CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service)

How to Build a Multichannel Contact Center in 2024?

The digital revolution has changed the face of customer service. Today, customers no longer rely solely on phone calls to contact businesses. Instead, they prefer reaching out through multiple channels like social media, email, or live chat.

So, to boost consumer engagement, you must offer them touchpoints across multiple channels. This is where a multichannel contact center comes into the picture.

This article will discuss multichannel contact centers and highlight the best practices for building a multichannel contact center in 2023.

What is a Multichannel Contact Center?

A multichannel contact center helps customers connect to your business through multiple channels by integrating several communication channels into a single software platform.

While phone calls may still be the principal inbound support channel,  a multichannel contact center software opens customer service via other routes as well, such as:

Mckinsey’s research shows that more than 50% of customers use three to five communication channels when making a purchase or resolving an issue. If you’re not responsive on these channels, you may lose these customers to your competitors.

With multichannel contact center solutions, you can quickly connect with your customers through whichever channel they choose.

It makes customer support convenient and streamlined, providing them with a smoother journey and higher satisfaction.

Essential Channels for Multichannel Contact Centers

While communication channels may vary depending on the nature and size of the business, here are the must-haves for all modern contact centers.

1. Voice Calls

Inbound or outbound calls are undoubtedly the most direct and personal way of connecting, whether for resolving issues or following leads.

However, modern contact centers prefer VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calling systems over the traditional PSTN Network because of the following functionalities:

  • Multi-device compatibility
  • Call forwarding, transfer, holding, and queuing
  • Call recording and transcription
  • Interactive voice response for appropriate call routing
  • CRM system integartion

2. Email

Email is a low-cost and convenient medium for companies to send newsletters, welcome messages, follow-up interactions, receipts, and announcing new products or offers.

Even customers prefer sending queries via email as they don’t have to sit by their phones waiting for a response.

3. Text Messaging

Text messaging is popular among mobile users. It can be a convenient two-way communication medium between customers and internal team members, as there is no need to download an app or log into an account.

4. Social Media

When customers see business ads on social media, they like to connect then and there through direct messaging or public comments on posts. Most expect a rapid response.

It’s become necessary for businesses to provide customer support through their company-branded social media account.

5. Web Chat

You must have seen live chat messaging tools embedded in the web pages of many companies. This channel allows customers to chat with your company online at any time of the day.

Companies generally use AI-supported chatbots on their web pages to handle simple customer queries and serve hundreds of customers at the same time.

Is a Multichannel Contact Center the Same as an Omnichannel Contact Center?

Multichannel refers to providing different channels for customer interaction, while omnichannel means consolidating all communication into one platform for easy data sharing at the server level.

But what’s the need for this consolidation, you may wonder.

Imagine a customer calling you regarding a previous ticket they had raised on live chat. Without data sharing, you wouldn’t understand the context of the interaction.

You’d have to send the customer back to the live chat agent. It would account for a lousy customer experience.

With omnichannel solutions, you can easily access data from all available channels and effortlessly switch between channels if the need arises.

While multichannel and omnichannel contact centers may have different meanings theoretically, they are used interchangeably in practice.

Many multichannel contact centers can now provide consolidations and integrations similar to omnichannel solutions.

How to Set Up a Multichannel Contact Center?

Here are some of the best practices for setting up a multichannel customer contact center:

1. Identify Channels that Customer Prefer

The idea behind having multiple channels is to provide ease of contact to your customers. However, providing numerous ineffective channels is not the answer. Instead, focus on the following questions while choosing your channels:

  • Are they effective in serving different customer segments?
  • Do they reduce customer effort?
  • Do they enable consistent experience across customer journeys?

Text, web chat, or social media messaging may be optimum for quick interactions and general queries. On the other hand, complex or personalized issues often require speaking to a dedicated agent via phone.

Similarly, the age and demographic of your target audience also determine the channels you should use.

2. Prepare Your Agents for a Multichannel Environment

Training your agents for traditional contact center setup will no longer work. Your agents must have the following skills to handle multichannel contact center software:

  • AI and cloud management
  • CRM and knowledgebase use
  • Fluent in communicating via different channels

3. Use Agent Assistant Tools

Going multichannel is bound to increase the workload for your agents. To ensure efficient service, you must look towards AI-based assistance and automation.

These self-service tools enable customers to resolve simple queries independently, sparing agents’ time and energy, which they can employ in complex tasks.

4. Go as Omnichannel As Possible

Companies with robust omnichannel engagement strategies retain 89% of their customers, compared to 33% for companies that don’t.

Go for contact center solutions that offer native or third-party channel support for seamless integration of communication channels.

The Bottom Line

If you wish to build solid customer relationships, it’s vital to provide your customers with easy access and communication. Follow this guide to building a multichannel contact center and reap the benefits of digital expansion.

FAQs

What is a multichannel contact center?

A multichannel contact center is a software solution that integrates multiple communication channels into a single platform for consistent customer interaction across channels.

What are the benefits of multichannel contact center solutions?

The benefits of multichannel contact center solutions include the following:

  • Increased customer engagement through preferred channels
  • Higher customer satisfaction
  • Higher agent productivity with the consolidated knowledge base
  • More upselling and cross-selling opportunities
  • Better analytics and reporting
What channels should I include in my contact center?

While communication channels may vary depending on the nature and size of the business, here are some channels you should not miss:

  • Interactive voice response
  • Email
  • Web chat
  • Social Media
  • Text messaging
What is the difference between omnichannel and multichannel contact center solutions?

Multichannel refers to providing different channels for customer interaction, while omnichannel means consolidating all communication into one platform for easy data sharing at the server level.

Are multichannel contact center software expensive?

Most multichannel contact center solutions are multi-tenant contact centers. They are cloud-deployed and run on the contact-center-as-a-service (CCaaS) model. You only have to pay for the channels you use, making it highly cost-effective.

Vijaya heads the Global Support team at JustCall, where he has played a pivotal role in expanding the support team and diversifying its channels and services. Under his guidance, the team consistently earns top customer satisfaction scores. With a passion for team-building, Vijaya is committed to empowering his staff to deliver unparalleled customer experiences. In addition to his managerial responsibilities, he is a certified Leadership Coach, specializing in helping leaders overcome their unique challenges to achieve success.

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