A new survey from TELUS Digital shows that voice technology is becoming a key part of daily life for Americans, with 81% of consumers utilising it regularly at home or work. Over the past year, 68% have increased their use of voice tech, highlighting that tools such as virtual assistants and smart speakers are now part of the modern customer journey.
Advancements in Gen AI have further improved voice tech, making it more responsive and intuitive. According to the survey, 58% of respondents would be more likely to engage with a brand incorporating voice technology into its customer service channels. This technology is also a key driver for consumer satisfaction and retention, with 69% reporting a positive first experience with voice tech.
Consumers cited speed and efficiency (35%), convenience (31%), and multitasking ability (30%) as the main reasons they rely on voice commands. In their personal lives, voice tech is usually used for daily tasks (66%), communications (66%), and information retrieval (55%). In the workplace, voice-to-text for emails and messages (44%) tops the list, followed by information retrieval (37%) and handling administrative tasks (32%).
Despite this, voice tech has its challenges. The survey highlighted that 65% of users experienced misunderstandings with their voice assistants, while 33% had commands executed incorrectly. Frustrations often lead to emotional reactions, with 41% admitting to yelling at their devices and 30% using profanity when faced with errors.
Consumers are calling for better accuracy (53%), enhanced understanding of accents and dialects (46%), faster response times (41%), and stronger privacy features (41%). Addressing these concerns could further accelerate adoption and enhance user satisfaction, making voice tech a crucial asset for businesses looking to boost customer engagement.