Fast, frictionless, fruitful: the three most critical components of any customer engagement.
For enterprises keen to deliver on all fronts, the challenges are numerous.
First, there is the 24/7 nature of customer activity. Second, there are the multiple channels via which customers can choose to communicate. And third, seamless integration with customer relationship management processes is needed to make everything work in harmony.
Get it all right, and organisations are well-placed to provide the kind of customer experience proven to boost reputation and build brand loyalty. In addition, agents get the kind of technological tools that not only make their lives easier, but also drive productivity and efficiency gains.
The opportunities on offer are significant – all enterprises and/or their technology partners need is a provider with the software to make it happen.
“In an increasingly connected and digitized world, it is critical for companies to provide a seamless experience for their customers – that means developing an effective omnichannel journey which connects every customer touchpoint,” says Diego Gosmar, Chief Innovation Evangelist at leading global contact center software provider XCALLY, whose solutions and expertise do just that.
“If organisations can consistently personalize their service throughout their physical stores, websites, mobile apps, social media, email, messaging and telephony, then that customer experience is as good as it gets.”
Indeed, the potential return on investment is huge.
According to research by Harvard Business Review, customers who have interactions with a company across multiple channels are 30 percent more likely to become loyal customers than customers who interact only through a single channel.
Similar Google research suggests 90 percent of consumers use more than one device during the path to purchase, which demonstrates the importance of being able to meet the needs of customers on the go.
And, according to a report by Aberdeen Group, companies that deploy an omnichannel strategy have a 91 percent customer retention rate compared to 27 percent for companies that do not.
In XCALLY’s case in particular, its all-in-one-place omnichannel communications platform brings all channels together into a single easy-on-the-eye, intuitive user interface. It can also be easily integrated with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, marketing automation software and e-commerce platforms, as well as featuring powerful data capture and analysis functionality.
“By analyzing data collected via all of the different channels, enterprises are able to know their customers preferences to a greater degree,” says Christian Orlandi, CIO at XCALLY.
“For example, social media can be used to promote new products and special offers, while e-mail can be used to send detailed information and product updates. It is important to use the communication channels best suited to the needs of customers and the characteristics of the product or service being offered, and to continually monitor to check effectiveness and identify any areas for improvement.”
Improving the smoothness and consistency of the customer experience in turn increases sales as a result of being able to offer products and services tailored to those customers preferences.
For example, e-commerce giant Amazon integrates its online platform with devices such as Kindle and Echo; and Starbucks integrates its mobile app, loyalty program, and physical stores enabling customers to locate their nearest store, order and pay via the app, earn loyalty points and receive personalized offers.
It seems joining everything up is a sure-fire way of making it easy for customers to engage and transact.
And when that happens, growth is assured.
To learn more about how your and your customers’ businesses can leverage the power of an omnichannel communication strategy, click here.
