Vonage: Half of global consumers increase business digital engagement since pandemic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 -- Vonage has announced new research revealing that about half (47 per cent) of consumers worldwide have increased their use of digital channels to engage with businesses and service providers over the past 12-18 months.

In addition, 87 per cent expect to maintain or increase this level in the next 6-12 months, according to a statement from the global leader in cloud communications helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation.

In Asia, consumers have significantly increased their use of digital channels to engage with businesses and service providers since the outbreak of COVID-19 – 52 per cent (retail & ecommerce), 51 per cent (education), 49 per cent (banking & finance), 46 per cent (healthcare services), 43 per cent (media, gaming & online dating) and 31 per cent (transportation & travel).

In the next 6-12 months, 44 per cent will continue to increase their digital engagement with retail and ecommerce service providers, followed by education and banking & financial services (42 per cent), healthcare (38 per cent), media, gaming & online dating (36 per cent) and transportation & travel (34 per cent).

Vonage’s 10th Global Customer Engagement Report, based on a survey of 5,000 consumers from 14 countries, uncovered just how much the pandemic accelerated the global adoption of newer communication channels while increasing fragmentation in channel preferences, especially in the ways that consumers interact with organisations.

The research highlights changes over the past two years that reinforce the need for businesses and service providers to transform their customer engagement strategies to become more agile and adapt to permanent changes accelerated by the COVID era.

Consumers who embraced new and emerging channels of communication during the pandemic did not revert to old habits. Customer engagement has permanently changed and there will be no return to the pre-2020 era.

The usage of digital channels (video, chatbots, non-SMS messaging apps, etc.) has grown considerably, while more traditional channels (mobile voice calls, email) have held steady.

Since January 2020, globally, there has been a 300 per cent growth in the number of people who prefer to connect with businesses via video. Emerging communication channels that saw an increase in preference include messaging via social messaging apps and chatbots.

-- BERNAMA