The Nature of the Multi-Channel Challenge

Multi-channel customer service is explosive right now. In fact, it was one of the biggest trends identified at this month’s Call Center Week 2013, a highly anticipated industry event held in Las Vegas, Nev. from June 13-14. As a pioneer of the evolved, digital, cloud contact center, Vocalcom is always interested in learning more about the state of multi-channel customer experience, revealing the challenges it faces and providing innovative ways to rise above them.

That’s why we recently conducted a survey of contact center managers and customer service directors to discover the exact nature of the multi-channel challenge, as well as how organizations are currently meeting it.

Here’s a sampling of what we found:

• While the telephone is still the most widely used channel for customers, it is no longer the most convenient channel for customers to use. In fact, only 8 percent of respondents felt it was the most convenient channel. The reason that the telephone is still so widely used is because multi-channel service is considered far more complex.
• A lack of channel integration is making it difficult to manage the customer journey. Sixty percent of respondents said it is “difficult” or “impossible” to track the customer journey due to disparate systems.
• Almost one-third (30 percent) of respondents see their current technology infrastructure as “inadequate” for dealing with multiple channels.
• An impressive 100 percent of respondents agreed that customers in the future are more likely to demand a seamless experience no matter how they initiate a conversation; however, 35 percent do not plan to invest in a multi-channel contact in the next 12 months.

So how does this all boil down? It means that there’s a huge area of opportunity for your company to invest in multi-channel engagement – that is, if you do it right. Investing in the right provider – one who is reputable and boasts leadership in the market – is the first necessary step to ensuring the success of your multi-channel customer engagement strategy.

To learn more about all of our offerings – from multi-channel customer service to hosted call centers to digital touchpoints – click here.