management all within the tool. Accurate grasp of work progress prevents siloing and enables standardized operations.

It transforms accumulated response logs and knowledge into organizational assets, supporting "proactive customer support" beyond just preventing mistakes. With over 6,000 companies implemented (*1), it contributes to improving corporate productivity and business growth.

"Re:lation" Service Site: https://ingage.jp

(*1) Includes trial usage.

About Ingage Inc.

Location: 1-14-8 Shibata, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture

Representative: Tetsuya Wada, President and CEO

Business Activities: Development and provision of the communication platform "Re:lation"

Corporate Site: https://ingage.co.jp

Contact for Inquiries Regarding This Release

Contact Person: Ingage Inc., Public Relations Representative, Nishizawa

TEL: 050-3116-8373

E-mail: pr@ingage.jp