The customer experience (CX) is the new battleground for businesses. In today’s hyper-competitive environment, Customer Experience is the differentiator that can make or break a company. As such, businesses are under immense pressure to provide outstanding Customer Experience at every touchpoint. One of the most important touchpoints in the Customer Experience journey is the contact center. The contact center is often the first and last point of contact between a company and its customers. And with the rise of omnichannel customer service, the contact center has become even more important. In this blog post, we will explore what an omnichannel contact center is and why it is such a focal point for Customer Experience.
What Is An Omnichannel Contact Center?
An omnichannel contact center is a customer service center that uses multiple channels to connect with customers. This can include phone, email, chat, social media, and even in-person interactions. The goal of an omnichannel contact center is to give customers a smooth customer experience (CX) no matter how or where they choose to get in touch. As customers expect the same experience across all channels, an omnichannel strategy is becoming more and more important. A recent study found that 78% of consumers would take their business elsewhere if they had a poor experience on just one channel.
An omnichannel contact center gives businesses the ability to provide that consistent experience. By using multiple channels, businesses can reach out to customers where they are most comfortable and offer the support they need. Additionally, businesses can collect data from all channels to get a complete picture of the customer journey. This data can then be used to improve the overall Customer Experience. Omnichannel contact centers are quickly becoming the norm in customer service. If you want to provide an excellent customer experience for your customers, an omnichannel strategy is essential.
Multichannel vs Omnichannel Call Center Services
There are several key differences between multichannel and omnichannel contact centers that are worth noting. For starters, a multichannel contact center will typically have separate channels for each type of communication (e.g. phone, email, chat), whereas an omnichannel contact center will have a unified platform that integrates all channels. This lets omnichannel contact centers give customers a more consistent and smooth experience since they can easily switch between channels without having to start from the beginning each time.
Another key difference is that omnichannel contact centers often make use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies to further streamline the customer experience. This might include things like the automatic routing of calls based on customer preferences, real-time queuing for live chat sessions, and so on. Multichannel contact centers tend to be more basic, with most customer interactions being handled by people.
Inbound contact centers receive calls from customers, while outbound contact centers make calls to customers (usually for sales or customer service purposes). Omnichannel contact centers can be either inbound or outbound or both. In a multichannel contact center, both inbound and outbound contact services are supported across multiple channels, such as phone, email, chat, and social media.
Overall, the goal of an omnichannel contact center is to provide a more holistic and integrated approach to customer service, whereas a multichannel contact center takes a more piecemeal approach. By using an omnichannel strategy, businesses can provide a better overall experience for their customers and improve customer satisfaction levels.
Four Ways Omnichannel Contact Centers Improve Customer Experience
In a recent study by Bain & Company, it was found that companies that adopted an omnichannel approach saw a 10% increase in customer retention. There are many reasons why an omnichannel contact center is beneficial for both businesses and customers.
One Screen Monitoring
When you have an omnichannel contact center, all of your customer conversations are funneled through a central system. This makes it much easier to manage and keep track of customer interactions, regardless of the channels they’re coming from.
- Improved customer satisfaction: Customers can easily move from one channel to another without having to repeat themselves or start over. This leads to a better overall experience and higher satisfaction levels.
- Increased efficiency: With all conversations happening in one place, agents can quickly switch between channels as needed and address multiple issues at the same time. This results in faster resolution times and increased efficiency.
- Better data management: All customer data is stored in one central location, making it easy to track and analyze interactions. This helps businesses make better decisions about their support strategies.
Automatic Query Routing
By using a variety of channels, businesses can ensure that each customer query is routed to the most appropriate agent. This helps to improve customer satisfaction and reduce resolution times. Another benefit of automatic routing is that it can help businesses to keep track of customer queries. This information can be used to improve the overall customer experience. Omnichannel contact centers also allow businesses to create a knowledge base of frequently asked questions (FAQs). This can help customers to find answers to their queries without having to wait for an agent to become available.
Customer Journey Timeline
Track the customer journey from research to onboarding to current engagement to personalize support. You can better analyze consumer inquiries, marketing campaign reactions, and new product interests with an omnichannel platform. It proactively meets client expectations.
The following is a detailed timeline of customer journeys, highlighting how an omnichannel contact center can transform support and improve the customer experience:
- Pre-purchase: Customers research potential options online or via social media
- Sales process: Customers engage with sales representatives to learn more about product features and benefits.
- Omnichannel contact center support: Customers can reach out to the company via phone, chat, email, or social media for help with product selection, pricing, and availability
- Post-purchase: Customers may need assistance with product installation or troubleshooting; they can also use the contact center to provide feedback or make suggestions for future products.
Quick Problem-Solving Through Cross-Team Collaboration
In an omnichannel contact center, every team works together to resolve issues quickly. By communicating and sharing information across teams, they can quickly identify and resolve customer issues. This collaboration results in a better customer experience and helps you build a stronger relationship with your customers.
Conclusion
As businesses move towards an omnichannel customer experience, it’s important to choose a contact center that can help you keep up. ITCube BPM’s expert teams know what is right for businesses of all kinds and take pride in their efficient services. When you outsource contact center services, you don’t have to worry about hiring or training your staff either. If you wish to provide your customers with a superior experience that leads to better profits for your organization, reach out to us today!