3 Ways To Truly Leverage Multichannel Communications in 2015The Age of Multichannel is Already Here—Do you Have a Plan?

Cloud Contact Center Solutions

The future role of multichannel communications in contact centers has grown increasingly complex as consumer preferences continue to evolve. In fact, as early as 2013, 25% of consumers already utilized one to two channels when seeking customer care and 52% used three to four – a far cry from the simple switchboard days. Fast-forward to today and the percentages have since grown as has the number of total channels, including phone, email, text, chat, social media, and video. But while many celebrate the efficiency and flexibility modern communication brings to the fray, the ability to meet the needs of a multichannel world are not without its challenges.

42% of social media users expect a response in 60 minutes or less

Contact Center first call resolution (FCR) rates average only 68% despite the improvements in communication

64% of consumers expect to wait 1 minute or less to speak with an agent via live chat

80% of companies say they deliver “superior” customer service, but only 8% of consumers agree

Contact channels other than phone, account for more than 30% of customer service engagements

67% of consumers prefer self-service over speaking to a live representative

Consider the following:

So where does one begin?

While businesses are expected to make more communication channels available to meet the varying preferences of today’s consumers, expectations regarding the quality and speed of those services have exponentially increased as well. It is no longer sufficient to simply offer different channel options but rather expected that each will perform at equally high levels and interchangeably. In short, if 2014 firmly established the importance of adopting a multichannel communication platform, 2015 and beyond will tackle the difficult task of how to leverage and monetize the benefits.

Create a Unified Communication Strategy: If one were to accept a company’s contact center as the most representative aspect of its communication initiatives, the role of multichannel is clearly inconsistent across organizations. Case in point, per a recent survey by Call Center IQ, Executive Report on the Future of the Contact Center, many businesses still struggle with determining the most appropriate department to which to assign their contact center, with 47% falling under Customer Service, 26% under Operations, 12% under C-Level business units, 10% under Marketing, and the remaining 5% under IT.

The fact remains, that as multichannel continues to gain popularity and adoption, its role will affect all aspects of a company and yet many currently lack a unified strategy or “communication czar”. As such, the success of any multichannel program will rely not only on the software and solution used to provide the various communication channels, but will be especially contingent on the business creating and implementing a company wide approach to how it will utilize them.

Integrate Your Business: Of course, a unified communication strategy is of very little use if client-facing representatives lack access to the data and information needed to address client needs. In fact, 40% of customers expect representatives to already know about prior attempts to resolve an issue before an interaction begins, and yet 60% of low first call resolutions are due to the inherent inability to access relevant data on an as-needed basis. Factor in the added complication of enterprises averaging 9.6 different software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications by the end of 2014, and the problem clearly becomes an issue of managing internal department communications to satisfy the needs of the external. In short, the success of any multichannel platform is contingent on the unification of the numerous data-points and applications a company is subject to and uses (CRM, WFM, WFO, Ticketing, Billing, etc.) to allow for a complete 360-degree view of the customer in question. Without it, a business has the platform but lacks the information to make effective use of it.

Train Your Team to be Successful: The success of any strategy will always be subject to the individuals executing it. And assuming a business has an integrated multichannel strategy, the remaining piece of the puzzle lies in the training and consistent oversight of the reps (both sales and support) representing the brand on a daily basis. In fact, 60% of all repeat calls are process or training driven and 41% of employees will leave an organization with poor training scores, both big items when you consider the contact center industry continues to average low FCR rates and averages annual turnover rates as high as 50%.

The age of multichannel is already here. But while many companies have already accepted the importance of offering customers their communication preferences of choice, the fact remains many have yet to realize the full potential a well-run multichannel platform can offer. The trick is to have more than just the channel – you need a plan.

Communication is at the heart of every business. And whether you’re reaching out to customers, or they’re reaching you, maintaining relevance and convenience is essential in order to stay ahead. At 3CLogic, we offer a full suite of inbound, outbound, and blended cloud contact center solutions based on an innovative distributed approach. Offering next-generation multichannel communications (voice, email, text, chat), reporting and analytics, dynamic scripting, lead management, call routing (ACD and IVR), auto-dialers, quality management tools, and third-party integrations (CRM, WFM, WFO, Ticketing), we facilitate any business’s ability to drive sales, marketing, and customer service initiatives. Fully customizable, scalable, secure, and reliable, 3CLogic provides the most adaptable approach to meet today’s changing consumer trends. Strong customer relationships are just a click away.

So while consumers may demand businesses offer multichannel, the true key to success is doing so while delivering a truly superior customer experience by virtue of having the most experienced and trained reps.

Why 3CLogic?

SourcesHelp Scout, ZenDesk, Teletech Technology, Salesforce Desk, VPI Corp, Deloitte: 2013 Global Contact Center Results, Louis Harris and Associates Poll, The Social Habit, Weidert Group “Should your Website Have Live Chat to Generate Leads” 2014

60%of low first call

resolutions are due to the inherent inability to access relevant data on an

as-needed basis