MIT Sloan Management Review Article on How Should Companies Talk to Customers Online?

More and more consumers are engaging with customer service through digital channels, including websites, email, texts, live chat, and social media. In 2017, only half of customer experiences with companies involved face-to-face or voice-based interactions, and digital interactions are expected to represent two-thirds of customer experiences within the next few years.1 The vast majority of customer service interactions around the world begins in online channels.

Despite the convenience and speed of such interactions, they lack some of the most important aspects of offline customer service. In-person interactions are rich in nonverbal expressions and gestures, which can signal deep engagement, and an agent’s tone of voice can convey empathy and focus in phone conversations. Over time, these interpersonal touches help companies build and sustain relationships with customers.

About the Author

Brent McFerran is the W.J. VanDusen Associate Professor of Marketing at Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Sarah G. Moore is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Alberta’s School of Business in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Grant Packard (@grantpackard) is an associate professor of marketing at Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

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