Why Gen Z doesn't want to make phone calls and how to adapt your business
In an era where mobile phones are within everyone's reach, it might seem that phone calls would be the most convenient form of contact. Yet, for younger generations, especially Gen Z (born approximately 1997-2012), it's often quite the opposite. Phone calls trigger anxiety, stress, and are frequently ignored rather than answered. For many, phone calls are completely passé, and if an alternative exists, they'll use it.
Why Generation Z Doesn't Answer the Phone
A survey by Upswitch points out that up to25% of young people aged 18-34 never answer incoming calls. More than 70% of them prefer messages over calls. The reasons are simple:
- Phone calls are unexpected and disruptive - messages give time to think about a response. They want to determine when and how they respond. They can delay the response, prepare it, edit it. Calls create pressure and fear of immediate reaction.
- Phone anxiety - fear of uncomfortable conversations is increasingly common among the younger generation.
- Multitasking - replying to a message between activities is easier than answering a call. Especially from a psychological perspective.
Messages Instead of Calls: The New Standard
Generation Z grew up with chats and apps. WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram DMs, Signal - these are their "phone calls". Even in a work environment, 42% prefer emails and 15% prefer messages over calls**, which only 7% choose.
What does this mean for your business? If you still ask clients to call you for appointments, you risk them going elsewhere where everything can be handled online.
How to Adapt to Generation Z?
- Offer online bookings so clients don't have to call you
This step is a convenient solution not just for Generation Z. Every phone call you have to attend to means less time for your work. A booking system will process reservations for you. And that's even outside your working hours, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It allows customers to choose an appointment, manage their reservation, or cancel it, without the need to call.
The Meety system is designed to be simple even for "non-technical" users, and you can fully customize your booking page according to your business needs.
- Automate confirmations and reminders
Every forgotten appointment costs you money and time. Set up Meety's automatic reminders and choose whether to send them via SMS or email. You can also precisely determine their timing, for example 24 hours before the appointment or 2 hours. Plus, you can customize the reminder text to match the tone of your business. And the best part? Everything happens automatically, no manual sending, no missed calls.
- Communicate where your clients are
If your clients spend time on social media, take advantage of that! At Meety, we've introduced a new feature that you'll definitely appreciate. Every day, you can have an Instagram story with available appointments automatically generated based on your calendar - just choose the background, color, font, or customize the story for a specific employee.
The Future of Business is Less About Phone Calls, More About Accessibility
The phone isn't going anywhere, but its role is changing. For younger customers, making a phone call is the last choice, not the first. If you want to stay relevant, it's important to understand their needs and adapt to them. This doesn't mean complication; on the contrary, it means simplification.
Meety will help you with that! From online bookings to fully automated reminders. You can focus on your work, and clients get the comfort they expect. We're happy to help you set up your booking page.
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