Customer Care shapes brand perception and creates an immediate emotional connection before, during, and after purchase. Every interaction is an opportunity to build a relationship and turn a casual consumer into a loyal customer. To take advantage of this opportunity, brands need to meet their consumers’ expectations in key aspects.
According to a recent survey, 69% of consumers think that quick and easy availability of a rep is a key element of a good experience. Phone calls are still a top channel to make a support request with 76% of responses, while emails (36%), text (36%), mobile apps (24%) and chatbots (24%) follow closely behind.
This diversity of consumer preferences is forcing companies to put more effort into enabling cross-channel support. In this, they need to not only enable the different channels but also ensure the agents can easily assign and handle all incoming requests, access the right customer information, and successfully collaborate internally to resolve the issue.
In this article, we’ll consider strategies and tools that can help companies build consistent customer journeys and frictionless experiences.
The Importance of Cross-Channel
Customers increasingly value companies based on the experience that they provide, with Salesforce reporting that 80% of customers say experience is as important as products/services. Cross-channel customer care plays a pivotal role in enhancing the overall customer experience. In today’s fast-paced digital era, customers expect seamless and efficient interactions across various communications platforms, rather than being limited to a single channel.
On top of this, 77% of customers expect to be able to interact with someone immediately when they contact a company. With customers’ rising expectations for immediate and convenient communications, CX is becoming a huge differentiator for all kinds of companies worldwide.
To accommodate the rising needs of customers for on-demand customer service, brands need to make it possible for consumers to reach them via their preferred channels. In fact, 71% of customers prefer different channels depending on the context of their interaction according to Salesforce.
When customers are regularly using various channels of communication in their day-to-day lives, brands need to match this level of variety to meet their needs. Salesforce reported that 88% of journeys touch multiple channels. Customer service and support leaders must recognise that creating seamless transitions between service channels is key for their digital-first service ambitions.
Improving CX Using CCaaS
One of the primary advantages of cross-channel customer care is the convenience it offers to customers. With the prevalence of smartphones and other digital devices, customers engage with businesses through websites, social media, and messaging apps. Research from McKinsey shows that more than half of B2C customers engage with three to five channels each time they make a purchase or resolve a request. Omnichannel customers shop 1.7 times more than shoppers who use a single channel, and often spend more.
By integrating multiple channels into a unified Call Centre as a Service (CCaaS) platform, businesses can streamline customer interactions, allowing users to switch between channels effortlessly while maintaining context.
Cross-channel customer care also provides flexibility for brands to adapt to changing trends and preferences. As new communication channels emerge, organisations can seamlessly integrate them into their existing CCaaS platform, ensuring that they stay ahead and can meet changing customer requirements.
Key Channels to Consider
Web chat enables real-time communication between customers and support agents. This instant connection provides quick answers to customer queries and immediate assistance, contributing to a positive CX. Web chat also facilitates multitasking for customers, allowing them to continue their online activities while seeking support, enhancing the overall convenience of the customer care experience.
Messaging platforms have become a primary means of digital communications, and integrating them into CCaaS is imperative for comprehensive customer care. Digital users often prefer the familiarity and convenience of messaging apps, making it essential for businesses to be available on platforms like WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger, and Google Business Messenger.
AI chatbots also enhance cross-channel customer care by providing immediate responses to frequently asked questions and automating routine tasks. Integrating AI chatbots into the CCaaS ecosystem not only accelerates response times but also allows human agents to focus on more complex and personalised customer issues. This combination of automation and human touch contributes to a more efficient customer service experience.
The Value of Consistency
The seamless integration of web chat, messaging platforms, and AI chatbots through CCaaS not only benefits customers but also empowers businesses to gain valuable insights into customer interactions. The consolidated data from various channels enables businesses to track customer preferences, behaviours and pain points, facilitating data-driven decision-making for improved CX strategies.
In addition to enhancing efficiency and gathering insights, cross-channel customer care promotes a sense of brand consistency. Whether a customer interacts with a business through web chat, social media, or a messaging app, a unified experience builds trust and loyalty. This cohesion contributes to a strong and trusted brand image, which is a crucial factor in building long-term customer relationships.
The importance of cross-channel customer service is emphasised by the evolving expectations of modern consumers. Customers want quick resolutions to their issues, but also expect personalised and contextualised interactions. A CCaaS platform facilitates the delivery of personalised support across channels, catering to the unique needs of each customer.
Four Tips for Enhancing CX Using CCaaS
To improve experiences across the entire customer journey, there are a few simple steps to take:
1. Research Customer Preference – Determine which channels customers use the most. This can be done by asking them in surveys, offering additional support options, and tracking previous interactions.
2. Combine Multiple Channels – Ensure seamless integrations across all channels by using a CCaaS solution. This provides a single interface for managing all conversations, which makes things smoother for customer service teams while ensuring consistent experiences for the customer.
3. Utilise Chatbots – Take advantage of virtual assistants. AI chatbots are a great way to provide quick responses to common questions and ensure 24/7 availability.
4. Ensure Consistency – A single interface that makes it easy to switch between messaging channels eliminates the need for separate assistance teams and helps resolve tickets faster.
CCaaS streamlines multiple customer touchpoints into a single platform, including phone calls, emails, SMS, app messages, web chats, AI chatbots and more. It enables businesses to provide consistent and efficient customer care across multiple messaging channels, with the visibility for different customer service agents to pick up conversations without losing information along the way.
Choosing the Right Solution for Your Customers
Implementing a CCaaS platform for cross-channel customer service is not just about meeting current customer expectations, but also about future-proofing customer support operations. Businesses that embrace CCaaS position themselves to quickly adapt to emerging technologies and communication trends, helping to stay agile and competitive in an ever-evolving market.
As customer expectations continue to evolve, cross-channel customer service is not just a useful add-on, but a necessity for businesses committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Reach out to GMS experts and start your CCaaS journey today to unify your teams and enhance your customer experiences.