In a business landscape increasingly dominated by chatbots and automated systems, new research from a Knoxville sales consulting firm reveals a stubborn truth: the vast majority of consumers still want to talk to a real person. The findings, drawn from multiple surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025, suggest that companies racing to replace human touchpoints with AI may be undermining the very trust they need to build.
Citing data from PwC, Five9, and Kinsta, the Knoxville sales consulting firm explains why face-to-face customer acquisition builds trust that chatbots can't.
In an era where AI and digital marketing are more prevalent, the power of face-to-face customer acquisition is stronger than ever.”— Cooper Brown, CEO of Magnolia AcquisitionsKNOXVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, October 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Automated systems now manage an increasing share of customer interactions, yet the data consistently shows that most people still prefer speaking with an actual human being. Magnolia Acquisitions, a sales consulting firm based in Knoxville, Tennessee, has aggregated findings from several consumer surveys that underscore how deeply people value genuine human connection—and why brands that preserve it hold a distinct competitive edge.
The surveys, fielded in 2024 and 2025 across the United States and the United Kingdom, all converged on the same core insight from different vantage points: human interaction remains important to consumers, and they notice when it is absent.
According to PwC’s 2025 Customer Experience Survey, which polled more than 5,500 U.S. consumers, 86% said that human interaction is moderately or very important to their brand experience. The same survey found that 52% of consumers have stopped purchasing from or using a brand after a negative experience with its products or services.
A 2024 study by Five9, surveying 4,000 consumers in the U.S. and U.K., revealed that 75% prefer interacting with a real human—either in person or over the phone—for customer support. Additionally, 48% of respondents said they do not trust information provided by AI-powered customer service bots.
A 2025 Kinsta survey went even further, finding that 93% of U.S. consumers would rather deal with a human agent than with AI.
For brands, the implication is clear: technology should augment people, not replace them. Customers evaluating a new service often have nuanced questions that a website or chatbot cannot adequately address. A knowledgeable person who can listen, explain, and follow up creates the kind of trust that turns a one-time buyer into a loyal customer.
This philosophy is the foundation of Magnolia Acquisitions' customer acquisition model. Through a personalized, face-to-face approach, the company's team members connect consumers with the services its clients provide, focusing on customers who not only sign up but also activate and remain engaged.
“In an era where AI and digital marketing are more prevalent, the power of face-to-face customer acquisition is stronger than ever,” said Cooper Brown, CEO of Magnolia Acquisitions. “What we do is take a product that people use daily, find out if we can make their experience better, then educate the customer on how moving forward with our clients will improve their circumstances. When we do that, everyone wins. The customer gets a better experience, the client gets a new customer, the sales rep makes a commission.”
Brown added, “We do not try to sell to everyone. We find people who are having problems or unhappy with their current situation and show them an option to improve it. We have the ability to speak to the customer in a personal way they can relate to, instead of a generic list of features of a product.”
Many companies now route customer conversations through chatbots and automated phone menus. Magnolia Acquisitions has built its business on the opposite strategy. Its team members are trained on the services they represent, allowing them to answer specific customer questions in real time and even to advise when a particular option is not the right fit. Advertising and automated tools can generate awareness, but they rarely answer the single question that stands between a customer and a purchasing decision. Face-to-face customer acquisition is specifically designed to bridge that gap.
For the brands it represents, this direct marketing approach also introduces a layer of accountability. Every customer interaction is tied to a specific team member's name, and that personal accountability is part of what brands are paying for when they choose a customer acquisition firm over simply increasing their advertising spend. The company explains how this model operates in its overview of what Magnolia Acquisitions does.
To learn more about Magnolia Acquisitions, visit magnoliaacquisitions.com.
About Magnolia Acquisitions
Magnolia Acquisitions is a Knoxville, Tennessee-based sales consulting firm specializing in customer acquisition, sales, and direct marketing strategies. Founded in 2022, the company helps brands build meaningful customer relationships through face-to-face engagement while fostering leadership development and professional growth within its team. Magnolia Acquisitions is committed to professionalism, accountability, and long-term relationship building through ethical and performance-driven business practices.
Cooper Brown
Magnolia Acquisitions
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Why it matters: As more companies automate customer service to cut costs, these survey results serve as a warning: consumers are not just indifferent to AI—they actively distrust it. Brands that ignore the enduring demand for human interaction risk losing customers who are willing to walk away after a single bad experience.
