Customers are no longer restricted to contacting businesses over the phone. The modern customer journey now takes place over multiple channels, from SMS to social media and video. Embracing the right channels for customer service is the key to meeting growing expectations.
70% of customers say they’d be willing to purchase more from companies offering convenient support across multiple channels. The trouble is many organizations still don’t know which channels they should be prioritizing. They’re still searching for the “perfect channel”.
In reality, many consumer groups have different preferences, making it crucial for companies to take a versatile approach to building their customer experience (CX) strategy.
The Channel Shift: Evolving Communication Channels
Voice calls are still a valuable tool for contact centers. 65% of customers still say they prefer using voice for speed and convenience in customer service. What’s more, voice interactions can still deliver exceptional results, achieving an average customer customer satisfaction score of 86%.
However, there’s a significant shift in the contact center landscape towards digital channels. An increasing number of customers, both millennials and Gen Z, are digital natives, used to finding the information they need online and interacting with businesses over social media, email and web chat.
Email is perhaps one of the most important digital communication channels for customer service teams. After all, there are more than 4 billion email users worldwide, and email offers a convenient alternative to calls for customers who don’t need immediate assistance.
However, the digital communication landscape extends a lot further, covering channels like:
1. Live Chat
72% of customers choose online chat when they want to connect with a brand. Live chat can offer an experience that combines the best of both email and phone support, combining real-time assistance, with convenient service that doesn’t require waiting in a call queue.
It can also be an excellent source of insights for companies, allowing team members to gather data about common customer queries, and better understand the customer journey.
2. Self Service
Self-service is by far one of the most popular customer service solutions for younger generations. It gives customers a way to answer questions rapidly without waiting for agent support. The challenge for companies is that self-service interactions can take place over various channels.
Automated IVR systems, chatbots, FAQ knowledge bases, and automated troubleshooting solutions all provide access to different types of self-service. It’s important to prioritize ease of access to self-service channels to minimize customer frustration.
3. Social Media
According to one study, 47% of respondents said they feel more positively about brands that can provide customer support over social media. Again, the concern for contact center leaders here is that there are so many different social channels to consider, from X (), to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn for B2B professionals, and even TikTok.
A comprehensive omni-channel customer service strategy that leverages social media will require companies to have a broad understanding of which channels their customers use.
4. Mobile Messaging
Up to 97% of the US population owns a smartphone. Mobile messaging is an excellent way to connect with customers on the go and deliver personalized service. In today’s world, mobile messaging isn’t just limited to SMS and MMS messages.
Companies are also interacting through asynchronous messaging apps including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, allowing the customer to pick up the conversation at a time that is convenient to them.
5. Video Chat
For some support inquiries, video chat can be extremely useful. The ability to share your screen, and interact with customers face-to-face can be a game changer, particularly during technical discussions. Video calls offer an excellent way for companies to walk customers through troubleshooting steps, or demonstrate visual solutions in real-time.
It can also help to strengthen relationships with customers, paving the way for more humanized interactions, in a world overcome by automation.
6. Extended Reality
Extended reality might not be as commonplace in the digital customer service world as some of the other channels, but it’s quickly gaining a lot of attention. Virtual reality landscapes offer an immersive way to onboard customers, offer training, and provide product demonstrations.
Augmented reality also gives customers access to seamless step-by-step guidance and support, overlaying crucial information on top of real-world environments.
The Right Channel at the Right Time for the Right Outcome
The reality is that there’s no “perfect channel” for the future of customer communications. Every customer will have their own preferences for how and when they want to start a conversation your business, and which channels they want to visit.
Robert Mansfield, Chief Technology Officer at Content Guru, says, “Customers want to interact with your business on their terms, through the right channel at the right time for the right outcome. Whether that’s phone, voice, email or WhatsApp, your organization needs to be ready to meet customers where they are. Investing in a cloud-based omni-channel customer service solution is essential for any business looking to reduce customer effort and elevate their CX.
Content Guru’s storm platform leverages cutting-edge intelligent automation and advanced data analytics, empowering companies to personalize interactions and streamline operations.
This isn’t just about adopting new tools—it’s about transforming how businesses connect with customers, making each touchpoint a seamless and engaging experience.”
The right approach to the future of digital transformation requires a careful evaluation of your target audience. Aggregating customer data intelligently using a Customer Data Platform (CDP), as well as using journey mapping to identify the key touchpoints your customers use is essential.
Once you’ve identified the right channels for effective customer service, you need a platform that aligns them. A truly immersive experience requires a platform that can seamlessly blend multiple channels into a single consistent user interface for your agents. Look for a contact center solution that:
1. Aligns All of your Technology
An effective omni-channel contact center provides access to more than just the right communication channels. It should align everything from video conferencing to SMS and social media messaging in one interface. However, it should also integrate with the critical tools your agents use to personalize and enhance customer journeys, such as a CDP.
An all-in-one solution that unifies both data and customer service channels will pave the way for more personalized, engaging conversations, and improve workplace efficiency.
2. Enables Intelligent Automation
Automation is the key to bringing speed and efficiency to an omni-channel contact center. It also enables companies to offer comprehensive self-service experiences, in the form of customized chatbots, intelligent IVR systems, and voice bots.
Intelligent automation solutions can reduce the number of calls and contact requests your agents need to handle, while also delivering 24/7 support to customers. Plus, it can help streamline tasks like outbound calling, conversation summarization, and strategic routing.
Embracing the Future of Customer Communications
Customer journeys have evolved drastically in recent years. They’re now multi-step, omni-channel experiences, and they need to be comprehensively aligned to ensure you can provide consistent, efficient, and personalized service.
“In order to benefit from both synchronous and asynchronous messaging platforms, as well as transitional channels like voice, your business needs a solution that can integrating multiple communication channels into a single pane of glass. With storm, businesses can unify all customer touchpoints, from social media and live chat to email and voice, into one cohesive system. In addition, by leveraging intelligent automation and advanced data analytics, storm helps businesses refine their customer engagement strategies, gain actionable insights, and maintain a competitive edge in an ever-evolving business landscape.”
An omni-channel customer experience platform that aligns both your channels and your data, enables intelligent automation, and offers valuable insights into customer requirements, will ensure you can thrive in the new age of customer expectations.
