Customer Service: The Value of Getting a Human on the Phone

No one should have to prep their nerves to place a phone call to a business. Yet, that’s what we find ourselves doing when placing a call to a business where we know we won’t get through to human support staff. And if we do, it’s takes a big chunk of our precious time wading through auto-attendant hell.

In this post, you will read about:

• The true value of getting human support on the phone
• Three myths about live support debunked
• An easy solution for cost-effective human support

The True Value of Getting a Human on the Phone

It’s 2026 and multi-channel service is on the rise. Your customers are reaching out from more channels than ever before: phone, email, social media, review sites and live chats. Yet, the phone remains one of the most used channels for support. Why? Because your customers appreciate the human element of phone support.

So, why do businesses make it consistently difficult to reach a person to solve an issue? Let’s have a look at what consumers really want versus what is being provided to them.

The Phone is Still King (By the Numbers)

• According to Accenture, 81 percent of consumers admit to frustration when dealing with a company that does not make it easy to do business with them. But it goes beyond mere frustration.
• Consumers are dumping companies with poor or no live support; 83 percent of consumers who switched providers say if the previous company had better live support, it would have impacted their decision.
• Above all else, 61 percent of consumers still prefer phone support. And HelpScout points out that better human service is the most requested customer service improvement.  

It’s completely clear that your customers desire to reach you on the phone. But how will you provide this support? Isn’t it expensive?

Let’s have a look at three common myths about providing support to your customers over the phone and why they aren’t true.

Three Common Myths About Human Support Debunked

If you’re still on the fence about the importance of your customers reaching a human on the phone, here are three common myths about live support that are totally false.

“Building a support team / hiring a receptionist is expensive.”

Okay. You got me there. It is expensive to hire and build a support team from scratch. It is expensive to hire a receptionist. However, you can get better support at a fraction of the cost by hiring a team of professional live receptionists.

PATLive is much more affordable than having an in-house support team or receptionist, and the agents are trained to know your business.

“Email and social media are going to cut it. I can manage those myself.”

Email is an inefficient way to reach support unless you have someone hired to man the inbox non-stop, and the same thing goes for social media. When you offer only these channels for support, your customers expect super speedy turnaround – within minutes in some cases.

If you don’t have the manpower (or womanpower) to manage support issues efficiently through these channels, you will actually end up in a worse off. Phone support is much faster.

“No one is calling after business hours.”

Perhaps you’ve found that your customers aren’t leaving voicemails after business hours. That doesn’t mean they aren’t calling. Maybe they aren’t leaving you a voicemail; according to Forbes magazine, 80 percent of callers forgo leaving a voicemail out of fear it will never be heard.

Using an after-hours answering service increases customer satisfaction by providing your customers with the human support they want. It also boosts business since human support reduces churn.

The Easy Button for Human Support

Easy, human phone support is key in today’s world where customers reach out in so many ways. We’ve seen how much people value talking to a real person and how myths about live support aren’t true. And providing great phone and web chat support isn’t as hard or costly as you might think.

PATLive offers a smart solution. Our professional live receptionists know your business and can help your customers effectively. This service doesn’t cost as much as an in-house team, and it’s a game-changer for your customer service.

In 2026 your customers want to talk to real people when they call. So why not give them what they want? Try PATLive’s 100% US-based answering services for free for 14 days. This could be the change your business needs to keep your customers happy and coming back.