Companies Expect a Sharp Rise in Digital Channels for Customer Service Interactions

The majority of contact leaders believe that within the next year, their customers will not only actively choose digital channels for most interactions, but that customers will believe digital channels will be superior to phone calls for all but the most complex, high-stakes conversations, CCW Digital reported.

Unfortunately, this stat is far too optimistic based on current consumer sentiment, according to the report. In fact, a previous market study from CCW Digital found that only 4 percent of consumers experienced an improvement in customer service during the past year. With such negative consumer sentiment, companies have little reason to celebrate the service they are offering, it said, noting that this stat also leaves great opportunity for improvement.

Some other findings from the report include the following:

• While the majority of companies believe consumers should be able to address all issues in the digital world, a staggering 93 percent of companies believe it is essential to personalize these digital interactions.
• Ninety-three percent believe that digital will become the preferred option for basic transactions within the next 12 months.
• Fifty-five percent believe that personal, conversation engagement is as necessary in digital interactions as it is during traditional phone calls.
• Eighty-two percent of leaders have begun to emphasize digital engagement in their training and/or hiring strategies to deliver complete engagement experiences in channels including chat, messaging, email, and social media.
• Amid the immense hype and discourse around artificial intelligence in 2023, companies are becoming more strategic with their investments. Approximately 60 percent of businesses are focusing on a few key AI use cases rather than a blanket investment in all conceivable AI solutions.