Call Me, Maybe? Why Clear Customer Communications Matter More Than Ever
By Dani Duffy, Content Marketing Manager at Smart Communications
If you’re the parent of a young adult like I am, you’ve probably witnessed the same scenario: they’ll do just about anything to avoid calling customer service.
They’ll search FAQs, open a chat, or send a message before picking up the phone. That behavior is a signal, not a phase.
Customers increasingly expect interactions to be digital-first, on-demand, and frictionless. In our latest benchmark research, 67% of customers said they’re likely to use digital self-service options, with that number climbing to 76% for Gen Z and 77% for Millennials.
But choosing digital channels doesn’t mean lowering expectations. Customers expect those experiences to make sense immediately without additional effort on their part. Sound familiar?
That’s where smarter storytelling comes in. Regardless of channel, whether it’s a printed letter, an email, or a text, customers don’t simply receive communications. They interpret them and decide (within seconds!) whether to engage or ignore.
Remember: winning organizations tell clearer, more relevant stories designed for how modern customers behave.
What the Data Says
If customers are avoiding traditional support channels, communications suddenly carry more responsibility. They’re not just informing people; increasingly, they’re replacing conversations altogether. The data from our benchmark research makes that shift difficult to ignore.
Perhaps the most telling finding is that customers often seek assistance not because they prefer human interaction, but because the communication itself didn’t get them where they needed to go in the first place. 43% say they contacted customer service instead of completing a process digitally because communications were unclear.
That becomes even more important when viewed alongside generational preferences. Younger audiences aren't just adopting digital channels; they actively prefer them.
Likelihood of using digital self-service for tasks like asking questions, filing complaints, or making changes:
- 76% of Gen Z
- 77% of Millennials
And when processes still require manual effort, patience starts to disappear quickly.
Percentage saying it's important for organizations to offer digital data collection instead of printing, scanning, or mailing forms:
- 72% of Gen Z
- 81% of Millennials
Taken together, these findings suggest something larger than a channel preference shift. Communication volume isn't shrinking. It's simply moving into different places and taking on different forms.
Customers still need guidance. They still need reassurance. They still have questions.
They just increasingly expect the answers to come through intuitive digital experiences rather than phone calls.
Why Does Storytelling Matter More Than Ever?
Storytelling is grounded in how people process information. Research in psychology shows that when individuals engage with a narrative, they experience “narrative transportation,” becoming mentally immersed in the message. In that state, they’re more likely to understand, remember, and act on what they’re seeing.
Just as importantly, stories reduce friction. Instead of forcing people to interpret dense or fragmented information, a well-structured narrative presents a clear sequence: what happened, what it means, and what to do next. Studies have found that this format lowers resistance and improves comprehension, making it easier for audiences to engage without second-guessing or seeking additional support. That matters even more in a digital-first world.
Spotify offers a useful example on how to transform customer behavior into a personalized narrative through its “Wrapped” campaign. Instead of receiving statistics, users received a story about themselves. The result was more than 500 million engaged users within 24 hours, with sharing activity increasing 41% year over year. This doesn’t mean your organization needs a viral campaign. Rather, it’s a sign that customers engage deeply when communication with a brand feels personal, contextual, and built around them.
As customers increasingly favor quick, self-service interactions over phone calls, communications need to do more of the heavy lifting. Your communications are more than touchpoints; they’re stand-ins for conversations. The organizations that get those conversations right are designing them as intuitive, story-driven experiences that guide customers to action.
What Does Smarter Storytelling Look Like, Practically?
Smarter storytelling means making every interaction easier to understand and easier to act on. That starts with context, using customer data to make communications feel relevant rather than generic. It requires structure, guiding people through a clear sequence of what happened, what it means, and what to do next.
It also means adapting experiences to the channel itself, recognizing that a text message, email, mobile experience, and printed communication each create different expectations. Increasingly, the most effective communications also become interactive, allowing customers to move directly from understanding a situation to resolving it.
Customer Service Isn’t Disappearing
Customer service still matters, and it always will.
But for a growing segment of customers, support is becoming something they prefer to avoid rather than rely on. Communications increasingly need to do the work conversations once did.
The question isn't whether you're communicating. It's whether your communications are doing the job of a conversation. Delivering communications this way requires more than document generation. Organizations need to personalize content, orchestrate delivery across channels, and guide customers toward the next best action.
Ready to explore the latest digital experience insights?
For more coverage on customer communications, data intake, channel preferences, and more, access the full Benchmark Research here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do customers contact customer service instead of using self-service?
When communications lack clarity or structure, customers are more likely to disengage or seek support through alternative channels. In many cases, unclear messaging becomes the trigger for customer service contact, increasing operational load and frustration. This is why communication design directly impacts both customer satisfaction and service demand.
Q: How can organizations operationalize smarter storytelling at scale?
Organizations can operationalize smarter storytelling by combining customer data, workflow automation, and channel orchestration. This enables communications to be dynamically personalized, consistently structured, and automatically delivered through the most appropriate channel. Scalable storytelling also requires governance to ensure tone, clarity, and compliance remain consistent across journeys.
Q: When should customers still be routed to human customer service?
Human customer service remains essential when issues are complex, emotionally sensitive, or require judgment that automated systems cannot provide. While smarter communications can resolve many routine interactions, they should be designed to reduce — not eliminate — the need for human support. The most effective models combine self-service resolution with clear escalation paths to human assistance when needed.
Q: How does Smart Communications help regulated industries increase communication clarity and storytelling relevance?