New research from Ventrica shows that UK companies can’t afford to replace humans with AI in customer service enquiries, with an emotive experience unlocking repeat purchasing and more revenue.
Ventrica has revealed the revenue benefits for brands that invest in providing emotive customer experiences (CX) that consumers want.
The company commissioned OnePoll to survey over 2,000 UK consumers and found that over the last 12 months, only 4% of positive experiences were delivered by AI and only 18% were a combination of AI and human interaction. Furthermore, just over half (53%) found chatbots to be a successful means of resolving enquiries, significantly lower than calls (87%).
Brand loyalty and repeat purchasing
Fifty-three percent of consumers will make a repeat or multiple repeat purchases following a positive experience. A further 16% say they intend to make a repeat purchase. Seventy-nine percent of consumers say it has improved their brand loyalty.
According to the study, consumers say they would potentially spend more in retail (29%), marketplaces (23%) and financial services (20%) after a positive experience with a customer service team
The human touch is still critical to positive experiences
According to Ventrica’s study almost three-quarters (76%) of positive experiences were delivered solely by a human.
Seventy-two percent of all interactions, whether they started via chatbot or any other means, were eventually resolved by a person.
These findings reinforce the importance of empathy and emotional intelligence in customer interactions.
When asked what makes an experience positive, 69% of respondents said speed to resolution was the most important factor. The second highest was clear and easy-to-understand communication (45%) and empathy rounded out the top three factors, selected by almost a third (31%) of all respondents.
In an age of increasing digital communication, the research found consumers still heavily rely on phone calls, as they look for a fast and emotive customer experience. The research found 82% of consumers said they called customer services in the past year, compared to:
- Email – 75%
- Chatbot – 65%
- Messenger services (e.g. WhatsApp) – 39%
- Social media (e.g. Meta, X) – 36%
From problem to profit
Iain Banks, CEO of Ventrica, said: “Rather than seeing customer service as just a cost centre, brands should recognise it as a powerful driver of revenue and loyalty. Our research highlights that when customers receive fast, empathetic and emotionally engaging support, they develop a stronger connection to the brand, leading to increased loyalty and higher spending.
“The human touch is essential – consumers value authentic, emotional connections that create positive experiences, especially when resolving issues. By focusing on emotionally intelligent, high-quality service, businesses can turn every customer interaction into a revenue-generating opportunity, fostering stronger relationships and increasing lifetime value. In an era where consumers reach out to customer service teams an average of five times a year, brands have a golden opportunity to build trust and differentiate themselves,” Banks said.
