In the early 2010s, technology forecasters and business analysts painted a compelling picture of the future of customer service: chatbots would dramatically cut labor costs and transform how consumers interacted with brands. Fast forward to today, and the reality has yet to live up to the hype.
While chatbots have found their place in the customer service ecosystem, they haven’t achieved the dominance and ubiquity that many predicted. Instead, voice communication remains the preferred channel for customer service interactions, challenging long-held assumptions about technological adoption and consumer behavior.
The Promise vs. Reality of Chatbot Adoption
When chatbots first emerged as a customer service solution, organizations saw the potential for 24/7 availability, instant responses and significant cost savings compared to maintaining large teams of human agents. The tech was especially appealing to businesses looking to scale their customer service operations while simultaneously controlling expenses.
However, implementing chatbots has revealed a vital truth about technology adoption: acceptance of edge consumer tech must be earned by providing real value to users, not imposed as a corporate strategy. This lesson has become increasingly obvious as different demographic groups have shown varying levels of acceptance and resistance to chatbots, demonstrating a clear generational split in user acceptance.
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Younger consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are more willing to engage with chatbots for basic customer service needs. Having grown up in a digital-first world, these users are generally more comfortable with text-based communication and automated systems. Despite Gen Z’s openness to using multiple digital channels, recent PolyAI research found that nearly nine out of ten (86%) Gen Zers actually prefer the phone as their primary channel for contacting customer service.
However, older generations generally resist chatbot adoption. This isn’t merely a matter of technological literacy — it reflects deeper preferences about human interaction and problem-solving approaches. Many older consumers view chatbots as an unnecessary barrier between them and the human help they seek instead of a helpful tool.
The “Why” Behind Customer Service Preferences
When examining why voice remains the dominant channel for customer service, we must consider the psychological aspects of seeking help when frustrated or confused. There’s a fundamental human need to feel heard and understood when facing a problem, and voice communication satisfies this need more effectively than text-based interactions. In fact, 70% of customers still choose the phone as their preferred first contact with support.
Consider the typical scenario of a customer who has a product/service issue and needs assistance. They’re already frustrated or anxious about their problem, and they want to explain the situation quickly and completely. They want immediate feedback, as well as empathy and active listening, to feel like they’re being understood. Voice communication naturally facilitates all these needs.
While chatbots were promoted as a more efficient solution, they often create friction in the customer service process. The assumption that typing out a problem is more convenient than speaking it frequently proves to be false. When facing a complex issue, most customers find it far more natural and efficient to explain their problem verbally rather than struggling to type out detailed explanations.
The Future of Customer Service: A Hybrid Approach
As we look into 2025 and beyond, the evidence suggests that voice will remain the cornerstone of effective customer service. However, this doesn’t mean chatbots have no role to play. The most successful customer service strategies will likely employ a hybrid approach that provides chatbot interactions for specific use cases such as:
- Simple, routine inquiries
- Basic information gathering/FAQs
- Initial triage of customer issues
- After-hours basic support
Voice communication, on the other hand, will be prioritized for:
- Complex problem solving
- High-priority problems or emotional/sensitive situations
- Initial triage and resolution of customer issues
- Customer retention efforts
The persistence of voice as the preferred customer service channel teaches us an important lesson about technology adoption: true innovation must align with human nature rather than trying to reshape it. While chatbots and other digital solutions will continue to evolve and improve, they are likely to remain complementary tools rather than replacements for voice communication.
The future of customer service lies in creating seamless experiences that respect customers’ natural preferences while strategically implementing automation where it truly adds value. As we move forward, organizations that recognize and embrace this reality — maintaining strong voice-based service capabilities while thoughtfully integrating digital solutions — will be best positioned to deliver the kind of customer service that builds lasting relationships and brand loyalty.
Nikola Mrkšić is the CEO and Co-founder of PolyAI, a leading provider of enterprise-ready voice assistants built for customer support. Mrkšić has a Ph.D. in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing from University of Cambridge, and served on the initial team that developed Apple’s Siri.