9 Leading Customer Service Channels (And How to Select the Right Ones)

Most modern businesses are adopting an omnichannel approach to customer service that spans multiple channels and touchpoints. For 89% of consumers, a positive support experience makes them more likely to make another purchase.

There’s no doubt that customer service can have a huge impact on your business’s bottom line. With this in mind, here’s a look at the leading channels for ensuring your audience can access the support they need.

Top 9 customer service channels  

Consider the following channels when optimizing your customer support strategy. 

1. Phone 

Although the phone may seem like an old-fashioned medium when compared to email or social media live chat, the reality is that most customers still expect it from the businesses they interact with. In fact, research by CFI Group found that 76% of consumers preferred the traditional medium of phone calls to reach customer support representatives. Additionally, it provides the most human support experience, as customers can speak to live agents making it easier for both parties to avoid miscommunications and get their issues resolved faster. 

Strengths

• Enables agents to offer personalized, one-to-one support in real-time 
• Preferred method of communication across demographics

Weaknesses

• Can cause long customer service queues  
• Expensive and less scalable than other channels 

Learn more: Empower Your Agents: How to Do More with Less

2. SMS messaging 

SMS messaging is a convenient, fast and accessible way for businesses to provide customer support. In 2022, 70% of consumers opted in to receive texts from businesses and one in three consumers checked their text notifications within one minute of receiving a text. 

Texts have an extremely high open rate of 98%, which makes them a great way to provide customers with timely responses. It’s important to note that mobile messaging doesn’t just refer to SMS, as companies can also connect with customers using messaging services like Whatsapp, Telegram and Facebook Messenger. 

Strengths 

• Provide quick and simple support for easy-to-solve issues 
• Texts offer a high open and response rate

Weaknesses

• Can feel impersonal  
• Limits response lengths 

3. Email support 

IFP’s State of Customer Experience in 2022/23 report found that email is the most common customer service channel used by customer support teams and 61% of respondents said they planned to keep using it in the next 12 months. 

With over 4 billion email users worldwide, it’s no surprise that this ubiquitous medium has become the go-to way for customers to connect with brands with questions or problems - not to mention it’s one of the most low-cost customer service channels for businesses. 

Email is effective because it allows for asynchronous communication, and means that agents can handle multiple requests simultaneously. Although some requests may require real-time communication, email meets a range of support requirements. However, it’s important to ensure emails have an element of personalization to bring a human touch to the experience. 

Strengths 

• Highly accessible, customers can send and receive support requests from anywhere 
• Agents can attach files/links to better help customers

Weaknesses 

• Not ideal for handling complex issues as this can result in too much back and forth  
• Can be impersonal and lead to miscommunication

4. Self-service/knowledge base 

Self-service options are a way to empower your customers to seek support on their own time without having to wait for a response from an agent. According to a survey, 77% of customers say they view brands more positively if they offer self-service support options. 

Self-service resources can include your blog, webinars, a knowledge base on your website, downloadable guides or FAQs.. All of these can help customers find solutions to their problems quickly and effectively. Moreover, these resources are evergreen and benefit countless customers so your agents can tackle more complex issues.  

Strengths  

• Doesn’t require human interaction 
• Provides customers with quick solutions when they need them 

Weaknesses  

• Can be confusing to navigate, which is why it’s important to ensure self-service options are intuitive for users 
• Lacks personalization