Brits choose digital over in-person when interacting with brands

55% of UK adults will interact with brands more through digital and virtual channels than face to face post-pandemic, according to new research from Nuance.

Its study - which polled 10,000 adults across the US, UK, Australia, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Spain and Mexico - also found that 51% of Brits would rather use apps or a company’s website than go into a physical branch or store to complete tasks such as shopping.

When it comes to communicating with brands, 26% of the latter said they still preferred in-person visits or phone (13%), 42% choose digital channels including email, live chat and chatbots.

Convenience (51%) and speed (36%) were the most common drivers here, with speaking to a ‘real’ human (26%) trailing.

“With convenience, speed, and ultimately getting the job done prevailing as clear priorities for buyers, organisations such as retailers, banks, and utilities companies must develop strategies for delivering consistently efficient and effective digital experiences,” says Seb Reeve, Intelligent Engagement Market Development at Nuance.

“From slick and secure authentication processes to intuitive AI powered intelligent assistants, technology must be able to manage the personalised needs of customers while seamlessly bridging to human intervention when required at the right moment.”

According to the study, 45% of UK respondents are also now more comfortable using biometrics to authenticate themselves when accessing their accounts than they were before the pandemic, with 38% feeling more comfortable using their smartphone for this purpose as well.

“Customers expect immediate and effective conversations with the brands they engage with - whether those conversations are happening on the phone or via a chatbot on a company’s website,” says Reeve.

“Empowering these engagements requires an integrated approach where an organisation not only can understand the customer’s intent but also authenticate that customer and start personalising their experience across every single channel - from in-person, to phone, to web, to mobile.”

He concludes: “With the pandemic creating an increasing comfort, trust, and preference among consumers to use technology when engaging with brands, it will be critical that organisations prioritise delivering superior digital experiences if they want to retain customer loyalty and continue to scale.”