A recent survey found that nearly 60% of consumers said they would rather sit in a traffic jam than have a poor customer experience. This was just one of the findings released today by TELUS International, a digital customer experience (CX) innovator, to mark National Customer Appreciation Day.

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“Nearly 48% of consumers believe that customer experiences should get significantly faster, followed by 43% saying interactions should become more personalized and 36% saying there should be more self-serve or automated options”

The survey also revealed that nearly half (49%) of all respondents said that if they could only receive customer support in one way for the rest of their lives, their preference would be speaking with a human on the phone. The distant second preference was ‘in person’ (19%). Further highlighting the importance of employing authentic and empathetic individuals to represent your brand, “kind/kindness” was the most popular write-in answer from consumers when asked what customer experience should look like in 2022.

“Nearly 48% of consumers believe that customer experiences should get significantly faster, followed by 43% saying interactions should become more personalized and 36% saying there should be more self-serve or automated options,” said Maria Pardee, chief commercial officer at TELUS International. “It’s clear that brands must continue to innovate and evolve how they are connecting with today’s consumers if they want to show them their appreciation every day of the year. Partnering with a trusted CX provider with the right technology enables brands to quickly and effectively address many consumer challenges and concerns. By leveraging AI and automation to give CX delivery agents valuable data-driven insights to personalize and streamline customer-brand interactions, and by introducing the right digital channels, from social media to live chat, companies can meet their customers’ needs today and into the future.”

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Other findings from the survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers included:

• More than a third (44%) of respondents said that nothing – not even price, convenience, or if it’s a brand they truly like – excuses a poor customer experience
• Respondents preferred a more personalized customer experience (64%) over ones that saved them time (36%)
• Long wait times were the top pet peeve (32%), followed by not having the option to speak with a human (25%) and numerous transfers to different individuals (25%)

TELUS International is a digital CX innovator that designs, builds, and delivers next-generation solutions, including AI and content moderation, for global and disruptive brands. The company’s integrated CX platform analyzes consumer behavior, prioritizes changing customer demands and helps its clients meet evolving market dynamics. These human-centered, digital experiences, delivered across all channels by a highly-engaged team, show appreciation and enhance brand loyalty.

One final finding: Almost one-third of consumers (27%) identified Darth Vader as a fictional character most likely to provide the worst customer experience. We all know ‘he’ only serves the Empire.