Key Finding

85% of People Would Rather Speak to a Real Person Than AI

The research found that 85% of people would rather speak to a real person than AI when contacting a business. That preference was even higher in industries where trust, urgency, and accuracy matter, including healthcare, law firms, local services, and real estate.

That matters for Denver Tech Center businesses because many callers are not just asking simple questions. They may be booking a consultation, asking about services, trying to reach a decision-maker, comparing providers, or evaluating whether your company feels professional enough to hire.

When the first voice they hear is automated, the experience can feel impersonal before the conversation really begins.

Customers Are Actively Trying to Reach Humans

The AnswerConnect research reports that 82% of respondents have requested to speak to a real person instead of an AI agent or chatbot. Even more telling, 68% said they have done this multiple times.

That statistic matters because it shows customers are not simply accepting automation. Many are actively trying to get around it.

For a Denver Tech Center business, that can create friction at the exact moment a prospect is trying to move forward. If someone has already picked up the phone, they are showing intent. They want help now. A frustrating automated experience can weaken trust and slow down the sale before your team ever gets involved.

AI Can Cost You Leads Before You Ever Speak to Them

One of the most important findings is that 1 in 3 people say they would hang up if connected to AI.

For businesses that depend on inbound phone calls, that is a serious risk. A caller who hangs up never becomes a scheduled appointment, consultation, estimate request, or sales opportunity.

In consulting, legal services, financial services, technology services, healthcare-adjacent fields, real estate, and B2B service businesses, the phone call is often the first real conversion point. Losing that moment can be expensive.

AI Can Reduce Trust

The research found that 57% of people would trust a business less if it predominantly used AI for customer service.

Trust is one of the biggest factors in whether a customer chooses your business. When someone calls for the first time, they are listening for signals. Are you professional? Are you responsive? Do you understand what they need? Can they rely on you?

A live receptionist helps answer those questions before the caller ever speaks with the business owner, advisor, attorney, consultant, or specialist. A real person can listen, clarify, recognize urgency, and make the caller feel like their issue is being handled carefully.

Customers Do Not Fully Trust AI to Take the Right Action

The research also found that resolution matters most during a customer service interaction. Customers are not only asking, “Did someone answer?” They are asking, “Did they understand me? Did they route me correctly? Did they take the right message? Did they schedule the right appointment? Did they give me accurate next steps?”

That matters in the Denver Tech Center, where many businesses handle high-value conversations. A missed detail can mean a missed consultation, a mishandled intake, an incorrectly routed call, or a poor first impression.

The research shows significant distrust of automated AI services to take correct action and relay accurate information in sensitive or service-driven industries. For companies where details matter, a live receptionist can reduce risk and create a better customer experience.

Customers Get Frustrated When AI Cannot Understand the Situation

The AnswerConnect research found that 59% of people find AI agents frustrating when calling customer service, compared to just 11% for human agents.

The top AI frustrations included:

• Difficulty understanding customer needs
• Inability to answer a question
• Failure to resolve the problem
• Providing inaccurate information
• Generic or unhelpful responses
• Forcing customers to repeat information

These frustrations are exactly why a live receptionist still matters. A trained person can adapt to the conversation, ask a follow-up question, recognize when something is urgent, and make the caller feel understood.

Human Receptionists Help Businesses Win Customers

When respondents were asked which business they would choose among companies with similar reviews, 79% said they would be more likely to choose the business where a human receptionist greets and answers the call.

That makes phone answering more than an operational detail. It is part of your marketing.

A live receptionist can make your Denver Tech Center business sound more established, more trustworthy, and easier to work with. That first impression can influence whether someone books, buys, schedules, or keeps searching for another provider.

Human Service Builds Loyalty

The research also found that 73% of people would be more loyal to a company that employs people for all service interactions.

Loyalty is especially important for Denver Tech Center businesses that rely on long-term relationships, repeat customers, professional referrals, and client retention. The first call can influence the entire customer relationship.

When a person answers the phone, the caller is more likely to feel valued, heard, and respected. That feeling can become a competitive advantage.

What This Means for Denver Tech Center Businesses

The Denver Tech Center is home to businesses where responsiveness and credibility matter. When a prospect calls a consultant, attorney, advisor, healthcare-adjacent business, technology firm, real estate professional, or service company, they are often making a decision quickly.

That first conversation helps determine whether they feel comfortable taking the next step.

AI can help automate simple internal workflows, but the research shows consumers still prefer speaking with people when the interaction matters. They trust human receptionists more, are more likely to choose businesses that use them, and report greater loyalty when real people handle customer interactions.

For Denver Tech Center businesses, a live receptionist can strengthen trust, improve the customer experience, and help convert more inbound calls into scheduled appointments, consultations, and clients.

Sources

Statistics referenced in this article were sourced from AnswerConnect’s research compilation:

45 AI Customer Experience Statistics
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The report includes findings from a nationwide OnePoll survey of 6,000 adults regarding AI, customer service preferences, trust, loyalty, and purchasing behavior.

Why Intelligent Office Denver Tech Center Is Built Around Real People

Intelligent Office Denver Tech Center gives businesses live and local phone answering from real receptionists who can answer calls in your business name, take messages, transfer calls, schedule appointments, support intake, and help callers feel heard from the first hello.

Unlike a basic answering service or AI phone tool, Intelligent Office also supports your business with professional front desk staff, mail handling, meeting rooms, and office space. That means your phone presence and physical business presence can work together.

For Denver Tech Center businesses that value trust, professionalism, responsiveness, and long-term customer relationships, a real person answering the phone remains one of the most effective ways to stand out.

Learn more about Intelligent Office Denver Tech Center