You’ve seen the news articles. Lots of big companies are “hiding” their phone numbers and making it harder to get in touch via phone – and some companies like Frontier Airlines, Shopify, and Squarespace have completely eliminated phone-based customer support. But what’s responsible for this change? And when – if ever – will phones be completely eliminated from the customer experience?

In this blog, we’ll take a look at some statistics and consumer preferences – and explain why we think that the phone will stick around for quite a while, even if it’s in a more limited capacity.

People Prefer Live Chat, Email, And Self-Service Portals To Phone Support

Thanks to the rise of eCommerce and the internet, more customer interactions than ever are shifting toward email, live chat, self-service portals, FAQ pages, and self-help databases. And there’s plenty of data that shows that most customers are satisfied – or even happy – with this shift.

According to studies collected by Hiver, about 63% of customers prefer live chat over other methods of communication like email and phone service. Further still, 82% of customers reported being “satisfied” by a live chat experience – compared to 61% of email users and only 44% of customers who used phone support.

In some cases, customers are willing to try to solve their problems themselves. 70% of customers would prefer to use a company’s website to resolve issues on their own before contacting support. And according to a study done by Gartner, 62% of Millennials and 75% of Gen Z are willing to use third-party websites like YouTube to try to resolve and troubleshoot issues before turning to support, even if 24/7 support is available. 

That all sounds pretty good, right? As as long as you have a great website, a solid knowledge base/self-service portal, and live chat, why not get rid of the phones? Well, it’s not quite that simple.

Completely Eliminating Phone Support Leads To Customer Frustration

If you completely eliminate your phone support department, you risk alienating and frustrating customers. That may seem strange given all of the statistics we outlined above – but it’s true. Just because most customers prefer email and live chat support doesn’t mean that you can ditch phones entirely. 

Some customers will always prefer the phone, and some issues are best solved with phone-based support. Here are a few statistics and examples that show that phones are still important to the customer experience:

• Phones are better for urgent issues – When surveyed about how they prefer to contact businesses for an urgent problem, 50% of customers said they wanted to talk on the phone. Compared to self-service, email, and live chat support, phone calls can offer more immediate solutions and resolutions to urgent issues.

• Complex problems can be solved on phones – It can be a lot harder for customers to type out a full email or live chat message about a complex problem. The more immediate “back and forth” of phone-based support makes it easier to solve a difficult issue – and to escalate it to the proper person if necessary.

• Phone support is generally faster – The average “handle time” for support phone calls is usually between three and six minutes, depending on the industry. On the other hand, the average live chat duration is about 11 minutes. Even including necessary hold time, phone support often resolves customer issues more quickly.

• Phone-based support is more personal – Speaking to a real person on the phone is always more personal than messaging someone on live chat or sending an email. 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions from companies, and 76% report being “frustrated” when this doesn't happen. Empathetic, personalized support can help you win over more customers.

• Turn angry customers into brand advocates – Over 50% of unhappy customers will switch to a competitor after a bad experience – but on the other hand, 72% of happy customers will share their positive experience with six or more people. Because it’s more personal, phone support is very effective at de-escalating angry or frustrated customers. – and turning negative interactions into positive experiences for customers.

Feel Free To Focus On Other Types Of Support – But Keep The Phone Lines Open!

What’s the takeaway from this blog? It’s simple. There are plenty of people out there who prefer email, online forms, live chat, FAQs, and other types of support – and that’s great! But when push comes to shove, some people are always going to need to talk to a support rep on the phone.

So while it’s a good idea to focus on the other elements of your customer experience, don’t drop the phone just yet. There’s always going to be a place for phone-based support, and if you completely eliminate your phone-based support team, you risk frustrating and alienating a large part of your customer base.

Need help keeping up with demand for phone support, scaling up your live chat personnel, or with any other part of the customer experience? Incept Results is here for you. We specialize in outsourced CX. With both inbound and outbound solutions available, we’re always here to help small businesses provide a better customer experience. Ready to get started? Contact us online or give us a call at (330) 649-8000 to schedule your consultation.