Background

We’ve covered the importance of creating a channel strategy to drive engagement and building trust through branding. Now let’s talk about response time.

Slow replies have left 65% of global consumers feeling frustrated and/or annoyed and 72% believing their time is being wasted by a brand. Think about that—something as simple as a quick response can keep your customer from feeling frustrated, or worse, choosing a competitor instead.

Communication channels offer more than just an alternative to scrolling through FAQs and help articles—they create opportunities for your brand to have meaningful interactions with your customers. It's not enough for your business to provide these channels. You must also ensure swift responses to maintain customer satisfaction and trust.

86% of consumers say that the ability to message a brand in real-time increases their likelihood of completing a purchase.

Only 41% of consumers feel that brands often or always meet their response time expectations.

Golden hour

Unlocking the perfect response window for maximum engagement

So how quickly do consumers expect to hear back from brands? For over half (51%) of consumers, the answer is within an hour. Speed matters, and perfecting your response time can have a significant impact on your business.

In fact, 40% of consumers say they’ve made a repeat purchase and 25% made a first-time purchase from a brand that responded promptly.

Not only does a fast response build trust and loyalty, but it also positions your brand as reliable and customer focused. In today’s world, where consumers have numerous options, being quick to address their needs is crucial for securing and retaining customers. In fact, 46% of consumers have abandoned a brand in the past year due to slow responses, underscoring the importance of speed.

How quickly consumers expect a business to respond to their questions.

Top reasons consumers feel their time is wasted when communication with brands

61% of consumers say quick responses times would boost their trust in a brand.

How to expedite your response times when every minute counts

There are a few things in particular that really make customers feel like their time is being wasted: long wait times, having to repeat information, and not getting the information they needed to make a purchase or resolve an issue.

Fortunately, there are a few strategies businesses can adopt to provide better service to their customers and expedite their agents’ replies:

Call deflection is a smart way to guide customers to self-service options or online resources before they need to speak with a live agent. It empowers customers to find answers quickly on their own, cuts down on wait times, and lets agents focus on more complex issues. Plus, it’s cost effective and available 24/7.

By redirecting inquiries to SMS or email, one agent can handle multiple conversations, boosting efficiency. Adding quick reply buttons in apps like WhatsApp or rich communication services (RCS)* makes responses easier for customers, increases engagement, and speeds up support.

*Available through Twilio in 2025

Siloed data can confuse agents and frustrate customers. Instead, centralize your data with a customer data platform (CDP) to provide agents with a complete view of a customer's interaction history, issues, and behaviors. This eliminates the need for customers to repeat themselves and enables agents to address and resolve issues more efficiently.

Chatbots can help customers find answers to basic questions quickly, without the need to call and wait for an agent. By providing immediate responses to common inquiries, chatbots enhance the customer experience and free up human agents to handle more complex issues. Additionally, they can operate 24/7, providing round-the-clock customer support.

AI can turn support agents into super agents by providing real-time assistance during customer interactions and enabling quicker responses. Twilio’s Agent Copilot gives agents a complete customer summary, including a history of previous interactions, recent web or mobile activities, and insights into predicted lifetime value and churn propensity. This allows them to resolve issues more efficiently, ensuring prompt replies and quality service.

Plus, post-call summaries, disposition codes, and sentiment analysis are automated, so agents can jump to the next call or chat without delay.