What Is An Omni-Channel Contact Center & Why It Matters

In a time where nearly every industry is struggling to deal with rapid change along with countless uncertainties, the one thing that remains constant is the need for ever-adapting, well-designed contact centers.  

As customers increasingly express expectations and elevate demands, especially in times of crisis like the recent COVID-19 pandemic, organizations need to manage customer communication and experiences with great care and comfort. As part of this care and comfort, more and more customers desire the ability to interact with organizations via channels they use daily. Whether it be a landline, text message, email, social media, or webchat, a recent operational trend for dealing with customer expectations and demands is to use a method called Omni-Channel. 

Understanding the newest call center trends will undoubtedly help you gain an edge up in customer retention and satisfaction. In the following article, we will take a look at what Omni-Channel is and the elements to deploy it successfully in a call center.  

Omni-Channel Contact Centers In A Nutshell 

Essentially the deployment of various contact methods and then linking them, at the core of Omni-Channel is the ability to provide seamless superior customer service and keep people coming back. 

Not to be confused with the term multi-channel, Omni-Channel offers clients help when they want it, how they want it via a real-life agent as well as real-time self-service options. The successful implementation of this method includes the capacity for agents to move seamlessly between channels. The key here is linking. An Omni-Channel Call Center revolves around the idea that when an agent is on the phone or any channel they can also see any email, text, or social media contact that the client may have had previously.

If it seems like a lot, that is correct. Truth be told, most contact centers have not achieved full Omni-Channel operations yet. However, there are a few keys to keep in mind when on the journey towards Omni-Channel success. 

Routing, Integrated Applications, Constant Information, Connection

As mentioned above, linking or connection is a must. Generally done by moving to cloud-based storage, the next aspect to focus on is routing with the use of intelligent CRM tools. On top of that, the integration of all applications at the time of launch as well as APIs needs to become a top priority. Finally, information gathering can never stop, and mapping the customer journey is a must. 

Data is part of why Omni-Channels are so successful. If all of these things are slowly, but surely adapted to the new age of communication, sooner rather than never, your contact center will become truly Omni-Channel. 

Critical Evolution 

As the world transforms with a focus on digital and quick response times, tech-savvy contact centers are the future. If an organization fails to move in the direction of Omni-Channel, they run the risk of losing customers and revenue.