‘Tiis ganda no more?’ Filipinos’ digital patience may wane over time

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter

FILIPINOS have the second-highest level of digital patience among seven Asia-Pacific countries, but this could shorten over time as more brands compete in the digital space, according to a US-based customer engagement platform Twilio.

About 76% of Filipinos consider themselves patient when dealing with online or automated customer service, Twilio said in its “Decoding Digital Patience: The Philippines spotlight” report.

Filipinos’ level of digital patience is the second highest among seven countries in the Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ), only behind Indonesia (85%). It is also well above the APJ average of 68%.

Customers in Japan (65%), India (65%), Australia (64%), Hong Kong (60%), and Singapore (59%) are more impatient online, Twilio said.

“The digital world has really redrawn the boundaries when it comes to something like waiting, and I think that’s going to increasingly put pressure on brands to compete for users’ attention,” Nicholas Kontopoulos, vice-president of marketing, Asia-Pacific & Japan at Twilio, told BusinessWorld in a video interview last week.

“We’ll likely continue to see improvements being delivered by brands as a consequence of Filipinos’ patience level maybe decreasing.”

Digital patience, which refers to a user’s willingness to deal with brands online, is expected to be the “new currency” of customer experience, Twilio said.

It attributed the high level of digital patience to the Filipino phrase “tiis ganda,” or a user’s willingness to “endure discomfort for a worthwhile outcome.”

According to the report, Filipinos were more willing to accept delays for better security (68%) and customer support (62%) than their regional counterparts.

“What sets Filipino consumers apart is their exceptional patience across every channel. This goodwill even extends to the automated services that typically frustrate consumers elsewhere,” Twilio said.

It noted that 72% of Filipinos are tolerant of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots and 70% remain patient with automated phone menus.

However, Mr. Kontopoulos also noted that the Philippines’ digital-savvy consumer base could become more impatient with online customer support over time.

“We are living in an on-demand world, and every second of delay can ultimately impact consumer loyalty and revenue,” he said.

When dealing with digital or automated channels, Filipino users seek warmth, friendliness, and a sense of progress, Twilio said.

About 50% of Filipinos also value easy-to-follow instructions, as well as data security (41%), response time (41%), friendliness (37%) — all more than their regional peers, it added.

Filipino users are also self-reliant problem seekers, Twilio said, with 43% seeking their own answers when digital customer services fall short. Meanwhile, 35% said they would switch to a different channel, while 26% would complain or leave a negative review.

Twilio also noted that Filipino users are willing to wait for an average of 27 minutes for a resolution, given that brands ensure transparency and security in the process.

“They will wait if the friction feels necessary for the outcome that they are striving to achieve,” Mr. Kontopoulos said at a briefing on Friday.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) Vice-President for Customer Experience Mark Anthony C. Munsayac said Filipinos’ longer digital patience could be due to the relatively lack of exposure to more advanced technologies online.

“It’s also possible that [Filipinos’] lack of exposure on other global processes can influence lower expectations, and we want to elevate those standards,” he told the briefing.

PAL, which also uses Twilio, is looking to deploy a customer engagement tool by the latter half of the year to help manage customer data and personalize user engagement, Mr. Munsayac said.

‘CONDITIONAL’ PATIENCE
In a “high-stakes interaction,” Filipino users are most patient when using a health platform (81%), followed by travel (76%), retail and electronic commerce (73%), technology and telecommunications (72%), and finance and insurance (68%).

While 61% of Filipinos are comfortable in using agentic AI in customer service, users want AI to respond in human-like, tailored, and genuinely helpful ways, it said.

Filipino users also want to know if they are talking to an AI agent (68%), while 37% expect human-like interactions, Twilio added.

“If you are fast but cold, you are still failing in their eyes. Customers aren’t just demanding speed, they want proactive updates,” Mr. Kontopoulos said.

It also noted that users expect AI to provide 24/7 availability and faster responses, but 34% want an option to speak to a human agent if AI cannot solve the issue.

They are more frustrated when AI-powered systems provide scripted or robotic answers (46%), limited or generic responses (44%), or immediate solutions to issues (41%).

The report also said Filipinos are among the most cautious in the region when letting AI agents handle sensitive tasks in banking (55%), healthcare (46%), and legal or government services (45%).

To transform Filipinos’ trust to consumer loyalty, brands must offer clarity, continuity, choice, and care when providing digital customer services online, Twilio said.

“The Filipino consumer extends goodwill and patience, but this is not a free pass. Filipinos welcome automation only when it genuinely reduces effort and maintains the safety net of human support,” it said.

Twilio commissioned marketing research firm YouGov to conduct the study. It surveyed around 7,331 users in the APJ region including 1,007 Filipinos from Aug. 28 to Sept. 4, 2025.