Sunnyvale, CA - Wednesday, June 26th, 2019
Ooma, Inc., a smart communications platform for businesses and consumers, today announced the results of a survey1 commissioned to discover consumers’ preferred method for communicating with local businesses. In this study, Ooma surveyed 500 people each from four different generations: Baby Boomer (55-75 years old), Gen X (40-54 years old), Millennial (25-39 years old) and Gen Z (4-24 years old). Overall, the survey findings show that across the board, all generations are seeking a human to human connection, preferring in person and phone calls over any other method of communication – largely driven by speed and accuracy of speaking to a real person when it’s important.
Most notably, the survey busts a common myth about Gen Z. Viewed as the most digitally connected generation so far, Gen Z has a reputation for avoiding phone conversations and solely communicating through texting and social media apps. The survey indicates Gen Z, with an estimated purchasing power of $153 billion a year2, overwhelmingly prefers the phone and face-to-face contact when it comes to important interactions with local businesses. When given the option, Gen Z will choose a direct, personal conversation over all other means of communication. Highlights include:
“Despite Gen Z’s reputation for being glued to texting, tweeting and Instagramming on their devices, Ooma’s survey has shown that this generation, along with all others surveyed, drastically prefer to handle both urgent and day to day communications through their phone,” said Ken Narita, director of business marketing at Ooma. “Phone conversations provide an authentic experience that allows for quick actions and solutions, and it’s clear that local businesses need to offer a clear way for people to reach them and communicate in this preferred method.”
Ooma helps small- and mid-sized businesses make human connections through Ooma Office (https://www.ooma.com/office/), a cloud-based phone service available at a straightforward fee of CDN$ 24.95 a month per user with no contract required. Customers have their choice of hardware – conventional analog phones, IP phones, or virtual service through the Office for Mobile app, or any combination of the three. Advanced features such as a virtual receptionist, ring groups, call parking and extension monitoring give businesses the tools they need to avoid missed calls and get customers to the right person as fast as possible.
To learn more about Ooma’s survey, please visit: www.ooma.com/blog/human-connection-matters-gen-z-ooma-survey-busts-myths-around-generational-communication-preferences
1 Data is from a survey commissioned by Ooma from Sapio Research of 2,046 U.S. residents in May 2019.2 https://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/forget-millennial-purchasing-power-gen-z-is-where-its-at.html
Ooma (NYSE: OOMA) creates powerful connected experiences for businesses, consumers and service providers, delivered through smart cloud-based communications platforms and services. For businesses of all sizes, Ooma offers advanced voice and collaboration features including messaging, intelligent virtual receptionists and video meetings. Ooma’s all-in-one replacement for analog phone lines helps businesses maintain mission-critical systems by moving connectivity to the cloud. For consumers, Ooma’s residential phone service provides PureVoice HD voice quality, advanced features and integration with mobile devices. Learn more at www.ooma.com or www.ooma.ca in Canada.
Investors
Matthew S. Robison
Director of IR and Corporate Development
Ooma, Inc.
email: ir@ooma.com
phone: (650) 300-1480
Media
Mike Langberg
Director of Corporate Communications
Ooma, Inc.
email: press@ooma.com
phone: (650) 566-6693