Omnichannel, as opposed to multichannel approaches, are the newest trend in customer service. In multichannel approaches, customers can reach out to the organization through various channels revolving around the specific product or service. An omnichannel approach is a customer-centric approach that allows many communication channels focused on the customer’s needs rather than the organization’s product or service line.

To dramatically increase customer service response velocity, resolution accuracy, and service quality, high-functioning public agencies must cultivate an integrated, omnichannel approach. Moreover, that approach should also enable and track online and offline communications. This blog post on omnichannel communications will examine how this approach is designed to better meet agency professionals’ needs, fostering employee fulfillment, retention, and customer satisfaction.

Simultaneous Access for Ease of Service Provision

In an omnichannel operating system, integrating both online and offline communication methods and platforms, data capture enables the customer and organization to access pertinent information simultaneously. This access enhances communication accuracy and service delivery. The organization can proactively anticipate customer questions and needs and increase customer satisfaction by referring to previous exchanges.

Agencies can track and visualize the operational health of the services for their clientele in real-time and offer self-service tools to reduce call volume. This approach helps drive continuous improvement in service commitments and pays dividends in customer feedback.

With reduced in-person contact, government organizations are using structured customer service management processes and automated tools to help identify and proactively fix the root causes of issues before customers can even notice. Access to this vital information enhances the organization’s capacity to demonstrate that the customer’s time is extremely valuable and that the customer’s input and needs are important.

Helping to Anticipate Additional Needs

Great organizations anticipate and meet additional customer needs, leading to greater customer satisfaction. By tracking a constituent’s prior inquiries and requests, an omnichannel approach provides a one-stop shopping experience that better uses both the client’s and the organization’s time.

When all calls, chats, emails, web, and personal interactions are logged, the organization’s representative has ready access to all the information needed and does not have to waste time repeating information common to all related requests or problems. This means they can provide rapid, accurate service, a net positive for both client and representative. And if those needs change in the future, they have all the information they need at their fingertips to adjust course and respond.

Providing Continuity of Service

In addition to the continuity of service that omnichannel can provide through sharing of data across all channels, there are other techniques to improve the customer’s – and representative’s – experience.

During human-to-human customer service, the representative must know hold times, defined as the elapsed time between initial customer contact and response. Depending on the nature of the problem or request and the channel used, an organization’s seemingly normal wait time may feel exponentially longer for the customer. (Keep in mind that a hold time begins in the customer’s mind the minute they take action – i.e., walk in the door, dial the phone number, or sign on to the web or mobile application.)

However, an automated, omnichannel platform can establish a realistic response expectation for the customer to feel more in control of the situation and plan accordingly. If told up front that the wait will be longer than fifteen minutes, say, the customer can abandon the effort for today and plan for another day. Having this information reduces frustration for the customer and increases the quality and civility of any subsequent interaction with the organization’s representative. Any opportunity to improve the tone of communication with a client is a gift to a customer service professional.

Sometimes, human-to-human contact will require customer transfer from one representative to another or from one representative to a self-service tool or outside entity. This may occur when a supervisor needs to intervene while monitoring calls or when the problem or request is beyond the level of expertise of the representative. In this case, it is important to give the customer precise and timely information as to the reason for a transfer.

Additionally, when transferring the customer to the correct resource, it is important to allow them to continue to hold during the transfer or to make contact again at a more convenient time. The small gesture of giving options to a customer goes a long way to express to the customer that their time is valuable. And again, it makes the call more pleasant for the representative.

Conclusion

Organizational representatives should feel empowered to help the customer feel in control of the experience. Omnichannel communication will naturally give a sense that the customer is in control because the perception is that the customer has access to all information that the representative has and, therefore, is on equal ground. This common ground is equally important to the representative, who has all the tools needed to do a good job, satisfy the customer, and thereby feel satisfied.

At Momentum, our consultants work with government and institutional clients to identify and implement customer service and communications best practices, including omnichannel approaches, that meet constituent needs while promoting employee fulfillment and retention.

This post was adapted from a Momentum white paper. To learn more about developing communication and customer service competency, contact us.