Consumer Behavior

Consumer online shift won't ebb once pandemic ends, claims survey

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March 30, 2021

The consumer movement to online shopping, as well as online banking and adoption of health and wellness apps will keep growing and expanding even once the COVID-19 pandemic ends and the retail environment returns to normal.

That's the prime finding of a Telus International survey that also reveals 78% of American find online customer experience interactions are better now than before the pandemic.

Convenience (34%) and an effort by retailers to connect with consumers personally (20%) were top reasons why consumers rated digital customer service interactions positively, according to a press release on the findings.

However, many consumers also reported a lack of empathy from their digital interactions with brands.

"While empathy should always be top of mind for brands when interacting with its customers, its importance has been amplified by the effects of this pandemic," Jim Radzicki, CTO at Telus, said in the release. "By equipping CX teams with AI-powered tools that offload complex tasks and incorporate personalization and sentiment analysis, agents are empowered to focus on making meaningful, empathetic connections with the customers they are supporting."

In the post-pandemic world, an overwhelming majority of Americans will continue shopping (97%), banking (92%), engaging in health and wellness activities (77%), and gaming (71%) online because of positive digital experiences in 2020, according to the release.