Research carried out by Mitel reinforces industry speculation that Covid-19 will cause permanent shifts in engagement behaviours.
Seventy-five per cent of UK consumers who reported an increased use of online customer services said they will rely more on digital options going forward.
This presents an opportunity for resellers to provide solutions such as chatbots, virtual agents and self-service, to companies hampered by old technology.
Mitel conducted the survey among over 4,000 customers across the US, UK, Germany and France in partnership with Sapio Research, throughout July.
John Buszka, Executive Vice President of Customer Experience, Mitel, said: “Businesses are demonstrating they view customer experience (CX) as a strategic differentiator and they’re wisely prioritising customer service at a time when connections matter more than ever.”
The study also gives resellers a clue as to what customers want from solutions as 44% of consumers would like tools that were easier to use and 32% would like an increase in mobile apps for customer services.
A further 25% stated they would like to be given access to more virtual services.
Buszka added: “By leveraging cloud communications, artificial intelligence, omnichannel capabilities and other advanced digital technologies and balancing them with the right level of human touch, they can continue to personalise the customer journey.”