You Fixed Chat. You Transformed Digital Channels. They Still Called.

Blog

September 8, 2025

Your digital customer service experience is modern. Your chat is fast. Your AI agents are helpful. So why are most of your customers still picking up the phone?

C-Suite

Glia's Platform

Your digital customer service experience is modern. Your chat is fast. Your AI agents are helpful. So why are most of your customers still picking up the phone? It’s not just you—voice is still the channel that matters most. Here's how the smartest institutions are using technology to fix what legacy tools left behind.

Voice Is Back. But This Time, It’s Smart.

Let’s get something straight: Your digital banking experience isn’t broken. You’ve nailed it. You rolled out chat, live observation, CoBrowsing, even video. You’re meeting customers where they are, offering seamless support across multiple digital channels.

But they’re still calling.

That’s not failure. It’s reality. When the stakes are high—fraud alerts, loan applications, locked-out accounts—people don’t want to chat. They want to talk. And in 2025, they expect those conversations to be just as fast, personalized, and intelligent as your other channels. No long waits. No repeating their story to agent after agent. No navigating away from a webpage to pick up a phone.

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to send them through the IVR labyrinth anymore. Voice technology has come a long way. Today’s tech brings AI-powered intelligence, predictive routing, and human warmth to every conversation. Today’s voice AI finally gives callers what they’ve been waiting for. Which is a good thing—because they’ve waited long enough.

What Digital Leaders Are Getting Wrong About Voice.

According to Glia’s latest research, 84% of financial institutions say most of their customer interactions still involve voice. If you’re not modernizing your voice experience, you’re at risk of losing customers to a competitor who is.

Adding to your challenge is the fact that today’s voice calls are longer, more complex, and often emotionally charged. Agents need better tools, but many are still stuck with outdated systems. This disconnect creates friction for customers and stress for agents.

A modern voice experience changes that. The latest solutions bring:

AI-powered routing that connects callers to the right expert faster—no more explaining the same problem to agent after agent before finally receiving help
Real-time agent assistance through agent copilots, empowering your frontline team to deliver smart, accurate expertise faster than ever
Post-call insights via automated call reviews, saving time for everyone by eliminating the manual labor from agent wrap-ups and manager reviews

These aren’t just shiny new tools—they deliver real results. Service 1st Credit Union’s leadership discovered that despite strong digital adoption, voice remained the dominant channel for high-stakes interactions. Calls were spiking with increased loan demand and complex inquiries. Their agents were stretched thin, juggling screens and struggling to meet expectations. After adopting a smarter, AI-enhanced voice strategy, Service 1st cut handle times by nearly 20% by giving agents the tools to solve problems faster.

What does this mean for digital leaders like you? Voice isn’t going away, but the conversation has changed. Now it’s time for your systems to catch up.

Still Taking Calls Like It’s 2015?

It’s no secret that many contact centers are still running on legacy infrastructure. And that tech wasn’t built for the demands of today’s customers. IVRs confuse people. Transfers waste time. Agents lack context. Everyone feels the frustration.

The problem isn’t the team. It’s the system.

Modern, ChannelLess^® AI renders legacy voice platforms out of date. This means you’re no longer stuck with:

Slower call resolutions
Higher abandonment rates
Costly call transfers
Overwhelmed, disengaged agents

Modern voice solutions bring your interactions into the digital age. Tools like AI agents—built specifically for banks and credit unions—and AI workforce forecasting analysts help you answer more calls, faster, without adding headcount.

These tools don’t only let you scale smartly. When your systems are connected, intelligent, and proactive, your team performs better. Your customers notice. And your costs go down.

The takeaway? Turning to AI contact center technology is no longer a future hypothetical—it’s a bottom-line imperative.

Your Agents Need Help. Voice AI Answers the Call.

Your agents aren’t underperforming. They’re under-supported.

Every day, they field repetitive calls. Toggle between systems. Repeat questions already asked in chat. They’re trying to provide world-class service with legacy tools that don’t serve them.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Today’s voice technology takes the strain off your people:

It automates routine interactions so agents can focus on situations that require personal touch
It predicts call volume and helps you staff smarter with AI forecasting
It gives agents context and coaching tools via agent copilots

Instead of working harder, your team can work smarter. Instead of apologizing for delays, they can wow customers with speed and empathy. And instead of burning out, they can grow and thrive.

When you upgrade the tools, you upgrade the outcomes.

The Best Teams Already Prioritize Voice AI. Do You?

Voice AI isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic priority.

In a recent industry report by Metric Sherpa’s Justin Robbins, we learned:

81% of contact center leaders plan to increase AI investments in the next 12 months
Voice AI is the #1 investment area for 2026
74% say AI is improving KPIs like CSAT, AHT, and first-contact resolution

Why the shift? Because voice interactions are still where key moments happen. And because AI doesn’t just reduce costs—it enhances what humans can do.

Or, as CEO Dan Michaeli puts it,

This research makes it clear: AI’s biggest impact isn’t just about cutting costs — it’s about extending the capacity of your team. When banks and credit unions deploy Glia AI, they create unprecedented capacity. And when they do, the real question becomes, what will you do with all those newfound increases and savings?

What we’re hearing from customers is shockingly consistent: Reskill and reallocate agents to servicing centers, stop paying for after-hours and overflow support agencies, be more proactive with financial literacy education programs and do more in the community.

Too often, AI is treated like a tech decision, when really, it’s a shift in how we think about labor allocation and project prioritization. It opens up the opportunity to reallocate resources — budget and talent alike — toward innovation, customer and member value, and human potential.

You’ve Mastered Digital. Now Raise Your Voice.

Your voice strategy doesn’t have to lag behind your digital investments. Your agents don’t have to suffer through repetitive tasks. Your customers don’t have to sit on hold.

The technology is ready. The ROI is proven. Your customers and members are ready—and your peers aren’t waiting for you to catch up.

You fixed chat. Now fix voice.

The Bottom Line: How Much Will You Save With Voice AI?

Let’s take the guesswork out of it.

If you’re already a Glia digital customer, you can get a personalized Voice AI impact report. Just plug in your current contact center stats, and we’ll show you: