Conclusion 17

Increasing use of digital communication can leave behind people in vulnerable circumstances, including older people and those with disabilities of mental and physical health, who need or prefer alternative communication channels.45 Citizens Advice told the committee that companies increasingly using AI chatbots to respond to customer queries, which can leave some customers stuck in a cycle of trying to ask for help.46 Ofcom told us that it requires companies to offer multiple communication channels, including email, phone and post to meet customers preferences.47 Citizens Advice told the committee that its advisers ‘can find it really difficult to get in contact with creditors, including energy companies, water companies and telecoms companies, and they can be really slow to act, or not accessible through different channels’.48