Omni-Channel Customer Engagement Article

While contact centers today are busy automating and integrating channels for a multichannel experience, it’s important for them to keep in mind that the human touch is still very necessary. Yes, most customers don’t mind looking up the answer to a simple question themselves…in fact, they generally prefer it. But it’s unlikely technology will ever get to a point where human customer support agents can be eliminated. It’s in our psychology: we simply feel more confident that our problem is going to be solved when we hear it from a person.

There are studies to back this up. Research commissioned by Response Tap found that call center is still critical for customers. Nearly three quarters (74 percent) of American respondents polled said that speaking to an operator on the phone gives them peace of mind and confidence that they are getting exactly what they want. More than one-third (34 percent) reported that it makes them more likely to purchase.

So as companies go more omni-channel – allowing customers to interact with them via whatever channel they choose, or a combination of channels – it’s important that the organization ensure there are still human points of contact available all along the customer journey, according to a recent article by Luke Rees of AccuraCast for Retail Info Systems News.

“Although we may live in an ‘always-on’ world, the human voice remains a vital touch point in the online purchasing journey, and in response to

changing customer-driven trends, the contact center must evolve if it wants to be of value,” wrote Rees. “This means moving away from its traditional focus on voice and email-based customer service, into an omnichannel, context-aware customer engagement optimization platform.”

Curiously, the telephone, predicted years ago to be on its way out when it comes to customer support, is more prevalent than ever thanks to the proliferation of smart phones. When companies count “mobile” as a channel, they forget that mobile devices are primarily telephones, and that mobile apps must include an easy path to a live customer support agent. For this reason, the contact center as a whole must be properly integrated with the rest of the organization so resources can be shared and the omnichannel experience can be seamless.

“If poorly integrated, the call center agent is playing catch-up as soon as they pick up the phone, and the online brand promise you’ve worked hard to build, collapses,” wrote Rees. “However, if properly integrated, the agent can see the caller’s digital footprint, understands at what point they are in the purchasing journey, and is in a much better position to deliver great customer service.”

The end result is omni-channel retailing with a human touch, and it’s precisely what customers today are looking for.