Digital interactions are changing attitudes on what makes a connection human, global study finds
November 09 2021 - 9:30AM
Verizon Business today released findings from its Human Connection
Survey, conducted by Longitude. With responses from more than 5,600
consumers globally, the data shows that while the option to
interact with a human is still essential, blended
interactions—offering both AI and human support—are as or more
satisfying to consumers than human-only interactions when it comes
to customer service.
“In today’s hyper-connected world, where consumers are willing
to switch brands after one bad experience, providing good customer
service is crucial for driving business continuity and growth,”
said Aamir Hussain, Senior Vice President of Business Products,
Verizon Business. “At Verizon, we’re focused on delivering
solutions that provide the right balance between machine and human
intelligence to create better experiences for our customers that
will give them the competitive edge they need for their business
operations.”
Technology Transparency and The Human
Connection
While 56 percent of consumers say they are now
comfortable with a fully automated interaction in which the company
demonstrates a good understanding of their preferences, attitudes
or other personal interactions, a connection with a human is
particularly desirable in customer service situations. Most survey
respondents (62%) would prefer a direct interaction with a
human—voice, real-time chat or in-person—to a fully or partly
automated interaction (37%) in order to resolve a customer service
issue.
Furthermore, the survey data highlights the roles
played by humans and machines in their online interactions with
brands need to be clearly defined. Nearly two-thirds of respondents
(65%) want companies to be honest about using AI-powered bots to
guide interactions. Such transparency appears to be the norm, but
41 percent of respondents would reduce their involvement with a
company if it were not forthcoming.
Additional survey findings:
- 78 percent of respondents agree blended interactions (offering
both AI and human support) are as or more satisfying than
human-only interactions when it comes to customer services.
- 48 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 34 (and 41%
overall) say it is entirely possible to have a “human connection”
in a fully automated interaction.
- Nearly half (47%) of respondents say that interacting with
machines online is a more positive experience for them than it was
two years ago.
- There is a fine line between knowing your customer and knowing
too much. While only 13% of respondents say that a company
obtaining information about them from a third party is a factor in
a negative interaction, 34% of customers (and 52% of those aged
between 55 and 65) have ceased interacting with a brand completely
if the company has obtained information about them from a
third-party.
- Half of US consumers in the survey say they do not usually need
a human agent to help them get customer support—considerably more
than in Europe (43%) or Asia-Pacific (38%).
- More respondents in the US (47%) than in the other regions also
say it is possible to have what they define as a human connection
in a fully automated interaction.
- When asked about the brands they feel most positive about, 52%
of US consumers say the interactions they have with those brands
tend to be mostly or fully automated. For Asia-Pacific consumers it
is 45%, and among European ones it is 42%.
As the tools that AI and machine learning power become better at
understanding nuance and sentiment, automated interactions will
take on more human-like characteristics, which will allow
organizations to reduce the need for human intervention. If brands
don’t try to pretend these are real human-to-human experiences,
they will profit from the improved customer experiences they
create. For the full survey findings, read the whitepaper, “The
Human Connection: Technology for Better Customer Experience.”
Driving Customer Excellence with Verizon Contact Center
and CX
With over 30 years of expertise in customer experience, Verizon
offers several Contact Center as a Service solutions with
digital/AI experience capabilities, such as Virtual Contact
Center(CXOne), Genesys Cloud, Digital CX and Conversational IVR.
Most recently, Verizon added Cisco Webex Contact Center, a
next-generation cloud contact center solution designed to maximize
agent productivity and improve customer satisfaction, to its robust
cloud contact center portfolio of solutions.
Verizon Business also offers a portfolio of Contact Center as a
Service solutions, supported by Professional Services, that enable
rapid time to market and the ability to drive revenue with every
customer interaction, while minimizing upfront capital investments,
to deliver a digital-first customer experience and improve customer
satisfaction. Interested enterprises can also take advantage of
Verizon’s 4G LTE / 5G wireless network to provide remote agent
access, even from rural locations. Learn more about all of Verizon
Business’ cloud contact center solutions here.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on
June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of
technology and communications services. Headquartered in New York
City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated
revenues of $128.3 billion in 2020. The company offers data, video
and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and
platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable
network connectivity, security and control.
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Media contact: Erin
Cheevererin.dowling@verizon.com@emdowling
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