Today’s customer journey doesn’t follow a straight line, and it certainly doesn’t stick to one channel. Whether it’s a quick question over chat, a follow-up by phone, or a request through SMS, customers expect to get help when and how they want it. That expectation holds true across industries and demographics, and it’s raising the bar for what “good service” really means.
But not all customers want the same thing. In fact, generational differences in support preferences are more pronounced than ever. According to the 2024 Gartner State of the Customer survey, 52% of Baby Boomers still prefer calling customer service, while just 28% of Gen Z feel the same. Meanwhile 18% of Gen Z favor web chat, compared to just 7% of baby boomers. To meet differing customer expectations, customer service and support technology leaders increasingly recognize the importance of enabling connections across multiple channels.
That divide presents a real challenge: how do you design a support strategy that works for everyone?
That’s where the new Gartner® report, Unleash Omnichannel Customer Service to Improve CX, comes in. It explores the critical need for organizations to build omnichannel service models that can flex to meet a wide range of customer needs, without overwhelming internal teams or tech stacks. It’s not just about offering more channels; it’s about making those channels work together in a way that feels seamless to the customer.
Why Omnichannel Matters Now
Customer expectations aren’t just evolving, they’re accelerating. And with them, the pressure on service leaders to deliver efficient, personalized, and consistent experiences has never been greater.
Yet many companies still struggle with disconnected tools, outdated routing, and support models that haven’t kept pace with how people actually engage. The result? Missed opportunities, higher effort, and customer churn.
The Gartner® report highlights why a successful omnichannel strategy must be:
- Customer-led – designed around how people prefer to engage, not around internal constraints
- Integrated – so customers don’t get stuck repeating themselves or lost in handoffs
- Flexible – to support new channels, technologies, and service models as they emerge
- Measurable – with clear ways to track impact and improve over time
It also outlines key steps leaders can take to move beyond fragmented experiences and build a service strategy that is both efficient and truly responsive to customers.
What This Means for You
At Interactions, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful a well-executed omnichannel strategy can be. We help brands blend AI and human support across every touchpoint, chat, text, voice, and more, so customers get what they need without friction. We don’t believe in patchwork solutions. We believe in experiences that feel natural, personalized, and aligned with what today’s customers expect.
If your goal is to improve satisfaction, reduce operational drag, and create experiences that actually work for every generation, this report is a must-read.
Our takeaway: Omnichannel customer service isn’t optional, it’s essential. This Gartner® report lays out how to do it right.
Gartner, Unleash Omnichannel Customer Service to Improve CX, 28 February 2025, Francesco Vicchi GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
