I got my son his first phone when he started secondary school, so he would’ve been nearly 11. We justified our decision by saying he needed one to call us in case of an emergency.
Five years later, and we’re opening his first bank account, which included setting up a mobile banking app. That meant phoning the call centre and confirming his identity.
But when it came to dialling the number, he had no clue how to do it. I was a little shocked – partly because, how could you own a phone and not know to make a call?
(And partly due to my own comprehensive parenting fail. So much for calling in an emergency!)
But the biggest lesson is just how differently he communicates. As a Gen Z consumer he uses multiple messaging apps and when he talks to his friends it’s through his gaming console.
Until that point he’d no use for the call function on his phone. Three years later, I wouldn’t bet he’s made many more phone calls.
It turns out my son isn’t the only Gen Z kid that doesn’t like phoning people.
A report by Robert Walters, a US-based recruitment agency, found that half of Gen Zers and Millennials were uncomfortable making business calls, and a staggering 59% just wanted to communicate via text and email.
The survey also noted an increase in phone anxiety – basically the fear or making or answering phone calls.
In stark contrast, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers believed that having fewer calls and meetings would negatively impact their business relationships.
The rise of phone anxiety and other changes in consumer behaviour will have implications for how brands talk to customers and employees. For me, a Gen Xer born somewhere between 1965 and 1980, I’m committed to using a phone. For me it’s more effective, productive and immediate. It is the best tool for building connections and rapport.
But user requirements are clearly changing. Since the pandemic, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve called only to be sent a link for a Zoom call. It’s only a matter of time before we’re Face Timing the call centre. (And people moan about failing customer experience stats now!)
What about messaging platforms like Slack, ZenDesk, Teams and Google Chat? Do they help productivity? To a degree I suppose, but on occasions it seems we’ve just swapped unmanageable emails for a blizzard of messages.
What’s clear is that firms need a re-think about how to communicate with customers and employees in the future.
Some brands are already planning for that change. A consultant told me last week of a leading internet retail brand that switched off its telephony channel because it figured its target audience of 18-to-25-year-olds wasn’t going to call.
It accepted its decision might create customer churn among the older demographic, but they were unlikely to ever be brand advocates anyway.
The brand then focused on delivering a great experience on the channels preferred by its core audience, namely online chat.
That clarity of thinking (or brutal decision making) isn’t going to work for all companies, but it is enough to make most CX pros sit up and reassess their communication channels.
In the age of omnichannel everything, could things be about to get easier? I think we all know the answer to that is probably not.