48 percent of consumers want to speak to a real person in customer service

Twilio Inc., a customer engagement platform, has published new research highlighting the critical role of effective listening in improving brand loyalty and customer satisfaction.

Twilio’s latest report, Why good listening means good business, found that consumers currently feel most understood and heard by talking to a real person (48 percent).

In addition to speaking to a real person, there are other factors that make consumers feel heard and understood by a brand:

1. Responding to complaints with individual solutions rather than general apologies – 46 percent
2. Responding to feedback with tailored answers – 35 percent
3. Improving products and services based on customer feedback – 26 percent
4. Communicating with customers through the channel of their choice – 25 percent
5. Advertising and marketing specifically tailored to customer needs and habits – 14 per cnet

The research shows that listening to companies delivers a clear return on investment: 69 percent of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from that brand again. 67 percent say they are more likely to recommend the brand to someone else in the future.

While an overwhelming majority of customers (79 percent) say it is important to be listened to when they speak to customer service, 26 percent say they rarely feel heard.

Phone contact emerged as the preferred method for consumers to communicate with brands (32 percent), closely followed by email (31 percent) – beating online chat (12 percent) and social media (8 percent). However, there are higher levels of frustration when these more traditional communication methods fail to provide solutions. 69 percent of consumers feel frustrated when their issues aren’t resolved over the phone, higher than with other forms of communication.

Sam Richardson, Customer Engagement Consultant at Twilio, comments on the findings: “From social media to instant chat to telephony, customers have never had so many ways to connect with brands, and brands have never had so many ways to listen.

“This presents a golden opportunity for businesses. Good listening is the gateway to deeper understanding, providing brands with rich insights, helping them solve problems and enabling them to fully connect with their customers. But it also comes with risks, and the costs of not listening are felt by businesses of all sizes. With customer loyalty being a critical revenue stream, brands must ensure every customer interaction is on target to avoid losing out.”

The report offers important, practical advice for companies on how to better listen to their customers.

• Phone preference: Phone remains the most important communication channel (32 percent), highlighting the continued importance of voice in customer service. However, Voice AI offers exciting potential to support the voice channel in the future.
• Brevity is important:Keeping communication short is crucial. One in four people lose focus when employees are not clear and concise.
• Insightful responses: Quick access to customer data, such as purchase history, enables agents to better understand and answer questions. This personalized approach makes customers feel heard and improves satisfaction scores.
• Speed ​​and efficiency: Faster problem resolution over the phone is preferred. Better call routing connects the right agent to the right customer, streamlining operations and increasing satisfaction.
• It’s all about data: For 16-24 year olds, phone (24 percent) and social media (19 percent) are the preferred communication channels, demonstrating a clear appetite for both human and digital interactions. Voice interactions remain essential for customer engagement, and AI can enhance insights into customer data for a hyper-personalized experience that can be tailored to diverse demographics.

Richardson added: “To ensure brands truly listen to and understand their customers, regardless of their needs, they need to develop a hyper-personalised approach that is driven by data. By also recognising the importance of traditional channels like phones, brands are ensuring that essential human interactions are happening through the power of voice – especially for those more emotional or urgent customer needs. However, automation like voice AI can do an excellent job of supporting the voice channel, provided brands have the right data to personalise and follow up with actions that make customers feel known and heard.

“By incorporating both traditional and AI-powered voice channels into customer engagement strategies – and modernizing them with AI analytics – brands can enhance their approach with actionable insights. By combining these tools with a comprehensive understanding of customer needs, brands can truly master the art of listening and turn every customer interaction into a business opportunity.”