Some of the most famous and successful US companies make it hard for customers to get in touch, according to a new study of Fortune 500 companies, by virtual receptionist & phone answering providers VoiceNation and Moneypenny, with 85% of the companies having no phone contact number on their website home page.

While some of the Fortune 500 companies did feature a phone number elsewhere on their website, 33% of them make it either impossible or extremely difficult to find a contact number on their website and have no phone number on their respective home pages. It took the Moneypenny researchers six or seven clicks to find one elsewhere on their websites.

The study also showed that a further 23% of the companies had no number on the home page, or anywhere else on their website, making phone contact impossible. This is despite the fact that 76% of customers still prefer phone calls for customer support, according to a Claes Fornell International Group study from 2020

While many companies offer a range of alternative communication methods, such as chatbots, webforms and live chat, this is no help to the estimated 24 million Americans lacking access to high-speed internet, according to McKinsey, or to the approximately 23 million people who don’t use the Internet, as reported by the Pew Research Center In 2021.

Richard Culberson, CEO North America at VoiceNation and Moneypenny US comments: “As the world becomes more digital, businesses must remember the value of human connection. Chatbots and AI can enhance the customer experience, but many people prefer the warmth, understanding, and problem-solving capacity of a friendly human being on the end of a phoneline, particularly when their call is urgent or sensitive.  Companies should therefore ensure they design their digital platforms to readily provide essential information like contact details.”