Over 90 per cent of respondents said that phones are considered one of their main communication tools, with just over half (52 per cent) saying it is their primary communication tool.
In addition, 95 per cent of business decision makers say phone calls are important for customer engagement and revenue generation.
While small companies are the most likely to say phone is their primary communication tool (58 per cent), even the largest enterprises (of over 10,000 employees) still are primarily on phone (55 per cent)
The future of phone use is bullish according to respondents, with a majority expecting phone use at their company to increase in the short term and only 5 per cent reporting an expected decrease.
Steven Zachok, vice president, product management at RingCentral, said, “Telephony has been a constant in the workplace for decades. While digital channels like messaging and video have grown in popularity, the study shows voice is here to stay and is, in fact, the preferred mode of communication.
“Critical for customer engagement, as evidenced by the 85 per cent of survey respondents who said the phone was an important tool. It’s clear that business leaders continue to invest in phone communication because it’s easy for employees to use, and it’s the channel consumers prefer.”