Today we asked an AI to compare McKinsey's 2 articles on the state of customer relations in 2022 and 2024, look at Gartner's and BCG's 2025 insights, and help us learn from them. Analysis based on the two McKinsey articles cited, including the surveys and key figures presented in " The state of customer care in 2022 "and " Where is customer care in 2024? Complemented by 2 articles from Gartner and BCG. Thanks once again to McKinsey, Gartner and BCG for these valuable summaries and insights, and happy reading!
The small arrows >>> link to various interesting sections of the 2 articles.
2022, a tempestuous restart
By 2022, customer relations are already experiencing a "perfect storm". McKinsey points out that companies are jointly experiencing a sharp rise in call volumes, a shortage of talent and higher-than-ever customer expectations (driven by inflation) >>>. Digital channels are being deployed (chatbots, online portals), but adoption remains low (only 10% of digital platforms are fully utilized >>> ), so traditional call centers are struggling to disappear. Against this backdrop, customer service leaders are setting three key priorities for 2022-2024:
Retain and develop talent: quality recruitment and team motivation are becoming strategic to offset high turnover >>>.
Simplify and improve the customer experience (CX) by reducing calls and associated costs: the focus is on the efficiency of each interaction while maintaining satisfaction.
Reinforce digital and analytical tools: invest in online channels, chatbots and advanced analytics to automate routine requests and better understand the customer journey >>>.
Under pressure from these challenges, the companies of 2022 are reorienting their strategy around three main axes >>>: human capital (corporate culture, listening to employees to build agent loyalty), digitizing support (developing self-service and chatbots), and AI & analytics (anticipating customer needs and coaching teams using data). For example, almost two-thirds of organizations that have reduced their call volumes attribute this to better self-service solutions >>>. Overall, by 2022, digital interactions are expected to increase by around 50% by 2024 >>>, in the hope of relieving the pressure on call centers.
2024: a transition to AI in action
By 2024, the transformation is accelerating. McKinsey notes that "Gen Z picks up the phone, boomers use chat" >>> - a surprising inversion of generational stereotypes (younger, tech-savvy people still value human contact). The 2024 survey identifies three major areas of focus for customer service managers >>> :
Broader priorities: from a single CX focus to a multidimensional approach including revenue targets and technological transformation. Managers increasingly see customer service as a lever for growth (upsell/cross-sell) beyond mere satisfaction.
Future-ready AI ecosystems: organizations are investing massively in the integration of artificial intelligence (generative or otherwise) into support processes, to automate repetitive tasks and enrich real-time analytics.
Upskilling and outsourcing strengthened: team upskilling (AI management, new technologies, data analysis) is seen as crucial, as is collaboration with external partners to drive the transformation.
This period also sees the confirmation of several trends: call volumes continue to rise (57% of managers forecast an increase of around 20% in calls over the next 1-2 years), and cost pressure remains keen (37% still cite cost control as a key priority). At the same time, multi-channel is becoming the norm: customers - of all ages - want the flexibility to alternate between phone, chat, email or messaging as their needs dictate. So, despite the rise of digital, McKinsey notes that consumers of all generations still rank the telephone among their preferred channels, particularly in premium segments.
2025: the era of AI agents and the "golden" experience
By 2025, generative AI will be the top priority. Gartner points out that support managers are banking on conversational AI to revolutionize interactions >>> and aim to integrate these technologies to boost sales (upselling/cross-selling) and operational efficiency >>>. The five key trends identified for 2025 include:
Conversational generative AI (GenAI ) for customer support.
Growth through service: upsell and cross-sell strategy from customer service.
Technology literacy: strengthening digital literacy and AI understanding among managers.
Knowledge management: updating knowledge bases to feed AI agents.
Leveraging insights: increased sharing of customer feedback to improve products and services.
Echoing this, BCG's 2025 report proclaims the advent of a "golden era" for customer experience thanks to autonomous agents and new intelligent hardware >>>. According to BCG, the convergence of AI agents and technological innovations will enable a more personalized experience at lower cost >>>. The first concrete cases demonstrate this: the integration of generative AI in support centers has already led to productivity gains of 15% to 30%, and up to 80% in some pilot projects. Outside operations, virtual co-pilots (AI assistants) are emerging in retail and service: they answer customer questions, manage returns and propose personalized offers, freeing up human agents for complex cases and "human" moments in the customer journey. In short, 2025 confirms the 2024 vision: AI transforms customer service into an unprecedented lever of efficiency and engagement.
Predictions vs. reality (2022/2024 vs. 2025)
Overall, many of the 2022-2024 forecasts have come true. McKinsey had anticipated in 2022 a strong rise in digital (target +50% digital interactions) and the widespread use of AI to relieve teams, which was confirmed in 2025 with the explosion in the use of generative AI. Call volumes have indeed continued to rise, validating the 2022 warning (61% of leaders were already seeing call growth, and 58% were forecasting further increases). On the other hand, digitalization has not eradicated the telephone: on the contrary, younger generations continue to prefer voice contact, and digital platforms remain under-utilized (only 10% of platforms are fully adopted). In 2024, McKinsey predicted a "hyperefficient" turnaround via AI >>>, and we can see that AI tools (bots, virtual agents) are fulfilling the central role announced. Finally, the commercial dimension has gained ground: what was only a hope in 2022 is confirmed by Gartner 2025: customer service has become a major revenue driver >>>.
Emerging trends outside AI in 2025
Beyond AI, several emerging trends are taking shape. The human factor is once again becoming central: companies are investing in corporate culture, listening to and training their agents, aware that human capital will always distinguish their service >>>.Omnichannelity is leading to a rethinking of customer paths: consumers naturally juggle telephony, chat, social networks and email, which calls for seamless, fluid solutions >>>. In addition, there is a renewed focus on transparency and ethics: customer data protection, diversity and social responsibility are gaining in importance as signals of trust. Finally, advanced personalization (beyond AI) - via fine-grained data analysis, agents' emotional intelligence and innovative formats (video chat, voice instant messaging...) - is asserting itself as a major lever for building customer loyalty in 2025.
Summary
Between 2022 and 2025, customer service has entered an era where technology and people converge. The challenges of 2022 (rising volumes, talent shortages, cost pressures) persist, but companies now have new tools at their disposal: conversational AI and automation are integrated into daily business. At the same time, investment in teams and multi-channel experience has progressed, so as not to lose the relational and personalized dimension of assistance. These four years have confirmed that customer relations is no longer an isolated cost center: it has become a driver of innovation, efficiency and growth. Predictions have largely turned into reality: 2025 appears to be the year when the promise of a customer service that is both hyper-efficient and humanly rich really begins to materialize.
Sources: McKinsey analyses(2022, 2024), Gartner (2025) and BCG (2025).
