Onmi Channel

The Benefits of Omnichannel Contact Center Solutions for Small- to Medium-Sized Businesses

Companies’ customer service strategies have changed dramatically in recent years. While there were once only two ways to contact a company—phone or fax—customers can now choose from numerous communication channels, including phone, email, chat, SMS, and social media.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend toward companies offering their customers omnichannel-powered experiences. What does omnichannel mean? TechTarget defines it as “an approach to sales, marketing and customer support that seeks to provide customers with a seamless and unified brand experience, regardless of which channel they use.”

A 2021 McKinsey analysis found that “More than one-third of Americans have made omnichannel features such as buying online for in-store pickup part of their regular shopping routine since the pandemic, and nearly two-thirds of those individuals plan to continue,” and they expect their customer service experience to be omnichannel-enabled, too.

Since then, people have come to expect more. According to a Retail Dive article, consumers are annoyed when a brand doesn’t connect its various departments and communications channels. The article quotes a retail industry advisor who says, “As a customer, it’s so frustrating to receive a text message about a flash sale when you’re troubleshooting a botched fulfillment for the same product. It’s happened to me, and it was right after I had emailed and called customer service […] Having to re-explain a complicated return or re-enter a tracking number or promo code are other common sources of frustration that plague disconnected channels.”

The Importance of Customer Service

Ensuring prompt customer service and being ready to assist customers if an order goes wrong, a coupon can’t be applied, or a shipment is lost is crucial to creating a dynamic, satisfying customer experience. Customer service representatives toggling between multiple channels to troubleshoot a problem increases the chance of error and customer frustration.

Managing multiple, separate communications channels can be challenging for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), but SMBs can meet customer demand for multi-channel customer support through omnichannel contact center solutions. Organizing and streamlining customer data across various communication channels is essential for enhancing customer service.

An omnichannel contact center solution is software that allows businesses to handle all customer communication channels in a single, cloud-based platform.

Omnichannel contact center solutions automatically sync interactions across multiple channels and devices, enabling your SMB clients’ customer service teams to see a complete view of customer activities and to track all actions and interactions of each customer—even if the customer has used multiple contact channels. Your client’s customer service representatives can easily provide the service their customers expect, without toggling between multiple communication channels to find customers’ previous messages and issues.

Customer Service Stats

The value of good customer service can’t be understated. Here are just a few recent customer service statistics:

  • More than 50% of consumers will switch to a competitor after only one bad experience
  • 73% of consumers will switch to a competitor after multiple bad experiences
  • 56% of consumers rarely complain about a negative customer experience – they quietly switch to a competitor instead
  • 3 in 4 consumers will spend more with businesses that provide a good customer experience
  • 85% of consumers go out of their way to switch to a company that has better customer service
  • Customer-obsessed organizations reported 51% better customer retention than those at non-customer-obsessed organizations
  • 62% of customers think experiences should flow naturally between both physical and digital spaces

With customer service such a critical aspect of attracting and retaining customers, an omnichannel contact center is well worth the investment.

This integration ensures that businesses can provide a consistent and unified customer experience, regardless of the communication channel used. By leveraging an omnichannel contact center, companies can streamline their customer service function, making it easier for customer service agents to manage interactions and deliver exceptional service.

Imagine a customer, Ben, who is shopping online for a new pair of headphones. He visits an electronics retailer’s website and has a few questions about the product specifications. He initiates a live chat on the website and receives immediate assistance from a customer service agent. The agent provides him with detailed information, and Ben decides to make the purchase.

Later, Ben receives the headphones but notices a minor issue with the sound quality. He decides to reach out to the retailer for support. Instead of starting from scratch, he sends a message through the retailer’s mobile app. The omnichannel contact center solution instantly recognizes him from the previous interaction and provides the agent with the complete history of his purchase and chat conversation.

The customer service agent, equipped with this information, quickly addresses Ben’s concerns and offers a solution. Ben is impressed by the seamless transition between communication channels and the personalized service he receives.

This real-world example highlights how an omnichannel contact center integrates multiple channels, such as live chat and mobile app messaging, into a cohesive system. It enables businesses to provide a unified customer experience, ensuring that customers like Ben receive consistent and efficient support regardless of the channel they use.

Multichannel vs Omnichannel Contact Center Solutions

While both multichannel and omnichannel contact centers support multiple communication channels, the key difference lies in how these channels are managed. Multichannel contact centers often operate each channel independently, which can lead to a fragmented and disjointed customer experience. Customers may have to repeat information or face inconsistencies when switching between channels.

On the other hand, omnichannel contact center solutions integrate all communication channels into a single, unified interface. This integration allows for a seamless and consistent customer experience across all channels, ensuring that customer interactions are fluid and cohesive. By adopting an omnichannel approach, businesses can enhance their customer service strategy and improve overall customer satisfaction.

What is an Omnichannel Contact Center?

An omnichannel contact center is a sophisticated customer service platform designed to integrate multiple communication channels into a single, cohesive system. This means that whether a customer reaches out via phone, email, social media, live chat, or any other channel, the interaction is seamlessly managed within one unified interface.