5 min
Omnichannel is a prerequisite for a great customer experience. It is the basis of customer service. Today’s customers demand fast, personalized, without problems and resolutive experiences. An organization that is not yet omnichannel cannot meet these demands.
Companies know that the omnichannel commitment is not simply about serving customers in their preferred channels. It’s about ensuring that customers have access to a single, seamless and seamless experience, regardless of where they choose to connect at any given time.
CCW Digital has prepared the report ‘Omnichannel: A Prerequisite for Customer Centricity’, in which it explores the 11 steps to create a call center focused on omnichannel:
1.- Commit To Omnichannel
The omnichannel seeks to provide the customer with an optimal experience by gathering information in all the channels of participation throughout the life cycle of the client.
According to the CCW Digital report, 96% of companies understand the importance of serving customers in their preferred channels, and 87% have active plans to better meet the preferences of each channel.
Customers do not really think about the experience in terms of “channel”. For 70% of the clients, that means ensuring the resolution at the first contact. 69% seek quick resolutions, while 64% demand low effort experiences. Accurate, consistent and personalized commitment is also essential for many clients.
2.- Create An Omnichannel Environment
The road to an omnichannel experience, centered on the client, involves two crucial steps: establishing a framework for omnichannel participation and then creating a strategy that maximizes that framework. This implies the construction of an environment in which all employees are able to efficiently offer personalized and low-effort experiences for clients.
3.- Unify The Contact Channels
A unified communications system is an essential component of the omnichannel contact center. Employees must be able to communicate through all channels and from all devices. Also, this system must be agile and scalable; and should be able to adapt instantly if the call center grows or if new channels are incorporated.
Optimal omnichannel solutions offer customized statistics in user interfaces, allowing agents to obtain real-time updates on customer experiences, wherever they are.
4.- Analyze The Relevant Data Of The Clients
To connect with customers, an organization must know its customers. For this, a company must be able to collect and process relevant data. The intelligence of all contact points must inform the CRM and vice versa. This intelligence should be formed by knowledge about the client’s history that can help agents and systems to act quickly, correctly and efficiently.
A CRM system must provide agents with information about the customer they are calling, as well as contextual, related to the products they own and when (and why) they last called. With this information, the company will really know its customers. More importantly, you will know instantly what the reason for the call is and what you must do to resolve it.
5.- Exchange Data
“Improving the customer experience” is not only important for contact center leaders; it is a priority for companies in general. The information of the calls stored in the call center systems is very useful to satisfy the demands of the clients.
The data exchange works both ways. Thanks to internal data exchange, customer service centers will have a better window to the customer experience, thus obtaining a vision that can be used to improve products, optimize processes and rethink marketing strategies.
6.- Increase Security
To develop an omnichannel framework, an organization must employ scalable and flexible cloud-based systems that can acquire data from all contact points and make that data available to all employees, agents and supervisors.
7.- Establish An Omnichannel Strategy
The omnichannel strategy should begin with the adoption of the basic principles of a customer-centered experience. The organization must commit to reduce effort, offer multimodal support, increase personalization, respect channel preferences, recognize the client’s intention, anticipate customer needs and take advantage of proactive commitment.
8.- Establish KPIs Aimed At Omnichannel
Customers expect the same commitment to excellence in all contact channels, even if they are different: chat, telephone, email… Therefore, the company must establish some universal metrics that reflect its general commitment to the customer’s experience. Factors such as minimizing effort, resolution at first contact and maximizing satisfaction are imperative, no matter where the interaction is taking place.
9.- Prioritize Interactions
Many call centers have developed methods to forecast and manage call volume. Today’s commitment is not, however, restricted to the telephone. To optimize contact center performance, organizations must have real-time knowledge of the needs of each channel. They should be able to identify the types of problems that are affecting certain channels and be able to allocate the workflow accordingly. This also involves the prioritization of calls. The contact center should establish rules for certain clients and scenarios, ensuring that customers with urgent problems get the assistance they need.
10.- Offer Experience In All Channels
The objective should be to offer the best possible experience in the channel in which the client decides to connect. To meet this goal, the organization must provide expert support in all contact channels. Knowledgeable agents should not answer telephone calls exclusively; they should chat, send text messages and answer emails. Agents must also have the ability to collaborate instantly with supervisors or internal experts, including those who do not work in the call center, but remotely.
11.- Develop Digital Fluency
Omnichannel participation implies centralization in the client. To meet this requirement, a company must develop digital fluency. Must be able to detect emotions, demonstrate empathy and achieve connections in channels that involve concise and effective communication.
In conclusion, according to the report of CCW Digital, the demands of customers, and where and how they are met are constantly evolving. True customer-centric organizations not only recognize these demands, they adapt: they teach agents to ask questions and consult analytics to understand how customers’ tastes are changing; they help agents to develop basic skills that can be applied in all media; and they promote collaboration between different functions.
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