Customers expect to be able to contact companies using various platforms such as phone, live chat, social media, WhatsApp or email when there is an issue so that it can be resolved in the most efficient way. Therefore, if businesses have an omnichannel approach to customer service, they can support this.
But what is the difference between omnichannel and multichannel services?
Multichannel
Multichannel means multiple routes of contact. Customer support may be offered across different channels, but the platforms do not work together. For example, you can't move a conversation seamlessly from one to the other or keep a log of each conversation in one view.
Usually, the conversations that take place on these different channels are looked after by different agents too which means that customers who start their journey on one platform will have to start all over again if they want to switch to a different type of communication. This can cause confusion and inefficiency as the customer may experience multiple answers to the same question or be transferred from agent to agent, which can lead to customers being irritated.
Omnichannel
An omnichannel service allows customers to get in touch with you on their preferred platform and if a customer wants to move the conversation to phone or video call, they can do so as the agent can switch channels too.
Omnichannel automatically syncs conversations, notes and files across every channel. As a result, customers don’t get as frustrated because all their data is stored and transferred in one place. This is useful for agents as well, as they can see previous notes and conversations in the record if the customer has previously been in touch.
Benefits of omnichannel over multichannel
There are many reasons why an omnichannel service is beneficial.
Firstly it is the quickest in terms of communication and resolution. Customer expectations are met as data is stored to be easily accessible to any team member and in any channel meaning customers don’t have to wait a long time to get their answer.
It is more personal as it lets customers communicate using the channel they prefer, which in turn helps build good relationships with customers and improves customer loyalty.
There is also the feature of automated chatbots which allows customers to get an immediate answer to less complex queries, therefore, freeing up agents who can then deal with customers who have more complicated queries.
If you have any questions about the above then please don’t hesitate to email us hello@onecompartners.co.uk.
