As customer service rapidly evolves in the digital era, businesses are increasingly deploying chatbots to manage user interactions, aiming to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and provide instant support. At the same time, human agents continue to play a vital role in delivering personalized, empathetic, and adaptive communication. This research paper presents a comparative study of chatbots and human agents, examining their respective strengths and limitations across key factors such as response time, emotional intelligence, scalability, cost-effectiveness, problem-solving capability, and customer satisfaction. Drawing on real-world implementations, user behavior analysis, and industry practices, the study reveals that while chatbots offer superior speed, availability, and consistency, they struggle with complex queries and emotional nuance—areas where human agents excel. The paper argues that the most effective customer service models are hybrid systems that leverage the efficiency of AI-powered chatbots alongside the emotional intelligence and adaptability of human support. As AI technologies continue to advance, understanding the appropriate use cases for automation versus human interaction becomes crucial for businesses seeking to enhance customer experience while maintaining operational efficiency
Keywords: Chatbots, Human Agents, Customer Support, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, Customer Experience, Conversational AI.