Behavioural Science Transformed Digital Customer Engagement and leading to 5x Use

Customers of our client that operates in 70+ countries stuck to old habits: calling via the phone for support instead of using the faster, cheaper digital option. This led to clogged call centres, high costs, and slow service. We wanted to improve digital customer engagement and increase digital self-service rates.

Insight: Understanding barriers

Tech wasn’t the barrier; behaviour was. Customers:

• Defaulted to what felt familiar (status quo bias)
• Assumed the app was complex (effort misperception)
• Didn’t trust the switch (uncertainty aversion)

The Solution: Nudging, not pushing

We rewired the choice architecture to make digital the easy, obvious path and a strategy designed to enhance digital customer engagement:

• Default nudge: Web app as the primary option
• Simplified journey: Reduced perceived effort and complexity
• Trust signals: Reassured customers about security and reliability
• We tailored our approach across 13 countries

The Results

• 5x increase in digital self-service in Thailand
• 2x adoption in Italy
• Became Austria’s go-to option
• 14.3-point boost in digital customer engagement elsewhere
• Freed up call centres for high-value cases

Big Takeaway

Behavioural science moves the needle. Small tweaks, big shifts.