A well-timed joke can defuse a frustrated caller, humanize a transaction and leave a lasting positive impression, but only when it’s done right, experts say.

Consumers want brands to be funny, but most brands aren’t. Oracle research from 2022 found most people prefer fun brands while, at the same time, most business leaders fear using humor in customer interactions. 

That can impact the bottom line, according to Andrew Tarvin, author of “Humor That Works: 501 Ways to Beat Stress, Increase Productivity, and Have Fun at Work.”

“The risk isn't humor; it's humor used poorly,” Tarvin said. “Banning it means every interaction defaults to sterile and forgettable, which is its own cost when customers have plenty of other options."

For brands willing to take the leap, the payoff can be significant. Humor builds trust, relieves stress and creates human connections that keep customers loyal. But brands need the right culture, training and guardrails, experts say.

Lowering the temperature

In customer service and support, a simple joke signals that the customer is talking to a real person, said Bruce Turkel, a branding expert, speaker and author.

“Humor lowers the temperature,” Turkel said. “It tells the customer there’s a person on the other side of this conversation. You’re not dealing with AI. You’re not dealing with an automaton. You’re not dealing with someone who’s just reading from a script.”

That human touch can transform the dynamic between agents and customers.

“It turns the transaction into an interaction,” Turkel said.

Southwest Airlines has built its brand around that philosophy. Co-founder and former CEO Herb Kelleher believed skills could be taught, but personality was essential, Whitney Eichinger, SVP and chief communications officer for Southwest Airlines, said in an email.

“During training, we encourage employees to take their jobs seriously, but not themselves,” Eichinger said. “Safety always comes first, but humor can help make flying feel warmer, more personal and more human.”

The golden rule, experts say, is to solve the customer’s problem before making a joke.

“Once they feel okay with the solution, you can joke about it,” said Tony Kong, a humor researcher and professor at the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business.

Turkel offered a simple rule of thumb for knowing when it’s appropriate: “Use humor when the stakes are low. Use empathy when the stakes are high.”

Intent also matters. If an agent makes a joke to help the customer enjoy the interaction, it builds rapport. If it’s just for the sake of being funny, it usually backfires.

“If it doesn’t have a purpose, it’s just showing off,” Kong said.

What kind of funny?

Positive and inclusive humor, as well as self-deprecating humor, are often the best fits for customer service and support.

“The safest joke is self-deprecating,” Kong said. Poking fun at a minor product defect or company mistake can help agents connect with customers.

On the other hand, aggressive humor, such as sarcasm, satire and edgy material, should be avoided unless it’s an established part of the brand voice. Tarvin pointed to Wendy’s aggressive social media presence as a notable exception.

Regardless of style, brands should avoid making light of the customer’s frustration, making fun of the customer, or of their own brand or competitors.

“You’re laughing with your customer,” Turkel said. “You’re never laughing at your customer.”

Building a culture that supports humor

Humor both requires and creates psychological safety, so experts say having the right culture is a prerequisite.

When people joke around with each other, “that means they’re relaxed,” Kong said. “They feel safe with each other. When you’re taking a risk, you don’t know what the other person will say or how they’ll react to a joke.”

But that culture starts at the top.

“The culture of an organization comes from the culture of the person or people running the company. Always, forever,” Turkel said.

Southwest encourages employees to be their authentic selves, supported by clear expectations around safety, respect and good judgment. 

Employees need “clear brand guardrails and training to read the room,” Eichinger said.

That’s why brands should treat humor as a professional skill — trained deliberately rather than left to chance, Tarvin said. He recommends creating a humor style guide, similar to a brand style guide, that defines the ideal tone.

“Are you closer to positive, playful Dora the Explorer or edgy George Carlin? Most brands should know the answer before their frontline team improvises,” Tarvin said.

The most effective training investment, Tarvin said, is improvisation. The “yes, and” mindset emphasizes that one individual should accept what another has stated and then expand on it. It teaches employees to adapt in the moment, stay positive and build on the customer’s experience rather than negate it.

But experts agree that brands shouldn’t write jokes for their employees.

“You can’t script spontaneity,” Turkel said. “You can’t give employees jokes. But you can give them the permission to have personalities, as long as they’re being human, and they’re being kind.”

The brands that succeed with humor won’t necessarily be the funniest ones, experts say.

“They’re the ones that create a plan and a program to follow through,” Tarvin said.