Twilio’s new research, “Decoding Digital Patience: Are Asia Pacific’s Digital Users Losing Their Cool?”, has revealed that Singapore consumers are the most digitally impatient in the Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) region, with only 59% remaining patient when dealing with brands online despite almost all (90%) believing they are expected to be patient and polite in customer service interactions.
“Speed alone doesn’t earn patience. AI can deliver efficiency, but if it fails to understand customers, provide clear guidance, or allow easy human escalation, it risks frustrating rather than delighting them," said Robert Woolfrey, vice president, APJ, Communications, at Twilio.
AI: driving speed, but testing patience
The report has revealed that 54% in Singapore feel less tolerant when interacting with AI, the highest in APJ and above the regional average of 42%.
Moreover, only 29% of Singapore consumers are satisfied with AI-supported customer service, among the lowest in the region.
In Singapore, over half of consumers (52%) express their frustration when AI fails to comprehend their queries. Almost all Singapore consumers (46%) prefer to start directly with a human agent, even if it takes longer, compared with 42% across the region.
Human-led channels, such as phone calls (86%) and live chat (84%), are highly valued by Singapore consumers for their personal touch. However, patience drops sharply for AI chatbots (53%) and interactive voice response (47%). Moreover, one in four consumers says they feel more patient with offline services than with online services, compared with just 12% for online services.
“Brands must design AI experiences that combine speed with empathy, clarity and seamless handoff to human agents when needed. That’s how digital patience is earned,” Woolfrey added.
Twilio commissioned YouGov, a global public opinion and data company, to conduct an online survey of 7,331 adults (aged 18 and above), including 1,036 in Singapore.
