A new study by Twilio has revealed that Singapore consumers are the most digitally impatient in the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region, with expectations for customer service shaped by the country’s culture of efficiency and fast-paced digital adoption.
Growing impatience in digital interactions
The report, titled “Decoding Digital Patience: Are Asia Pacific’s Digital Users Losing Their Cool?”, found that while 90% of Singapore consumers believe they should be patient and polite in customer service interactions, only 59% manage to stay patient when engaging with brands online. This gap points to rising frustration caused by poorly designed digital experiences.
Singapore’s digital maturity has accelerated the adoption of AI tools in customer service. However, 54% of respondents said they have become less tolerant when interacting with AI, compared to 42% regionally. Only 29% of Singapore consumers are satisfied with AI-driven support, one of the lowest rates in APJ. The main frustrations include AI systems failing to understand queries (52%), providing generic answers (49%), and sounding overly robotic or scripted (48%).
Despite the prevalence of digital tools, nearly half of respondents (46%) prefer starting their interaction with a human agent, even if it means waiting longer. Patience levels remain high for phone calls (86%) and live chats (84%) but drop significantly for chatbots (53%) and automated voice systems (47%). One in four consumers also feels more patient during offline interactions, compared with just 12% who feel the same online.
Robert Woolfrey, Vice President of Communications for APJ at Twilio, said, “Speed alone doesn’t earn patience. AI can deliver efficiency, but if it fails to understand customers, provide clear guidance, or allow easy human escalation, it risks frustrating rather than delighting them. Brands must design AI experiences that combine speed with empathy, clarity, and seamless handoff to human agents when needed. That’s how digital patience is earned.”
Context shapes tolerance levels
The research highlighted that Singapore’s “digital patience window” is short, with consumers expecting issues to be resolved within an average of 24 minutes. Half of the respondents prioritise quick resolution, while 49% value clear instructions and 37% want to avoid repeating themselves across channels or agents.
However, tolerance levels vary depending on the situation. Consumers show greater patience during high-stakes scenarios such as healthcare, with 76% remaining patient when following up after consultations and 75% when booking appointments. In contrast, patience drops to 54% when reporting technical issues and 52% when chasing delayed deliveries. The findings suggest that consumers are not inherently impatient but adjust their expectations based on the urgency or importance of the interaction.
Luxury shoppers were also identified as one of the most demanding groups. Across APJ, 79% show patience when clarifying post-consultation matters or loan details, but only 66% remain patient when disputing charges or reporting missing high-value items.
Security and quality are now expected standards
The study found that while Singapore consumers are willing to accept slower service for greater security, they expect such safeguards to be included as standard rather than a premium feature. About 62% said they would tolerate delays for stronger security, yet only 43% would pay extra for it, below the regional average of 48%. This reflects a perception that quality and protection should be baseline expectations in mature markets like Singapore.
Twilio’s report suggests that brands need to redesign digital experiences to cultivate patience and trust. Key elements include being transparent about AI’s role, offering easy access to human agents, maintaining continuity across channels, and ensuring empathetic communication.
Alvin Lim, Head of Information Security at Endowus, a Singapore-based digital wealth management platform featured in the report, emphasised the importance of balancing speed and safety. “Speed and security should not be considered as competing priorities, but complementary pillars that collectively build trust,” he said. “Security is embedded into every customer journey we design by default, not as an afterthought. This is to enable seamless experiences without compromising protection.”
