The Benefits of Having an Omnichannel Contact Center

Introduction

You probably have heard the term “Omnichannel” surfacing here and there on the internet without knowing exactly what it refers to. It is one of the buzzwords widely used to draw people’s attention, but without really diving into what makes it so appealing.

In opposition to a multichannel approach, which means multiple channels of communication. Omnichannel refers to an integrated approach between multiple channels of communication. You don’t use several channels simultaneously but operate a system where all communication channels gather into one unique and simple interface.

By the end of this article, you will be able to define what an omnichannel strategy means, its benefits in a contact center setting, and the steps necessary to employ it.

What is an omnichannel strategy?

An omnichannel strategy is a marketing approach providing a consistent customer experience across all channels. Its grand purpose is to create a brand message married to a consistent customer experience across all online and offline communication channels, including mobile apps, web chat, SMS, social media, email, physical stores, and contact centers.  

The end goal of an omnichannel strategy is to provide a consistent, seamless, and positive customer experience, no matter how they reach out to the company. For example, one customer might show interest in a product that he came across on a company’s website. So they’ll jump on the mobile app to continue browsing and conclude their purchase in-store. Such a customer would expect to continue their shopping journey without hassle in a seamless manner across all platforms.

Adopting an omnichannel approach would allow businesses to cater to a personalized and engaging customer experience and collect data from various sources, which will assist in improving customer insights and better driving managerial decision-making.  

Benefits of Having an Omnichannel Contact Center:

Such an approach would be immensely beneficial for contact centers. An omnichannel contact center would elevate the customer experience to a new horizon. Not only that, but it also allows for the following:

• Improved customer experience: 

Customers feel valued when they have multiple possibilities for reaching out to you. By offering customers a variety of channels to interact with a business, contact centers allow their customers to make a choice. And no matter their choice, they will have the same seamless and consistent experience, greatly improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Increased efficiency: 

An omnichannel contact center allows businesses to reduce agents’ workload and improve the time needed to answer each call. But, first, an omnichannel solution will route customers based on the channel they use and assign them to the most appropriate agent to handle their inquiry.

Additionally, using chatbots to alleviate the charge of live agents can be useful. For example, chatbots can efficiently resolve similar issues for standard routine tasks such as password retrieval or telephone, changing agents more time to focus on complex tasks.

Moreover, omnichannel solutions give agents an overview of all customer interaction across all channels. This will enable them to understand customer history and preferences better, leading to more efficient and effective interactions.

• Better customer insights: 

Businesses that embrace an omnichannel solution for their contact centers gain a more comprehensive view of their customers. Multiple data collection points allow managers to gain insight into the most popular channels customers interact with the business and which types of interactions lead to the desired outcome.

The collected data assists in product development, marketing efforts, and customer service strategies. 

Some other examples include personalization, which creates a more individual experience suited for every customer. Moreover, real-time customer feedback is also a plus, as it allows companies to respond promptly and promptly to inquiries while identifying areas that need improvement.

Finally, an omnichannel strategy allows for improved data collection. It enables data collection from numerous sources, such as phone calls, emails, social media, and store visits. This will help craft a more comprehensive customer preference perspective, further driving business success.

• Greater flexibility: 

Adopting an omnichannel strategy allows customers to enjoy a seamless shopping experience across all channels. 

For example, it allows customers to start shopping online, browse products in-store, and finalize the purchase on their mobile device without hassle. The consistent and seamless experience provides customers with greater flexibility in shopping and makes the entire process more convenient. 

Additionally, it provides customers greater flexibility in their shopping and ensures they can find the products they seek, regardless of location.

Also, customers can choose the channel that best suits their needs, and they get to pick how they receive their orders, allowing them to choose the option that best fits their preferences and schedule.

• Cost savings: 

An omnichannel contact center can also help businesses reduce operating costs. This is done by optimizing agent resources and improving operational processes. 

Businesses can reduce handle times and improve first-call resolution rates through the intelligent agent routing that omnichannel contact centers offer. 

Additionally, an omnichannel approach allows businesses to invest their marketing budget effectively. Businesses can use customer data to deliver personalized and relevant messages across multiple channels, resulting in lower marketing costs and higher ROI.

Finally, businesses can streamline their operations by using technology to automate processes such as customer service, which reduces labor costs and increases operational efficiency.

How to Implement an Omnichannel Strategy for Your Contact Center

Now that we talked about the benefits of an omnichannel strategy, follow these five steps to learn how to implement it in your contact center: 

• Identify the channels that make the most sense for your business:

The channels you choose will depend on various factors, such as your target audience, the industry you operate in, the budget you allocate, and the goals of your campaign.

Here are some examples of channels that a business might consider: 

• Phone: Personal communication can be effective for B2B or high-value sales. 
• Email: for sending information and follow-ups. 
• Social media: for engaging with customers and building brand awareness. 
• Chat: for real-time customer service and support.
• In-person: for face-to-face interactions with customers.

By identifying the channels that make the most sense for your business, you ensure that your omnichannel strategy is tailored to your specific goals and that you are reaching your target audience in the most effective way possible.

• Set up a unified customer database:

A unified customer database is a centralized system where all customer information is stored, allowing you to track, manage and analyze customer interactions across all touchpoints.
It also allows for a single view of your customers, including their purchase history, preferences, and previous interactions with the company. 

Agents with a unified customer database will have all the necessary information to handle customer inquiries most efficiently and effectively.

• Train your team on omnichannel communication:

Omnichannel communication requires different skills and knowledge than traditional single-channel communication. It involves understanding how to effectively engage with customers across multiple using different channels. Training agents on omnichannel communication should incorporate the following:

• An understanding of the channels available, their strengths, and limitations.
• Knowledge of the company’s communication guidelines and protocols for each channel.
• An understanding of how to personalize the customer experience across channels.
• The ability to track and manage customer interactions across all channels.
• How to effectively handle and resolve customer inquiries and issues across channels.
• How to use customer data and insights to drive engagement and improve the customer experience.

• Implement integration and automation:

Integration involves connecting different systems and platforms, such as a customer relationship management (CRM) system, an email marketing platform, and a social media management tool, to create a seamless flow of information throughout the company.

On the other hand, automation allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks, such as sending follow-up emails or social media messages, which frees up resources for more important and value-added activities.

Marrying these two will allow you to improve the organization’s efficiency and speed of communication. It will also enhance the customer experience through personalized and prompt interactions. Furthermore, it reduces the risk of errors and inconsistencies, ultimately increasing your team’s productivity.

• Monitor and optimize:

Monitoring and optimizing is the final key to building an effective omnichannel strategy. 

It will allow you to track and measure the performance of your communication and engagement efforts and make data-driven business decisions centered on your customer.

Monitoring and optimizing mindset will allow for continuous improvement of the customer experience, increase communication efficiency across all channels, and finally, identify which channels are more effective than others, allowing more thought of resource allocation.

What are you waiting for? Join the Omnirevolution with NobelBiz:

First, NobelBiz’s OMNI+ omnichannel contact center solution encompasses all the above elements!

We offer a fully scalable state-of-the-art solution to meet any business’s needs. Fully cloud-based, making it accessible from anywhere in the world, needing only a web browser and a headset. And fully compliant, bastioned with our Call Guard Ecosystem and Safe Select, allowing for comprehensive dialing capabilities that help increase outbound call volumes in both consent and non-consent scenarios while mitigating TCPA compliance risk.

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