Omnichannel Customer Support vs. Traditional Methods: Which One Drives Better Business Results?

Introduction:

Technology has come a long way, and we have moved away from the traditional approach to a new, holistic approach with the omnichannel experience that gives customers the flexibility to pick and choose multiple available channel options. An omnichannel customer approach is a strategy that connects all channels into a single integrated user experience. This strategy helps customers with flexibility to connect with brands easily in a way that works best. Omnichannel customer service strategies have become more popular in the customer support industry because more digital channels have become familiar as customers demand convenience. 

So let’s dive deep into it and know what the difference is between the two and which one helps best for small and large-scale businesses.  

What is Omnichannel Customer Support?

Omnichannel customer service is a support strategy that integrates all channels into a seamless, single user experience. This strategy enables users with the flexibility to connect customers with the brand in a manner that best suits them. Whether customers are putting in a support request via email, phone, live chat or social media, they receive a consistent, seamless experience with your brand. Businesses with omnichannel communication can maintain consistently great customer relationships regardless of the communication channel. The helps manage interactions across channels such as call centres, web chats, sms email, messaging and ial media. For Instance, a customer might lodge a complaint on Twitter, then continue with sms, and end up with a phone call, all in a seamless connected experience. This is where omnichannel customer support plays an important role, where customers don’t have to stop by and explain their problem at each channel interaction. 

How is Omnichannel Customer Support Different from Other Traditional Methods?

The growth of digital channels and other new communication technologies has enabled businesses to adopt an Omnichannel approach for customer support.  Nowadays, customer demand for convenience is driving the accessibility and flexibility of omnichannel customer strategies, as many digital channels have become available. Omnichannel customer support is a customer-focused approach, whereas traditional methods are a product-focused approach. This strategy relies on improving and enhancing the customer journey across all the platforms. This approach enables a focus on the primary needs of customers, which ultimately enhances brand value in the long run. In contrast, customer experience becomes secondary in terms of traditional methods. By leveraging the power of multi-channel platforms for creating a top-notch customer experience which cannot be attained in traditional methods. Organizations and businesses should make sure to check that the price and details of the offered products are the same across multiple channels, which might be challenging. Omnichannel encourages more buying opportunities, which is not possible in traditional methods. With Omnichannel communication and customer service Platforms Comparison, it is a win-win situation for both businesses and customers. As mentioned above, it enables companies to provide a seamless customer experience regardless of where the customer begins their journey or continues their conversation. 

Drawbacks of Traditional Methods:

Here are a few inputs on why traditional methods of customer experience are outdated, as technology plays a vital role by making a shift from the traditional approach to the omnichannel approach:

• In traditional methods, the approach limits the flexibility and that is why the experience tends to be impacted in the long run. 
• Traditional methods tend to have fewer purchasing options compared to an omnichannel customer experience. 
• Customers’ demand for convenience is driving accessibility and flexibility. This lacks in traditional methods. 
• There is a limitation in traditional channels where you must rely on one or two channels to promote additional buying opportunities. 
• In the world of digital era, customers want to escape convenience, which is empowered with the flexibility to choose any desired channel. When combined with multiple channels, it encourages more buying options without too many hassles that lack in traditional channels. 

Benefits of omnichannel customer service

Do you still wonder why make a shift to Omnichannel customer service? Here are the benefits of Omnichannel customer service. Let’s take a look at why today’s customer support teams need to make a shift. 

• Faster ticket resolution – Of course, faster ticket resolution is directly proportional to happier customers. Omnichannel allows the team to view all the customer interactions in one place. This helps customer service agents to work together better to prioritize, manage and respond to requests more quickly by improving customer ticket resolution time and minimizing customer wait time. 
• Enhanced customer loyalty and satisfaction – With faster ticket resolution, customers tend to have better satisfaction and loyalty towards the brand. With the traditional method, customers are limited to one or two sources for reaching support teams, where customers have the flexibility for a preferred channel of communication, and are more likely to be satisfied with their customer service experience.

• Higher efficiency in one workplace – Omnichannel communication simplifies the work of many teams by stopping them from juggling between multiple systems. Support channels can work from a single centralized interface. Many modern omnichannel solutions also provide teams with real-time collaboration features that allow them to do things like create shared drafts, leave internal comments or escalate requests effortlessly. 
• Make better data-informed decisions – Most Omnichannel platforms capture data-think agent performance metrics, channel performance data, trend and issue tracking from every channel to every interaction. With these real-time insights, your team can identify and monitor trends, adjust channel-specific strategies and optimize overall support strategy. 
• Boost productivity – Omnichannel customer service tools are updated for agents with a single workspace, unlike traditional methods, shared inboxes and multichannel service solutions. There is no need for customer service agents to juggle between apps, but instead, they can organize and respond to messages faster. Omnichannel also provides teams with AI bots and automated capabilities. For instance, agents can create and customize AI-powered workflows that will execute automatically, which eventually reduces time consumption on repetitive and operational tasks by focusing on complex tasks. 

The Bottom Line:

Technology has a vital role to play in the shift from the traditional approach to the omnichannel customer approach. This provides an opportunity for any scale of businesses to develop their brand presence in alternative channels; however, there will always be limitations when you maintain multiple channels. Of course, customers strive for convenience, consistency and quality service. With the right tool and strategy, your team can deliver it seamlessly. 

What are you waiting for? Contact our team of support professionals from AtiDiv to leverage the high-quality latest technology of customer support across the globe seamlessly without hindrance. 

FAQs on Omnichannel Customer Support:

1. Why is omnichannel better for businesses?
   

   Omnichannel support helps businesses offer faster ticket resolution, increased efficiency, reduced time to resolution, improved customer satisfaction and enhanced team productivity. This strategy ensures continuity across all platforms, leading to a better experience and loyalty for customers.

2. How does omnichannel support improve customer satisfaction?
   

   Omnichannel delivers and improves customer satisfaction with the flexibility to reach support through their preferred channels without repeating their issues at each touch point. This personalized and connected experience delivers a smooth transition for the customer, leading to satisfied customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

3. Can small businesses benefit from omnichannel communication?
   

   Yes, small businesses do benefit from omnichannel communication and customer experience. Many modern omnichannel platforms offer scalable solutions that grow with a business. Every small business or team can benefit from this with their centralized communication, automation and better insights. 

4. Is customer data safe in an omnichannel system?
   

   Absolutely, most reputable omnichannel platforms include robust security protocols to ensure that data exchanged and communication are protected and comply with industry regulations like GDPR and CCPA.