Omnichannel Customer Service: what, why, and how?

What is Omnichannel Customer Service?

By now, you’ve probably heard of omnichannel customer service. But what is it, really? In this article, we dive into definitions, benefits, and use cases to help you really understand what omnichannel customer service means and how you can leverage it to unify and improve customer and employee experience.

Omnichannel customer service integrates multiple communication channels into a unified and seamless customer experience, giving customers the opportunity to reach you by email, live chat, social media, instant messaging apps, and more in addition to the traditional phone call, and to switch between them as they see fit without having to repeat information or start the conversation over. The goal is to provide customers with a consistent and personalized service across all touchpoints, thus improving customer satisfaction, loyalty, and overall brand reputation.

Why is omnichannel customer service on the rise?

Need for speed

Nowadays, people are constantly on the move. In a rush, even. They might reach out to you for support or information while commuting, doing household chores, working, or even while grocery shopping. This implies that they may not always have the convenience to give you a call. Instead, they’d prefer to message you through familiar apps that they frequently use on their phones, way less time consuming than phone calls.

Digital channels changing our mindset

In the last decades we’ve witnessed a great paradigm shift, with smartphones and digital communications quickly climbing to the top of the communication food chain. They are accessible, user-friendly, and inherently immediate. Not only have they made communication faster and easier than ever, but they have also set a precedent for timely and asynchronous communication, both in personal and work-related conversations.

This means that people might have the time to call you, but they might simply not want to. With channels like WhatsApp, Telegram, website chat features being so widespread, it’s easy to understand why customers strongly expect – even demand – companies to open up these channels to them.

„This could’ve been an email“

We also need to consider the nature of customer inquiries. If they simply want to know your business hours or need minor information, they may get frustrated with the idea of calling for such trivial information and end up never even getting in touch with you.

Phones haven’t disappeared, though

We mustn’t overlook that 65% of customers still favor phone calls, indicating that voice communication can’t be fully disregarded in the face of digital alternatives.

In fact, for more intricate or significant matters, customers may prefer to have a conversation to delve into details more comprehensively. For instance, in a banking scenario, a customer who needs to know their balance might text the bank, but prefer to call if they need to discuss changes or upgrades to their account.

Moreover, some customers just trust phone calls more than texts. This can be put down to age: digital natives will 99% of time prefer digital channels, but those who aren’t are usually more inclined to call.

To summarize, the basic reasons why omnichannel customer service is on the rise are the increasingly higher accessibility to digital services and faster life rhythms, without giving up on the most trusted and traditional channel of all: voice.

How do I implement an omnichannel strategy?

Let’s be honest – there is a whole world behind the implementation of a new strategy. Different business sizes and sectors require different solutions. However, when it comes to omnichannel customer services, all of them have common starting points and procedures to follow:

• Firstly, assess your customer’s journey to understand the various touchpoints and channels they use or prefer. Do customers often try to reach you on social media only to be redirected to a phone number? Is your website chat filled with requests you can hardly keep track of?
• Invest in technology that integrates these channels into a single platform to ensure data is shared and updated in real-time, giving your agents the full context of customer interactions and an easy way to handle them. (Pssst, you’re already in the right place.)
• Train your team on this technology as well as on maintaining your brand’s voice and quality of service across all channels.
• Don’t forget to monitor and gather feedback, using customer insights and data analytics to continually refine and improve your strategy.
• Ensure that your communication is consistent and personalized. Each interaction should feel tailored to individual customer needs and history.
• Consider infusing your omnichannel customer service with AI. A mega trend for the next years, AI is set to become the best ally for customer service operators by automating the answer to repetitive questions.

Onboard your new AI colleagues

AI chatbots and voicebots are revolutionizing omnichannel customer service by providing instant, 24/7 assistance to customers across various platforms – adding them to your omnichannel customer service strategy can bring a number of benefits:

• Responsiveness: these AI-driven tools can handle a high volume of requests simultaneously, even outside office hours, resolving simple queries instantly or escalating more complex issues to human agents efficiently, freeing up human agents to focus on more nuanced customer service tasks.
• Personalization: they learn from customer interactions, becoming smarter and more effective over time, leading to more accurate and personalized service. Moreover, they are suitable for all verticals: flows and responses can be easily customizable for the sector your business operates in.
• Integration: by integrating with your existing system and channels, AI can further streamline your omnichannel operations.

Omnichannel customer service use cases & examples

As we explore the various use cases of omnichannel customer service, one central tenet stands out across all business verticals: omnichannel strategies mean employees can engage with customers via various chat channels, an increasingly preferred mode of communication, freeing up the phone lines. Adding AI is the cherry on top, brining automation for around the clock, personalized service experiences.

In Healthcare

Tasks taking up much of receptionists‘ time, such as appointment booking & reminders, can be made faster or even automatic. Omnichannel customer service allows receptionists to keep the phone line open for more complex matters while they fill up agendas via chat, and adding AI allows for a complete automation of the task: bots can enquires about the cause of visit, check available doctors and books mutually convenient slots, even when reception is closed.

In Retail

With the retail sector, omnichannel customer service seamlessly connects customers‘ online and offline experiences. A customer can order a product online and easily check the shipping status by sending a quick chat message, or check item availability at a nearby location by asking to a chatbot, which can also solve queries exchanges or refunds. Incorporating AI helps provide personalized recommendations based on the customer’s previous shopping history or preferences.

In Banking

For banks, AI can even offer predictive assistance for common banking services like locating ATMs or checking balances, or automatically escalate complex queries to the appropriate expert. Moreover, when high priority information is involved, omnichannel customer service helps keeping track of user conversations and not lose information or frustrate customers by having them repeat the same information all over again.

In Tourism and Hospitality

In the tourism and hospitality industry, omnichannel service is key to providing a personalized guest experience. Customers can book rooms via a website, ask questions through social media, and receive updates and room services through in-room tablets or smartphones. AI plays a pivotal role here for automated booking processes and offering tailored travel recommendations.

In Government Services

Omnichannel strategies in government services can dramatically improve citizen engagement and facilitate easier access to important information. Citizens can report issues, request services, and track the status of their requests through various channels such as websites and social media platforms. With the addition of AI, the government can automate responses to frequently asked questions, guide citizens through the process of submitting documentation, and provide them with timely updates, making governmental processes more transparent and efficient.

In Education

The education sector can leverage omnichannel strategies to enhance communication between students, faculty, and administrators: students can access learning materials, receive updates, and reach out to professors easily. AI can be employed to provide 24/7 homework help and facilitate the enrollment process, allowing education to be more accessible and tailored than ever.

Conclusion

The demand for omnichannel customer service is accelerating across all sectors. By implementing comprehensive strategies, training teams, and integrating AI, businesses can deliver consistent, personalized, and modern customer service that fosters customer satisfaction, the north star of any company’s success. Imagicle is at the forefront of this evolution, offering cutting-edge solutions that empower organizations to lead the way into a more interconnected and responsive future. Whether it’s through conversational IVRs or advanced AI bots, Imagicle is dedicated to enhancing customer experiences, streamlining operations, and ensuring that every customer interaction adds value to the brand. Book a discovery call to know more.