The Voice of the UK Consumer 2025

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into customer service is transforming the way contact centres operate. But consumer confidence hasn’t yet caught up. While 45% of consumers are comfortable interacting with chatbots or virtual assistants, 36% remain uncomfortable. This ambivalence and uncertainty highlight both opportunity and risk for how contact centre leaders choose to utilise AI in call centres.

The Generational Divide

Younger audiences are far more comfortable interacting with AI, and are leading the adoption of the technology. 65% of 25–34-year-olds are comfortable with AI, compared to just 27% of over-55s. 

Men (48%) are slightly more comfortable interacting with AI in customer service scenarios compared to women (41%), and interestingly, those who are city dwellers are notably more open to AI than those who live in rural areas.

How Consumers Feel About AI Performance

Although 36% believe AI and automation have improved their contact centre experience, 32% say it has actually had the opposite effect and made things worse. These mixed reviews show that while AI can add speed and convenience, poor implementation of the technology risks damaging customer trust.

“Technology works best when it enhances human capabilities rather than replacing them.” – Ben Booth, CEO, MaxContact

Key Consumer Frustrations with AI

• 22% say there are too many steps before reaching a human agent.
• 20% cite AI’s lack of understanding in specific situations.
• 12% mention limited response options.
• 12% dislike having to repeat information.

These frustrations point to a single theme: customers value control. When automation creates barriers instead of reducing them, frustration grows.

Key Takeaway

How to build consumer confidence in AI used for customer service:

1. Employ digital channels and self-serve for routine enquiries and repetitive tasks that free agents for more complex issues and emergencies. For example, basic payments and account enquiries are routine transactions that most consumers will comfortably manage themselves.
2. Maintain strong human support for complex matters and emergency situations. When consumers want a quick response, they want to talk.
3. Make sure there’s a clear escalation path from self-serve and digital channels to human agents. Consumers will be more accepting of self-serve if they know they can easily transfer to a human agent if something goes wrong.

When done right, AI improves efficiency and helps human agents excel.

When Only a Human Will Do

Even in an age of automation, human connection is non-negotiable. Our survey revealed that most consumers still want to speak to a real person in moments that matter.

Scenarios Where Customers Prefer Human Agents

• 70% when explaining specific situations.
• 67% in emergencies.
• 65% for complex account queries.
• 61% when making complaints.
• 59% when negotiating terms or payments.

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Older consumers, who feel less comfortable with AI, show a stronger preference for human contact, but actually, the sentiment is shared across all demographics. Human agents aren’t a nice-to-have, they’re a necessity.

Why Voice Still Leads

Voice calls remain a cornerstone of customer service. 36% of people say calling makes it easier to explain their query or issue, while another 36% simply prefer the reassurance of human conversation. For others, the speed of response and sense of resolution make calls their go-to option.

Despite the range of digital tools available, fewer than 3% of respondents rely solely on digital channels. Poor past experiences (reported by nearly 9% of consumers) reinforce why trust and empathy still matter most.

“The most successful contact centres in 2025 will deploy AI strategically for efficiency while investing in their agents’ soft skills and knowledge.” – Ben Booth, CEO, MaxContact

Key Takeaway

To get the human-digital balance right:

• Deploy digital and self-serve for routine tasks.
• Prioritise humans for complex, emotional or high-stakes interactions.
• Provide clear, visible paths from automation to live support.

Humanity remains the foundation of great customer experience.

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Customers expect brands to be available everywhere, but not every channel carries equal weight. Our data reveal the best contact centre channels are dependent on how and when consumers want to be contacted.

Channel Preferences by Scenario

For everyday updates, consumers favour passive channels like email. But when urgency or emotion enters the picture, the phone dominates.

The Speed Factor

When asked which channels resolve issues fastest:

• 60% said phone calls.
• 13% said webchat.
• 9% said email.

Over 70% of over-55s said phone calls resolve issues quickest, while younger consumers show more comfort with chat and app-based support. This generational difference suggests the future of contact centres is hybrid, not purely digital.

For contact centres looking to optimise how they manage customer journeys across multiple channels, it starts with using data more intelligently. Read our guide on how to create a data-driven customer contact strategy to discover practical steps for improving engagement, consistency and conversion across every touchpoint.

Key Takeaway:

1. Optimise channels for purpose. Urgent issues? Voice. Routine updates? Email. Convenience? Chat.
2. Route intelligently. Use omnichannel software to direct queries based on urgency and customer profile.
3. Measure satisfaction by journey, not channel. True omnichannel success means seamless transitions, not isolated touchpoints.

“A holistic omnichannel strategy ensures customers get the right service through the right channel every time.” – Ben Booth, CEO, MaxContact

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Customer patience is at an all-time low, and poor service is a dealbreaker. 42% of consumers have switched providers due to bad contact centre experiences, while 38% have considered it. Among 25–34-year-olds, the figure rises to 60%.

Why Customers Hang Up

Top reasons for call abandonment include:

• 55%: excessive wait times.
• 35%: agents who don’t understand their situation.
• 34%: multiple transfers.
• 26%: having to repeat information.

These pain points are avoidable but widespread. They highlight a core opportunity for businesses that prioritise reliability and agent empowerment to strengthen customer retention.

Many of these frustrations stem from avoidable operational missteps, from poor routing to inconsistent agent communication. Explore our article on 5 call handling mistakes in your call centre that hurt CX and compliance for a deeper look at the most common pitfalls and how to prevent them.

The Value of Premium Support

Interestingly, 42% of respondents said they’d pay extra for premium support with guaranteed shorter waits. Younger professionals and London-based consumers were most likely to say yes.

Key Takeaway:

To reduce churn:

1. Shorten queues with workforce management and smarter scheduling.
2. Use call analytics to spot training gaps and common frustrations.
3. Offer call-back options to prevent hang-ups.
4. Empower agents to make decisions without unnecessary escalation.

“Contact centres should be seen as loyalty engines, not cost centres. Every resolved call is a retention win.” – Ben Booth, CEO, MaxContact

Delivering excellence in 2025 requires more than just answering calls quickly, it’s about creating moments of confidence and connection that customers remember. The best contact centres are those that combine human empathy with intelligent technology, making every interaction faster, smarter, and more personal.

Across our research, one theme stood out clearly: customers reward reliability. They notice when technology works seamlessly, when agents are knowledgeable and empowered, and when their time is respected. But they also notice the opposite. They notice a dropped call, a confusing IVR menu, or an agent who sounds uncertain, and these moments erode trust instantly.

Operational efficiency and service quality don’t have to be at odds. Discover practical ways to improve performance while maintaining high standards in our guide, 7 ways to reduce costs in your contact centre without sacrificing quality.

What Builds Trust in Contact Centres?

When we asked consumers what makes an agent trustworthy, here’s what they said:

• 49% said understanding their needs was the number one factor.
• 42% said clear identification and purpose mattered most.
• 42% valued professionalism and a polite tone.
• 35% appreciated agents with the authority to make real decisions.

In short, trust is built through understanding, confidence, and clarity not scripts or speed.

What Frustrates Consumers the Most?

But there’s a flip side. Frustration builds when contact centres get the basics wrong:

• 27% of customers experience frequent disconnections.
• 16% cite dropped calls as their biggest irritation.
• 16% say agents failing to understand their needs is most frustrating.
• 12% dislike being transferred multiple times.

Reliability, communication, and competence are non‑negotiables. Every small inefficiency chips away at confidence.

Future‑proofing your contact centre isn’t about adopting every new tool or chasing trends. It’s about delivering what customers value most: reliability, simplicity, and empathy. And then using innovation to do that better every day.

Smart Technology, Human Control

AI and automation should empower your people, not replace them. Customers want speed and self‑service for simple requests, but they also want to know that help from a human is only a click or call away. Clear escalation paths are essential. Push automation too far, too fast, and you risk damaging trust.

The foundation of any investment should be connection reliability. Disconnected calls remain one of the biggest frustrations, and yet 27% of customers experience them regularly. For outbound dialling, make sure systems balance speed with agent availability so customers never feel cut off mid‑conversation.

Simplicity matters just as much. Endless transfers and repeated explanations make customers feel invisible. Intelligent routing and integrated systems can connect people to the right team instantly, while smooth transitions between digital and voice channels ensure continuity. A customer should never have to start their story twice.

Empowering and Training Your People

Technology is only half the equation. When issues are complex or urgent, customers want to speak to the right person, someone informed, empathetic, and empowered to act. That means continuous training, strong CRM integration, and real‑time insights that give agents full context before every call.

Agents who combine product knowledge with emotional intelligence can transform tense moments into loyalty‑building experiences. Efficiency tools should give them more time to listen, not less.

Finding the Right Balance

There’s no universal formula for the perfect balance between automation and human interaction. It will depend on your audience, industry, and objectives. What matters is using data and experience to find your sweet spot, where technology handles the repetitive work and people handle the relationships.

Demographics Matter

Preferences differ by demographic. Younger consumers are far more comfortable with AI and digital channels, while older consumers and women show a stronger preference for live voice interaction. Future‑proofing means designing experiences that flex with those expectations, ensuring every customer can choose the path that suits them best.

In the end, the future of contact centres isn’t about technology replacing people, it’s about technology elevating people. When every system, agent, and channel works in harmony, customers feel the difference.

“Respect your customers’ time, and you’ll earn their trust. Every second saved is a loyalty win.” – MaxContact, Voice of the Consumer 2025

At MaxContact, we help organisations connect every conversation through our intelligent engagement platform, enabling you to combine AI efficiency with human empathy to deliver exceptional experiences.

Ready to deliver the experience your customers expect?

See how MaxContact helps contact centres balance automation and empathy to deliver outstanding customer experiences.

Book a demo and discover the future of customer engagement.

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