India Is Ahead in AI-Powered Customer Service - Here's What Support Leaders Should Do Next
New research from Twilio shows Indian consumers are the most comfortable with AI-driven support in APJ. But that comfort is conditional: they want clear guidance, strong data security, and fast access to a human when needed.
If you run customer support, this is your signal. AI is welcome, as long as it's trustworthy, transparent, and easy to override.
Snapshot: What Indian Customers Expect
- 55% are satisfied with current AI-powered customer experiences - the highest in APJ.
- 65% say they're patient with digital or automated channels.
- Top priorities for a good experience: quick resolution (44%), clear step-by-step guidance (43%), and data security (38%).
Translation: speed matters, but clarity and safety decide whether customers stay or switch.
Agentic AI: Optimism With Guardrails
Agentic AI - systems that can act on a customer's behalf with consent - is gaining traction. 72% of Indians are comfortable with businesses using it (vs. 62% APJ average). They're ready for task-level help like booking or managing appointments (67%) and minor purchases (64%).
Concerns are clear: privacy or data security risks (35%), accountability gaps (34%), and AI missing the intent (33%). If you deploy agentic AI, you need consent flows, audit trails, and a human-in-the-loop for edge cases.
Human Connection Still Wins
Despite rising comfort with automation, 46% prefer starting with a human even if it's slower. And 97% value an easy transfer from AI to a person.
Set a simple rule: no dead ends. Every automated interaction should offer a visible, low-friction handoff to an agent.
Digital Patience Is Contextual
- Patience peaks in healthcare scenarios: post-consultation follow-ups (72%) and pre-authorization or insurance questions for costly treatments (70%).
- Patience dips in retail/e-commerce: incorrect or damaged items (61%) and delayed/missing deliveries (60%).
- Customers will trade speed for assurance: 63% will wait longer for better security, 60% for more accurate support - and 56% would even pay extra.
Design your SLAs and automation differently by context. High-stakes equals high reassurance. Low-stakes equals near-zero friction.
Where AI Support Falls Short Today
- Scripted or robotic answers (42%)
- Limited or generic responses (39%)
- Poor intent detection - not understanding the question (37%)
- No clear way to escalate to a human (33%)
These are fixable with better conversation design, richer knowledge, and clean escalation paths.
The Four Levers That Extend Digital Patience
- Clarity: Tell customers what the AI can and cannot do. Label automation upfront. Offer step-by-step guidance for complex tasks.
- Choice: Provide an obvious, fast route to a human - ideally within two clicks or a single phrase like "talk to an agent."
- Continuity: Preserve context across channels and agents. No repeating details. Share transcripts automatically.
- Care: Use empathetic, conversational language. Acknowledge frustration. Offer outcomes, not menus.
90-Day Action Plan for Support Leaders
- Audit the journey: Map top 20 intents across chat, IVR, and email. Flag where customers drop or escalate.
- Segment by stakes: High-stakes flows get more guidance and stronger verification; low-stakes flows get speed and self-serve.
- Ship guardrails: Consent prompts, data minimization, audit logs, and agent review for sensitive actions.
- Fix escalation: Add agent transfer within the first screen and on every dead-end. Pass full context to avoid repetition.
- Upgrade knowledge: Replace generic answers. Use outcome-first articles, examples, and decision trees.
- Measure what matters: Track first contact resolution, assisted-to-human transfer success, containment with satisfaction, and secure-action completion.
- Pilot agentic tasks: Start with booking, status checks, simple refunds, and order edits. Gate with clear confirmations.
- Train your team: Teach agents to work with AI suggestions, verify sensitive steps, and take over gracefully.
Practical Conversation Design Tips
- Lead with outcome: "I can help you replace a damaged item now or connect you to an agent."
- Show progress: steps and ETA reduce anxiety during longer flows.
- Use confirmations for risky actions: "Here's what I'm about to do… Confirm?"
- Offer context at handoff: "I've shared our chat with Priya. She already has your order and photos."
Resources
- Learn more about customer engagement platforms at Twilio.
- Upskill your team on AI for support roles with job-focused programs: AI courses by job.
Bottom line: Customers in India welcome AI - as long as it's secure, clear, and optional. Pair automation with empathy and a clean human handoff, and you'll earn their patience and loyalty.
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