Leaders in the customer experience (CX) space are familiar with omnichannel strategies. While the term itself isn't new, successfully implementing omnichannel CX support is challenging for many businesses and presenting new roadblocks. Research indicates that customers are split across different communication platforms, with 42% still leaning towards phone calls, and digital channels and emails sharing the rest. The data drives home an imperative: businesses must deliver seamless CX across channels and touchpoints.
The many advantages of an omnichannel approach to CX
The need for omnichannel CX extends beyond simply meeting customer expectations. It creates advantages that customers haven’t even considered. From the customer's perspective, a seamless omnichannel experience streamlines interactions by cutting down on hold times and the need to repeat themselves. A unified approach offers ease and convenience that can significantly elevate customer satisfaction levels, boosting loyalty.
The benefits for businesses are also compelling. More than 35% of customers expect to contact the same customer service representative through any channel. Providing robust omnichannel support that customers demand can increase brand loyalty because happy customers are more likely to stick around. Another benefit is that the data collected across channels offers invaluable insights into customer behavior, preferences, and pain points, facilitating targeted marketing and product development.
But implementing omnichannel support can be challenging. It's like juggling multiple balls, each representing a different customer service channel. The transition to omnichannel involves aligning departments, consolidating data, and providing seamless communication while keeping service consistent. This is where AI and intelligent virtual agents (IVAs) provide extreme value. They act as an invisible juggling assistant, keeping the balls in the air by automating routine tasks, offering 24/7 support, and making real-time recommendations. They simplify complexity and add intelligence, making the transition to a truly omnichannel approach feasible and effective.
It's well worth pausing to specifically spotlight AI and IVA use cases in elevating the omnichannel support experience.
Use Case 1: Unified customer onboarding
Onboarding refers to integrating a new customer into a service, ensuring they understand and can effectively use the service. Omnichannel support ensures these new customers get a seamless onboarding experience, whether they start online or over the phone. Imagine a customer who starts the onboarding process for a mobile banking app online by filling out an application form on the bank's website. However, during the process, they have questions about account setup, security, or transaction limits. They decide to switch to a phone call for assistance.
With omnichannel support in place, the customer can seamlessly transition from the online onboarding process to a phone call with a customer support representative. IVAs can help maintain continuity for the customer. It can access the customer's partially completed application and the questions they had asked online, ensuring that the customer doesn't need to repeat the information already provided. The IVA can then guide the customer through the remaining steps of onboarding, provide answers to their questions, and offer any necessary assistance over the phone. This approach eliminates redundancy, saves time, and ensures a smooth transition for the customer, creating a positive onboarding experience.
Use Case 2: Efficient troubleshooting
In an omnichannel system, customers can easily troubleshoot and resolve problems via their preferred channel. For example, let’s say a utilities customer notices an error on their bill. The customer can call the utility provider to resolve the issue, answering basic questions about the situation with an IVA. The IVA can offer clear and concise explanations of the billing error and suggest potential solutions based on company policies. Solutions might include issuing refunds, adjusting billing records, or providing instructions for dispute resolution. After the call, the IVA can send a text to confirm the issue has been resolved and provide a link for the customer to schedule a follow up call if needed.
Another example is communicating the details of a network outage. IVAs can quickly alert affected customers via their preferred channel (e.g., SMS, email, or an app notification), and update them during the process of restoring service.
Use Case 3: Personalized upgrades and cross-selling
AI algorithms designed to support the IVA can leverage omnichannel data to identify customer preferences and patterns. This valuable insight enables IVAs to take proactive steps in addressing specific customer needs. For example, if a streaming customer frequently streams 4K videos, they might be at risk of bumping up against their data limit. IVAs can initiate personalized outreach, sending a text or in-app message suggesting an upgrade to an unlimited data plan. This omnichannel approach ensures the customer receives the message most conveniently, enhancing both revenue streams and customer satisfaction.
The ability to monitor customer behavior and personalize service demonstrates how the combined power of AI's insights and IVAs' ability to communicate across platforms can turn a potential point of frustration into an opportunity for upselling.
Use Case 4: Streamlined payment and billing
In an omnichannel environment, and if a company has a mobile app, customers can check their billing details via the app, inquire about charges through a website chat, or even make a payment through voice commands during a phone call. IVAs can manage these varied interactions efficiently and independently, meaning they do not require human agent intervention. For instance, if a customer asks about a specific charge via web chat, the IVA can instantly pull up the bill, clarify the query, and even guide the customer through the payment process by sending a secure link within the chat window.
Alternatively, during a voice call, the IVA can authenticate the user, relay the due amount, and process payment through stored card details. The IVA can also set up a new payment method, without human intervention. It's a win-win situation facilitated by the coordination of AI and IVAs in an omnichannel setting.
Use Case 5: Real-time feedback and reviews
Post-interaction, an IVA can prompt customers for feedback through their preferred channel, be it a text message or an in-app notification. This feedback might be tracked in the customer service management system, which combines data from multiple touchpoints to create a comprehensive customer profile. Future interactions are refined based on this accumulated feedback, regardless of whether they happen via phone, email, or any other platform.
Use Case 6: Enhanced data security
In an omnichannel environment, customer interactions happen across multiple platforms, potentially increasing the points of vulnerability. However, AI algorithms can monitor suspicious activities across these channels in real-time. For instance, if multiple failed login attempts occur on the mobile app and web portal within a short span, an IVA can immediately alert the customer via SMS and email. At the same time, the IVA will notify security teams to lock down the account temporarily for review.
Each use case above pinpoints a scenario where omnichannel support, underpinned by AI and IVAs, isn't just a theoretical ideal but a practical solution. The outcome is CX that relieves customer pain points and enhances satisfaction.
Crafting the ultimate customer journey
As we edge closer to realizing omnichannel CX’s full potential, decision-makers increasingly recognize the power of AI as a game-changing element in the omnichannel narrative.
AI is no longer merely a background character but is emerging as critical in building distinctively superior CX. In a highly competitive marketplace, the nuanced strokes of AI and IVAs elevate a brand's omnichannel strategy from an operational benefit to a core element that captures customer loyalty and earns repeat business.
AI and IVAs are not just part of the CX future - they are already actively shaping it. For decision-makers who focus on the finer points of CX, it’s crucial to closely consider how omnichannel support enhanced by AI can fit into a broader strategy aimed at delivering unparalleled customer experience.
