high-touch

Meaning

1. 1adjectivecomparablebusiness

   Giving a lot of personal attention and human contact, instead of relying on automated or impersonal service.

   Grammar: Often before a noun: a high-touch service; it can also follow be.

   Patterns

   • a high-touch approach
   • a high-touch service

   The bank offers a high-touch service for its wealthiest clients.

   Their high-touch approach means every customer gets a personal call.

   Teaching can never be fully automated; it is a high-touch profession.

Common combinations

high-touch service

The agency provides a high-touch service for new clients.

high-touch approach

A high-touch approach builds trust with customers.

high-touch customer care

Their high-touch customer care sets them apart.

high-touch model

The company moved to a more high-touch model.

high-tech and high-touch

The school aims to be both high-tech and high-touch.

Synonyms and how they differ

personalized

Personalized means adapted to an individual, while high-touch stresses frequent human contact.

hands-on

Hands-on means involved directly in doing something and does not necessarily suggest personal care for customers.

personal

Personal is general and informal, but high-touch is a business term for a specific style of service.

Opposites

Word family

high-tech adjective

using advanced technology

low-touch adjective

giving little personal contact

touch noun

contact or communication

touchpoint noun

a moment of contact between a company and a customer

Commonly confused: high-touch or high-tech?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “high-touch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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