TTEC
EMEA Blog

When it comes to customer service, customers expect fast and accurate support through the channel of their choice. It’s up to businesses to figure out how to best meet those expectations. This typically means choosing between omnichannel versus multichannel support.

Digital-first: it’s top of mind for many brands that want to meet modern customers’ demands and keep up with (and surpass) competitors. Yet many companies still aren’t grasping what the concept truly means.

At first glance, the terms multichannel and omnichannel appear interchangeable. After all, they both involve multiple channels. However, there are significant differences between these terms and recognising those differences could determine whether a business delights or disappoints its customers.

Black Friday (plus Cyber Monday and the many weeks before and after) will be different this holiday season. Retailers will face customers supercharged by digital centricity who are fighting product shortages, higher prices, busy schedules, and holiday craziness.

In my work advising on customer experience (CX), I’ve often talked to insurance executives that struggle to connect to their customers. It’s a problem that is fairly unique to insurance, because this is a product nobody really wants to ever need to use. Nobody wants to “enjoy” the process of making a claim. Often the customer doesn’t even want to buy insurance, but it’s mandatory - like auto insurance for anyone driving a car.

The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically changed consumer behaviour. Many were forced to try e-commerce for the first time as non-essential retailers were all closed by the various lockdowns. As we return to relative normality there will be a stronger focus than ever on the retail industry giving customers what they want - online or in-store.

It’s a common experience in inefficient omnichannel call centres – you have to tell a customer service rep your information moments after you already inputted it into the IVR system. Or you must explain to a call centre agent about the unsuccessful live chat experience that prompted your customer support call. Or you respond to a direct mail or social media promotion, only to find a clueless representative on the other end of the line.

Digital transformation is more than technology. It’s the people, leadership and experiences that drive innovation and amazing experiences in an organisation. These factors act as the building blocks to any successful digital journey.