The 2025 edition of Twilio's Customer Engagement Report points out that reliability and transparency remain fundamental to the consumer and a challenge for companies in the AI era. Only 15% of consumers trust “totally” in what brands do with their data, implying that 85% of them have doubts about the security and responsible management of their personal information.
In addition, an alarming fact is that 61% of consumers feel that brands do not really care about their personal data, which directly affects the relationship between these parties.This is compounded by the fact that for companies, maintaining compliance is a real challenge, and 90% of them admit it.
The report points out that 53% of companies have already had data protection and privacy problems and 51% have difficulty dealing with virtual security issues and threat reduction. “Changing this scenario is imperative and urgent. Trust is essential in the relationship between a brand and its customer, and to maintain it one must go beyond expectations. AI has opened paths, but it is still fueled by data, which are central in commercial relations”, says Tamaris Parreira, Country Manager Brazil at Twilio.“It is as the maxim says: trust takes years to be built and seconds to be lost, it concludes.
For the executive, the customer being at the center of the equation is fundamental in solving this situation. Although it is a delicate situation, consumers want to share their data when there is a return of this in personalization. They value this relationship, but you need to be aware of the types of data that are shared more securely by customers. These consumers usually feel comfortable sharing basic information, but when it comes to more personal data, they are more reserved. The types of personal information that consumers are less likely to share with companies are precisely their income level, their activities in social networks, their location, their position and the status of their relationships.
What is important to ensure customer trust today
The new edition of Twilio's report pointed out that the factors shaping consumer confidence are changing. In 2024, data protection led the concerns, with 62% of consumers stating that this was the best way for a brand to win their trust. As early as 2025, this number reached 54%, ranking third in consumer priorities.
The new perception is that responsive customer service and the ease to make a return or receive a refund are the two new major concerns of consumers, tied with 55% of respondents' responses. It is a very big change in the paradigm of trust. “The focus now is on reliability, is to have back to itself what can be lost, a reliable experience and at the same time, without friction. Trust is built through consistency and agility in service. The data being safe is still important, but we are in an era where much is already shared. The long-term relationships have certain prominence, explains Tamaris.
Reliability must be achieved over time, with constancy.The report points out that it is necessary to:
- Be transparent about the use of data, informing how data collections are made, how data is stored, especially when we talk about AI;
- Focus on fast and efficient service;
- Maintain consistency across all service channels, knowing how to expect response and interaction;
- Maintain promises of data protection and privacy;
- Be recognizable to the customer, keeping your brand in communications, ensuring that communication is official.
“Confidence, reliability, data security, winning and maintaining customers. All this is part of the same equation and are points of attention that need to be prioritized.We are in a moment where there is no lack of data. But it is still necessary that there is no lack of trust”, concludes Tamaris.
