When the first generation to grow up with social media and instant messaging was asked about their support habits, the intuition was that they would gravitate toward chat or email. The data, however, tells a different story: a striking 72 % of Gen Z respondents say they are likely or very likely to pick phone support when a problem arises. This reveals that even the most digitally native cohort still values the human touch that a live conversation can provide.
But the preference for talking on the line comes with a caveat. Gen Z customers dislike long hold times and will often seek a callback or a more convenient way to reach an agent. In a separate survey, 75.4 % said they would rather schedule a callback than sit on hold while the music plays. It’s a clear sign that the voice channel must be efficient and flexible, not just available.
Excellent Support Influences Purchasing Decisions
When a customer experiences a smooth phone call, loyalty can increase dramatically. Around 22 % of Gen Z respondents indicated they would be willing to pay 10 % more for a product or service if the support options they prefer were available. An additional 19 % would consider a 5 % price premium under the same conditions. Conversely, 45 % have actually cancelled a service because they couldn’t access the support channel they wanted.
These numbers underline a simple truth: quality support is a direct driver of revenue. If a brand can deliver the right mix of phone and digital help, it earns a competitive edge by turning a frustrating experience into an opportunity for upsell.
Self‑Service: The Pre‑Call Ritual
Despite their love for the phone, Gen Z first attempts to resolve issues on their own. The abundance of information on Google, Reddit, and AI chatbots fuels a “search‑before‑you‑call” culture. Roughly 55 % of respondents say they always or often investigate a problem before reaching out to support.
For brands, this means that the journey to an agent is rarely linear. A customer might start on a mobile app, switch to a desktop browser, and then call an agent—all while juggling the same issue. To keep pace, companies must centralize data across every touchpoint and equip agents with the context they need to finish the task quickly.
The Rise of AI Assistants and What It Means for Support
When asked what they do before contacting a support team, 84 % reported searching Google and 49 % used an AI assistant such as ChatGPT. As search engines integrate AI overviews and AI mode, Gen Z customers are likely to encounter an AI tool right before they even consider calling an agent.
While AI can surface answers swiftly, it can also mislead users with hallucinations or outdated data. If a customer receives conflicting information from an AI chatbot and then speaks to an agent, confusion and frustration can double, leading to a higher likelihood of them abandoning the product altogether. In fact, 75 % of customers will stop trying after only two or three attempts, and 42 % will walk away from a brand after just a couple of bad experiences.
The solution is to give brands their own AI‑powered bot that is tightly integrated with their knowledge base. Such a bot can resolve simple queries, guide customers toward the best support channel, and hand off complex cases to a human with all relevant history already in place. This reduces repetition and the chance that a customer will feel like they’re starting over each time they switch channels.
Modern Phone Support: More Than a Call
Effective voice support today blends the empathy of a human with technologies that cut friction. Features such as callback services, automated queuing, and outbound dialing allow businesses to return a call instead of forcing customers to wait on hold. Integrated CRM systems give agents instant access to account information, speeding up resolution time and lowering the need for customers to repeat themselves.
Because Gen Z is willing to wait up to five minutes for a text, phone, or email response, a well‑designed call flow can transform a potentially irritating hold into a productive waiting period. Agents can use the time to pull up data, schedule a follow‑up, or even offer a relevant upsell, turning a pause into value.
When the entire support stack is connected—chat, email, phone, and even SMS—customers experience a seamless journey. They can start a conversation in one channel and finish it in another without losing context. For a generation that expects instant, personalized service, this omnichannel approach is no longer optional; it’s a necessity.
Omnichannel: The Real Reality
Gen Z’s expectations are shaped by the fluidity of their daily digital interactions. They switch devices, platforms, and channels with the same ease they switch between social media apps. When a chosen channel becomes slow or frustrating, 56 % will immediately jump to another option, and 28 % will simply walk away from the product or service altogether.
In practice, the most frequently used channels by Gen Z are phone calls (72 %), email (76 %), web chat (70 %), and online tickets (69 %). Video chat remains the least popular, with a larger share of respondents indicating they are unlikely to use it. These preferences highlight that while voice is king, the supporting channels must be robust and fast.
Because Gen Z can switch paths at any moment, brands must ensure that every channel delivers consistent quality and speed. Chat replies should arrive within about a minute, phone or SMS responses within five minutes, and email replies within thirty minutes. Meeting these benchmarks turns a potentially fragmented journey into a cohesive experience that keeps customers engaged.
How Vnumero.com Can Help
For companies looking to support Gen Z effectively, a unified communications platform that includes free virtual numbers is essential. Vnumero.com offers a reliable service that provides virtual phone numbers at no cost, allowing businesses to set up a dedicated phone line for support without the overhead of traditional infrastructure.
By integrating Vnumero.com’s virtual numbers with a CRM and AI chatbot, an organization can create a seamless support ecosystem. Customers can call a familiar number, chat on the web, or send an email—all of which feed into a single conversation history. The result is a smoother, faster, and more personalized experience that reduces churn and boosts satisfaction.
Because Gen Z values both the human touch of a phone call and the convenience of digital self‑service, combining these elements with a flexible virtual number solution positions brands to meet—and exceed—this generation’s expectations.
Looking Ahead
As Gen Z becomes the dominant consumer cohort, the demand for hybrid support solutions will only grow. The next wave of customer service innovation will likely amplify AI’s role in providing instant, accurate answers while ensuring a rapid handoff to human agents when needed. Companies that can weave together voice, chat, email, and automated tools—supported by a robust virtual number infrastructure—will not only retain Gen Z customers but also turn them into loyal advocates. The future of support is conversational, omnichannel, and, most importantly, human‑centered.
