The contact center is more important today than ever, especially since so many physical storefronts are closed or working within limited hours due to the pandemic. Most customers’ most reliable connection to the business is through the contact center. Technology has resulted in many more channels than voice, and contact centers have evolved to support chat, email, SMS, and more. With contact centers becoming the key contact point between the business and the brand, it’s vital that all channels offer a unified, connected approach. The only way to accomplish this is through the omnichannel.
The omnichannel has been a popular topic recently, but it’s especially important to distinguish between multichannel and omnichannel. A multichannel approach only requires having multiple channels, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that all these channels are working together towards a single goal. A good multichannel strategy can include a great website, a user-friendly mobile app and engaging social media, but these often aren’t conveying a coordinated, unified message. An omnichannel approach breaks down these silos and takes the customer experience to the next level by integrating every channel to provide a holistic customer experience. By implementing an omnichannel approach, you can improve your business and the customer experience in many ways.
Streamline Business Processes
The omnichannel affects more than the customer experience, it can enhance business processes as well. By combining multichannel data into a single, comprehensive view, you can now achieve a clear view into what it really happening within your contact center. Management can view agent statistics across all platforms in one place, which allows for targeted training, and more efficient staffing and scheduling. In addition, it allows for greater insight into why customers contact the business, and if there are any patterns across channels or customer demographics. Once you pull in other data sources, such as Human Resources or Accounting, you can also quantify metrics such as Cost per Channel or a breakdown of Operations Spend by Agent State. An omnichannel approach creates visibility into not only the customer experience, but also the business.
Enhance Customer Experience
An omnichannel approach enables end-to-end visibility into the customer experience. By unsiloing data from each channel, the customer experience is enhanced. Agents across all channels have access to customer data that enables quick problem resolution and excellent customer experience. The ability to combine data from each channel is extremely valuable because it enables an experience that extends from just a single channel. This creates a personalized experience for every customer, regardless of their preferred channel. Enabling a smooth omnichannel approach can also provide an advantage over competitors, as providing customers with multiple ways to connect will increase engagement and brand awareness.
Increase Customer Engagement
Different types of customers want to engage with the business in different ways. For example, some customers prefer to shop online, while others prefer to shop in store. In addition, some consumers research before shopping, while others research while shopping. The omnichannel experience should support all of these customers equally and allow different types of customers to connect with the business through their preferred channel. By enabling different channels, the omnichannel captures customers that wouldn’t be captured through a different approach.
The omnichannel creates a holistic, comprehensive customer experience and visibility into the business. By catering to potential customers and enabling employees to deliver the best possible customer service, the omnichannel approach will enhance any business.
