From Bias to Breakthrough: How Tackling Accent Bias Unlocks CX Performance

Enterprise customer support teams are being asked to do more with less: resolve issues faster, improve satisfaction scores, and scale globally. And they’re undertaking all this while managing costs and maintaining team morale.

But there’s a barrier that many companies still overlook that quietly drains productivity and morale from even the best-trained teams: accent bias.

A new HFS Research report shines a spotlight on this hidden productivity killer. The findings are clear: when customers and agents struggle to understand each other due to accent differences, the result isn’t just miscommunication. It’s emotional fatigue, lost revenue, and skyrocketing churn, all rooted in a lack of effective speech understanding.

Ready to learn how leading enterprises are bridging the understandability gap without asking agents to change how they speak? Read on for key takeaways from the HFS report, then explore the full report from HFS Research.

Accent bias leads to churn, burnout, and broken experiences.

In markets like the Philippines and India where many enterprise support teams are based, average quarterly churn can range from 30% to 50%, according to HFS Research. That’s a staggering talent drain, and it’s happening not because agents lack skills or motivation, but because they aren’t being understood.

When customers have trouble understanding an agent’s accent, conversations derail. That frustration often turns into repeated escalations, poor satisfaction scores, and unfair assumptions about agent competence. Over time, this takes a toll on morale, performance, and retention.
 

This isn’t just a cultural gap, it’s a CX and EX crisis. And while organizations are quick to invest in training, scripting, and scorecards, the root issue often goes unaddressed: speech understanding.

Yet as HFS Research’s report shows, only 7% of CX leaders are adopting new customer-facing technologies when seeking to improve CX:

That means 93% of leaders are focused on optimizing behind the scenes employee training, process redesign, or data quality, but not what happens in the conversation itself. That’s a missed opportunity to improve understanding where it matters most: between people.

Real-time accent translation is a breakthrough, not a workaround.

A new category of speech technology is changing the approach by improving how speech is heard, not how it’s spoken. Sanas’ real-time Accent Translation solution adjusts the accent of spoken English in real time, helping listeners better understand without asking speakers to change how they talk. It enhances clarity for the listener while maintaining the speaker’s natural cadence, emotion, and voice.

It’s not transcription. It’s not synthetic voice replacement. It’s a bridge to reduce miscommunications, elevate agent confidence, and improve customer outcomes.

Wondering how agents feel about accent translation? Hear their stories. 

From clearer calls to a larger, more diverse workforce.

Removing accent bias doesn’t just improve daily conversations. It also opens doors to a much wider talent pool.

Companies already using Sanas in India and the Philippines have seen 20–37% increases in eligible hiring pools, unlocking talent previously excluded due to accent bias. 

That means faster time to hire, greater team diversity, and better regional staffing flexibility, especially critical during surge periods or 24/7 global support coverage.

It’s time to rethink how to support your support team. 

Your agents shouldn’t have to over-enunciate, repeat themselves, or carry the emotional weight of misunderstanding. They deserve technology that lifts them up, not holds them back.

As HFS puts it, “Accent isn’t a cosmetic issue. It’s an enterprise barrier—limiting talent, trust, and innovation.”

Sanas helps remove that barrier to unlock speech understanding in every conversation.

This report from HFS Research is a must-read for every enterprise CX and support leader navigating the future of global service. Download your copy of the full report to discover how to turn communication barriers into growth opportunities.