Despite the rise of texting and instant messaging, phone use is still alive and well. The average person makes or receives eight voice calls each day, which adds up to more than 2.4 billion phone calls across the United States.

These aren’t just social calls. Customers make calls to company support teams all the time—even Gen Z and Millennials. Here’s what you need to know if you should invest in voice call technology.

Voice calls at a glance

While it’s easy to overcomplicate things, the truth is that the key to effective customer communication is quite simple. At its core, it’s about understanding three fundamental principles, namelu:

• Customers value the personal touch of phone calls and prefer them over chatbots and video calls when they have questions or concerns.
• Voice calls create emotional connections that can prevent churn and grow customer loyalty.
• It is easier and more affordable to offer voice call support to customers by using an advanced Unified Communications platform.

Let’s dive deeper into each of these principles and explore how they can help businesses build stronger relationships with their customers.

1. Customers prefer phone calls

Voice calls remain the most popular method for people to communicate when they need help from a brand.

One survey found that 61 percent of customers would rather speak with a representative when they need assistance. Furthermore, 75 percent of customers think this is the fastest way to solve their problems.

As a business owner, your job is to respond to the behavior of customers. The overarching majority want voice calls.

2. Most people don’t like chatbots

Almost everyone has visited a website where a chatbot pops up in the corner to see if visitors need help. More than half (53 percent) of consumers think these bots are annoying.

One of the main problems is that consumers find chatbots can’t actually solve complex issues. All they do is direct you to a FAQ page or recommend contacting customer support.

The customer could have actually solved their problem if they made a voice call in the first place. Someday, AI might be less annoying and more useful. In the meantime, keep representatives available for phone support.

3. They don’t like video calls either

Voice calls are still the top channel for business-related communication, which includes everything from healthcare sales to food delivery issues. More than 40 percent of respondents prefer to contact a company with a voice call—while only 6 percent of customers want to reach out via video call.

Not only are video calls for customer service unpopular, but they are also an expense and liability for your company. You either need to staff your call center in-office to control the video environment, which drives up your expenses. Or you could trust that your call center team will appear professionally in their homes.

With traditional voice calls, you don’t have to make your customers uncomfortable and you can create a professional setting for remote call center workers.

4. Communicating over the phone builds emotional connections

Phone communication is essential for building emotional connections with customers that can grow their loyalty to your brand.

In one Gallup survey of access to emotional support, American women said in-person meetings and phone calls were the two best ways to receive support (74 percent and 72 percent respectively). Only 28 percent of women turn to video calls when they need an emotional boost.

This data can be applied to your business. When customers need help, they can benefit from a voice call. This can help you solve their problems and build emotional connections, both of which boost customer loyalty.

Not only do returning customers spend 67 percent more than new ones (highlighting the importance of retention) but they can also become brand ambassadors that bring more sales to your business. Voice calls can make this possible for your business.

5. It’s easier than ever to deliver quality voice calls

You don’t need stodgy phone lines to deliver quality phone calls to your customers and clients. Unified Communications platforms like VoipNow & Hubgets allow your team members to make calls over the internet.

With reliable and high-quality audio calls, you can ensure that your customers have a seamless experience when communicating with your team. This means they can focus on resolving their issues without the frustration of a poor connection.

Additionally, internet-based communication solutions can help reduce your operational expenses. By leveraging the internet for calls, you can avoid the need for traditional phone lines, making it easy for anyone with internet access to make and receive calls.

Put voice calls to work

When customers have questions or concerns, they often prefer the personal touch of a phone call over other communication channels like chatbots and video calls.

By using an advanced Unified Communications platform, businesses can easily and affordably offer voice call support, fostering emotional connections that can help build customer loyalty and prevent churn.