Multi-channel contact centers are those that succeed in servicing customers over different communication means effectively.
First-rate multichannel interactions occur when customers are provided with a positive experience in every touchpoint, regardless of the data they submit or whether they are new or repeat customers.
To produce this result, contact centers must take into account a series of factors.
First, they must draw up strategies that combine digital media like social networks and chat with offline means like the telephone.
Although different channels are used, customers must be able to transition from one to the other with ease and access a high-quality service across all of them.
Even in sales, the ways in which products or services are made available must be unified. This means it should be equally easy to complete a purchase online and over the phone, with the only difference being customers’ choice of channel.
However, contact centers must be careful when trying to offer a seamless experience as the goal is not to deliver the same message to everyone, but to build an appropriate communication network that meets customers’ expectations.
It is essential for these companies to develop good customer service and sales strategies.
Improving from the Inside
To improve their in-house practices, contact centers must first understand the importance of their role in sales and customer service processes. Here are three aspects that prove highly relevant to strategic planning.
1. Number of channels
When branching out into multi-channel service, contact centers must consider:
– The channels to be covered
– The distribution of workload
– The agent teams required
– The tools for monitoring interactions
Once these factors are clearly defined, contact centers can start mapping out customer service and follow-up strategies aligned with their internal operation and existing resources.
2. Up-to-date and accessible data
Customer information must be available to all agents in every channel so they can provide more personalized service and follow up on interactions accordingly.
Otherwise, contact centers may seem to lack organization and deliver a poor experience to customers who don’t want to submit their information repeatedly over different channels.
Customer perception can be managed and improved with CRM or data centralization applications.
It is also advisable to identify the channels through which customer effort is reduced, as they can vary depending on the type of campaign, product, or audience.
It is the contact centers’ duty to promote the channels that best help them to achieve their targets.
3. Training and expertise
Agents in multi-channel contact centers must grasp the principle of centralized service. Even if they’re grouped into different dedicated teams by channel, they must share a common goal: offering the best customer experience available.
To sum up, in order for contact centers to excel at their tasks, they must design strategies tailored to their infrastructure, objectives, and the service and sales demands of their customer base.
Nuxiba software enables contact centers to implement a successful multichannel strategy while keeping close control of their overall operation and enhancing the experience of both internal and external customers through a set of comprehensive drill-down reports.
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