The Person on the Other End of the Line

Every day, countless people in bustling cities call their mobile providers, hospitals, large businesses, airlines, and various other organisations for help with issues that can range from unpaid invoices to school emergencies. The person on the other end of the line holds immense power. If they listen carefully, take charge, and clearly explain next steps, the caller will walk away believing the organisation is trustworthy.

However, if the agent fails to hear the full issue, take ownership, or provide clear communication, the caller will leave with a negative impression that could last for years.

As the Customer Experience Leader and Chief Brand and Marketing Officer for Union Bank of Nigeria, Funmilola Aluko has spent over a quarter of her career building and leading customer experience programmes in financial services. She stresses that the person answering the phone is not just a cost to manage; she is the very essence of the organisation for the caller. This moment of contact is the entire game, across all sectors.

Customer Service Week serves as a reminder that the front line of any organisation extends far beyond contact centres and call queues. It encompasses retail hotlines, customer care desks, corporate switchboards, first impressions at headquarters, security officers, airline hotlines, and even nurses at admissions desks. These seemingly simple individuals embody the brand, culture, and promise of the organisation.

Although many organisations lack formal customer experience strategies, the truth is that every entity with people answering phones and doors is in the customer service business. The key to success lies in the first mile - the initial human interaction. Anxious callers seek reachable, reliable support from a calm, informed individual who can help them. When organisations consistently deliver on these aspects, they can truly excel. Conversely, skipping this crucial step results in hollow grand gestures.

Research supports this notion. PwC's 2025 Customer Experience Survey found that 86% of consumers consider human interaction moderately to very important, with 52% abandoning brands after experiencing poor customer service. Gartner's survey revealed that 64% of respondents would prefer companies not use AI in customer service, and their top concern is losing the personal touch. McKinsey's findings echo this sentiment, with 71% of Gen Z respondents preferring live calls to handle their issues.

Despite the growing influence of AI, Gartner predicts that not a single Fortune 500 company will fully eliminate human customer service by 2028, and half of organisations planning to cut service workforce will abandon those plans by 2027. The future belongs to those who recognize that fewer, better-equipped people can handle the most critical moments.

From an economic standpoint, Bain & Company's research shows that increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can boost profits by 25 to 95%. Each hung-up call and abandoned queue represents a loss for the organisation.

In Nigeria, KPMG's 2025 West Africa Banking Industry Customer Experience Survey highlights the shifting landscape. While reliability, security, and digital access are now expected, customers increasingly benchmark experiences against the best in other industries. The gap between Nigeria's top-rated and lowest-rated retail banks has narrowed from nearly eight percentage points to under three.

Ultimately, the statistic that resonates most with Aluko is the one from PwC: nearly nine in ten executives believe customer loyalty has grown, but only about four in ten consumers agree. This discrepancy underscores the risk leaders face in relying solely on internal metrics. A seemingly acceptable waiting time can feel interminable to someone stranded at an airport at two in the morning. The true measure of success lies in the human connection that transcends numbers.