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Jan 15, 2024
3 minutes read

Why offering customer support by phone is essential

Contrary to what you may believe about the preferences of the younger generations, recent data indicates that the telephone remains the favoured method of customer support for 69% of consumers across various age groups, including Gen Z and millennials. Additionally, there has been a consistent upward trend in Google searches for "phone number customer service" in the US over the past five years. This demonstrates a sustained and growing reliance on phone-based customer service solutions, highlighting its enduring significance in the contemporary consumer landscape.

Havanna Wentzel
Havanna Wentzel,
International Marketeer

Numbers like these show that telephone support is still an essential addition to any company’s customer support options today, right alongside email, chat, and social media.

Below, we look at 6 reasons why voice support continues to rise in popularity, and why companies should always offer their customers the option to call for help.

1. Support for everyone

While most customers today use smartphones and have internet access, not all of them spend a lot of time online. Dialing a phone number is a universal contact method that people of all generations understand. Offering phone support shows your customers that you want them to be able to reach you in the way that is most comfortable for them.

2. Resolving complex queries with less stress

Most consumers feel like it’s easier to speak to a real person when they have a complex query. When they are faced with a potentially confusing topic, they prefer to speak to someone and get straight to the bottom of it. One quick call can resolve the issue efficiently and keep the customer satisfied.

3. Feeling like someone is listening

Customers love feeling a personal connection with the companies they buy from. Phone support gives them the interactivity and undivided attention of having a conversation with another person. Hearing a helpful human voice on the other end of the line makes the customer feel valued.

4. A feeling of certainty

Self-service options like FAQs are a great way to empower your customers. Yet some consumers need extra validation to reassure them that they are making the right choice or following the right FAQ instructions. Over the phone, your customer support reps can quickly put those customers’ minds at ease.

5. Tailor-made solutions

Customers crave personalised service. Standard support responses may not fully answer their questions. By speaking with a human agent on the phone, your customer can efficiently explain their situation and receive a response that is tailored precisely to meet their needs. With the right contact center solution, you can even automatically direct the customer’s call to the right expert.

6. Getting answers faster

Your customers’ time is precious. While email is an ideal channel for many queries, some customers need answers faster. A quick phone call to your support can instantly answer their question and let them get on with their day - while also leaving them with a much better impression of your company.

Grow your business with optimal support

Making it easy for your customers to reach you is vital to growing your business. It builds trust and keeps your customers satisfied and coming back for more.

It’s important to be available to your customers through multiple channels, such as email, live chat, chatbot, social media, and phone. By creating an omni-channel customer support strategy - including telephone support - you meet the needs of all your customers.

The ideal solution is to combine all your support channels into a single tool like Mobile Service Cloud, the all-in-one customer service software solution from CM.com. This lets you seamlessly manage all customer interactions, while also gaining crucial data insights to improve the customer experience.

Discover what Mobile Service Cloud can do for your contact center

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Havanna Wentzel
Havanna Wentzel,
International Marketeer

is based in Cape Town, South Africa. At CM.com she is passionate about providing valuable content to customers and clients that informs and inspires, while being dedicated to optimising local campaigns for the unique South African market.

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