Why Being Present in Asia Matters — Even Remotely

✔️ While many companies attempt to serve APAC customers purely from distant headquarters, research shows this often limits effectiveness when cultural expectations, time zones, and business norms vary widely across the region. 

✔️ APAC markets are diverse: language preferences, buying behaviours, and response expectations differ significantly from Western markets. 

✔️ Remote, local representation helps bridge these gaps, giving businesses insights and responsiveness that purely remote teams cannot achieve. 

✔️ Local knowledge speeds up decision‑making, reduces misunderstandings, and helps build stronger relationships with customers and partners, which in turn improves retention and satisfaction. 

✔️ About half of customers prefer interacting with a real person; only a small minority genuinely prefer AI chatbots — for example, one survey found 49% prefer human support, while only ~12% prefer chatbot interaction, and many think preference depends on issue complexity. 

✔️ A national U.S. survey found most consumers overwhelmingly prefer humans, reporting that humans resolve problems faster and more accurately than AI chatbots, especially for complex issues, and many would cancel a service if forced to use AI‑only support. 

✔️ Another survey reported 75% of customers prefer talking to a human and that nearly half distrust chatbot responses, especially when information or context matters. 

✔️ Additional research shows that human agents consistently outscore AI chatbots in areas requiring emotional intelligence and empathy, which are major drivers of satisfaction. 

✔️ Chatbots can be fast and efficient for simple, repetitive tasks, making them a popular choice for many businesses, including those advised by a Business Consultant or a Go To Market Specialist, to reduce costs and deliver quick responses.

✔️ However, multiple studies show that AI struggles with complex or nuanced inquiries, and hybrid models (AI plus human agents) often perform best, a finding that HR Senior Consultants and Sales Operations Consultants frequently emphasize in their recommendations.

✔️ In fact, some surveys indicate that 82% of customers prefer human support even if AI is just as fast, a point that Startup Advisors often highlight when discussing customer service strategies.