Magnolia Acquisitions says customers still want a real person

Magnolia Acquisitions is pointing to 2024 and 2025 survey data from PwC, Five9 and Kinsta to argue that human customer service still beats automation for trust and conversion. The Knoxville firm says face-to-face selling helps brands answer questions, build confidence and keep customers longer.

Why it matters: - Consumer service is getting more automated, but the research Magnolia Acquisitions cites suggests people still want human interaction when they are deciding whether to buy. - For brands, that preference can affect trust, retention and whether a customer walks away after a bad experience. - The company argues face-to-face selling gives brands an edge that chatbots and automated menus cannot fully replace.

What happened: - Magnolia Acquisitions, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based sales consulting firm, released a research-driven message on Oct. 30, 2026 about why real-person customer acquisition still matters. - The firm cited consumer surveys from PwC, Five9 and Kinsta conducted in 2024 and 2025 in the U.S. and U.K. - Cooper Brown, Magnolia Acquisitions CEO, said face-to-face customer acquisition is stronger than ever in an AI-heavy market. - Brown said the company focuses on finding customers who want a better experience and showing them how a client’s service can improve their situation.

The details: - PwC’s 2025 Customer Experience Survey of more than 5,500 U.S. consumers found 86% said human interaction is moderately or very important in their brand experience. - PwC also found 52% of consumers stopped using or buying from a brand after a bad product or service experience. - A 2024 Five9 study of 4,000 U.S. and U.K. consumers found 75% prefer talking to a real human, in person or over the phone, for customer support. - The same Five9 study found 48% do not trust information from AI-powered customer service bots. - A 2025 Kinsta survey found 93% of U.S. consumers prefer a human agent over AI. - Magnolia Acquisitions said technology works best alongside people when customers have questions a website or chatbot cannot fully answer. - The firm said trained team members can answer questions in the moment and also say when a service is not the right fit. - Magnolia Acquisitions said its direct marketing model ties every customer interaction to a specific team member, adding accountability for brands. - The company said that model is part of what brands pay for when they work with a customer acquisition firm instead of increasing ad spending. - Magnolia Acquisitions says its work is built to help customers sign up, activate and stay.

Between the lines: - The research points to a gap between automation and persuasion. Chatbots can handle volume, but the company argues they do not close high-trust sales conversations as well as a person can. - The company is positioning face-to-face engagement as both a sales tool and a trust signal. - Brown framed the approach as selective selling, not broad pitching, by focusing on people who already have a problem to solve.

What's next: - Magnolia Acquisitions is directing readers to its overview of what Magnolia Acquisitions does for more information. - The company says it will continue using face-to-face customer acquisition as a core part of its sales consulting and direct marketing work. - Magnolia Acquisitions says its broader mission includes leadership development and professional growth within its team.

The bottom line: - Magnolia Acquisitions is betting that AI can support customer service, but not replace the trust that comes from a real conversation.