Phone and Email to Sharply Decline in Value As Customer Service Leaders Favor Digital Channels
A survey of 265 customer service & support leaders conducted in April and May 2025 revealed that while AI agents are rising in value, they remain outside the top 10 customer service technologies ranked by leaders now and in two years’ time (see Figure 1).
“Live chat, self-service portals, and knowledge management systems are solidifying their place as essential tools for fast, scalable support,” said J.J. Moncus, Principal, Research in the Gartner Customer Service & Support practice. “To stay ahead, customer service leaders must focus on leveraging enhanced analytics, optimizing knowledge management, and using agent assist techniques to enhance the assisted-service experience.”
Figure 1. Ranking of Valuable Customer Service and Support Technologies, Now and in Two Years’ Time
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Source: Gartner (July 2025)