Voice channel is and will stay #1 in CX
For years, we’ve heard that the voice channel (phone/live agents) in contact centers is fading into obsolescence. Yet despite the rapid growth of digital platforms, customers continue to seek human interaction for support.
Why? Because customers prioritize effectiveness over efficiency, and studies show that voice communication is still the most effective method for resolving issues.
- 64.4% of inbound interactions are Voice calls (live agent) 🔥 Whopping 84% in the public sector 😲
- 89% of customers want the reassurance of talking to a person
- 25% CX leaders think the Voice channel will "greatly increase" in 2024 📈
- 35% CX leaders will invest more in the Voice channel in 2024
Let’s dig into this further and understand why is this the case.
What does this channel have that others don’t?
Customers prefer using voice communication for many reasons.
Personal Connection: Speaking with a human provides a sense of connection and empathy, which can be comforting, especially in complex or sensitive situations.
Clarity and Nuance: Voice communication allows for immediate clarification and understanding of nuances, which might be lost in written forms of communication like email or chat.
Efficiency in Complex Situations: For complicated issues, it's often quicker to explain and resolve the problem over a phone call than through back-and-forth messaging.
Immediate Feedback: Customers can receive immediate answers and feedback, which is particularly valuable in urgent situations.
Emotional Assurance: Hearing a human voice can be reassuring, especially when customers are frustrated or upset. It can convey empathy and understanding in a way that text-based channels cannot.
Ease of Use: Some customers, particularly older generations, may find voice calls more straightforward and accessible than navigating digital interfaces or typing out lengthy explanations.
Non-Verbal Cues: Tone of voice, pacing, and inflection can convey additional information and help in understanding the customer's perspective and emotions.
A framework for understanding channels
To understand customer’s preference for a channel we need a proper framework. There are 3 attributes for any customer’s problem:
Emotional Importance - customer’s emotional state for resolving the problem
Urgency - how urgent is the problem for the customer
Complexity - customer’s perceived complexity of the problem
The following chart shows when customers prefer Voice (phone) as the primary channel and secondary channel.
Urgent and High Emotional problems also usually require Voice conversation and apparently, this doesn't change over time, as shown below.
By now, we have enough evidence that Voice is and will stay #1 channel.
Will this change in the future?
No, because of 2 basic reasons:
Voice input is a faster communication form than text
Human psychology and basic needs don’t change over time. High Urgency, High Complexity problems, High Emotional problems will require Voice.
What will change though, is who actually “talks” to the customer. Will Voice AI Live Agents replace Human Live Agents over time? We will cover this next time.