When the pandemic abruptly disrupted our lives in 2020, businesses scrambled to rapidly mobilise and accelerate their digital transformation strategies. Digital channels were no longer “nice-to-haves” or supplementary customer communication channels – they quickly became (along with remote agents) the most important way to keep many businesses running.

So what has happened since then? Have customers developed an undeniable preference for the efficiency of self-service, chatbots, email and other digital channels? What about businesses? Have they found that remote contact channels are a better way of conducting business and engaging with customers?

According to the Hiya State of the Call 2022 report, an interesting trend has emerged. Technology offers unrivalled power and capability to transform CX, improve productivity and save costs, but…it can lack a human touch. And while it’s possible to invest in deep integration to connect business systems, applications and databases to ensure that a more personalised service is delivered through technology, it cannot unreservedly replace a more human, personal connection.

As the research findings suggest, the social distancing era has become stale and laden with Covid-related fatigue. Customers and businesses are ready to connect with others again, and this is why voice calls, despite being one of the most established and traditional forms of communication relative to the other channels, is the channel of choice in 2022.

For more insight from the research report, watch the video below.

By Lindy Drake