AI technologies are reshaping customer care. Partners Eric Buesing, Julian Raabe, and coauthors find that while customers of all generations prefer interacting with a human agent, they also want the flexibility to use different channels according to their needs. Digital-chat services have achieved a high level of acceptance across generations, and email remains important, especially for older consumers.
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Four bar graphs show the preferred customer care contact methods across different generational groups. From left to right, the results are as follows:
- live phones: 71% of Gen Z, 81% of millennials, 86% of Gen X, and 94% of baby boomers
- email: 75% of Gen Z, 84% of millennials, 87% of Gen X, and 86% of baby boomers
- live chat or messaging: 74% of Gen Z, 82% of millennials, 81% of Gen X, and 76% of baby boomers
- social media: 57% of Gen Z, 59% of millennials, 34% of Gen X, and 19% of baby boomers
Footnote: Question: When you have an issue that you have already tried to solve via self-service, how likely are you to reach out to customer care through the following channels?
Source: McKinsey Customer Service Survey, May 2023.
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To read the article, see “Where is customer care in 2024?,” March 12, 2024.