Customers today expect to connect with businesses on their terms, through their preferred channels. Gone are the days of a single point of contact; omnichannel customer service is the new standard.
Traditional call centers, limited to phone support, often fail to meet these expectations. This is where omnichannel contact centers step in, offering a comprehensive solution for modern customer service.
Omnichannel contact center platforms help businesses provide a consistent and seamless customer experience, no matter how they choose to reach out.
In this guide, we’ll explain everything to know about omnichannel contact centers — what they are, key benefits, top features, and best practices for implementation. We’ll also briefly overview the top omnichannel contact center software on the market to pick from.
What Is an Omnichannel Contact Center?
An omnichannel contact center is a customer service solution that seamlessly integrates all communication channels and customer interactions into a unified platform, offering a consistent and personalized customer experience. These channels can be voice calls, live chat, email, text messaging, and social media. Customers choose their preferred channel and easily switch between them when needed.
Unlike a multi-channel strategy, where each communication method operates in silos, an omnichannel contact center provides a truly integrated experience.
For instance, a customer can initiate a conversation via web chat and then transition to a voice call with an agent who has complete visibility into the previous chat interaction history. This continuity eliminates the need for customers to repeat information and ensures a smooth, uninterrupted experience.
Consolidating customer interactions across channels, omnichannel contact centers empower agents with a unified and comprehensive view of each customer’s journey.
A 360-degree perspective enables agents to deliver more personalized and efficient service, as they have access to the customer’s complete history and context, regardless of the communication channel used.
An omnichannel approach benefits both customers and businesses. Customers enjoy a seamless experience tailored to their preferences, while businesses can enhance customer satisfaction, improve operational efficiency, and foster long-lasting customer relationships.
Omnichannel customer experience example
Let’s say a customer is stuck with a tech issue. They browse self-service options but need further help. They start a web chat with a live agent, explain the problem, but then switch to a call, wanting to “talk to a real person.”
Here’s where omnichannel customer experience comes in. The call agent has everything: chat history, past interactions, and even what self-service options the customer tried. No need to repeat everything. The agent has a complete picture and can assist efficiently.
This seamless experience is what customers expect today. Research from McKinsey shows they use multiple channels (3-5!) to get things done, and 86% want effortless switching between channels. Omnichannel contact centers deliver just that.
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Benefits of Omnichannel Contact Centers
According to Aberdeen Group, companies adopting an omnichannel strategy saw a 91% increase in customer retention year-over-year than those without! An omnichannel strategy offers many benefits for both businesses and their customers.
- Frictionless customer journeys: Omnichannel platforms allow customers to switch effortlessly between channels (phone, email, chat, social media) without repeating information. Customers connect faster, lowering response time, which eliminates frustration and fosters a smooth, positive experience.
- Improved customer satisfaction & loyalty: By catering to preferred communication styles and providing a consistent experience, omnichannel contact centers turn interactions into positive touchpoints. Customers feel valued, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
- Boosted agent efficiency: With a complete customer history at their fingertips, agents can resolve customer issues faster and provide more personalized service, removing the need for repetitive explanations and boosting overall agent productivity.
- Enhanced customer insights: Omnichannel systems capture valuable customer data across all channels. Analyze this data to gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and pain points. These insights help optimize processes, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions that enhance the customer experience.
- Cost control: Omnichannel platforms empower customers with self-service options like chatbots and knowledge bases. This deflects routine inquiries away from agents, freeing them to handle more complex issues and optimizing operational costs.
- Competitive advantage: In a competitive market, exceptional customer experience is key. Omnichannel contact centers create a unique advantage with consistent, top-notch service across the board.
- Enhanced flexibility: Omnichannel platforms offer built-in scalability to adjust to fluctuations in demand for efficient resource allocation and maximum operational flexibility.
Integrating communication channels into a unified platform benefits both customers and businesses. Customers enjoy a frictionless experience, while businesses gain valuable insights to continuously improve and gain a competitive edge.
Key Features of Omnichannel Contact Center Software
Cloud-based contact center solutions simplify complex interactions by unifying all customer communication channels into a single platform.
When you streamline customer service tools, you help agents become more productive and effective in delivering exceptional customer experiences.
But where do you start when building out an omnichannel approach?
Here are eight must-have features to look for when choosing an omnichannel contact center software:
1) Cloud-based with a unified interface
An omnichannel strategy thrives when employees can effortlessly move between channels while maintaining customer history and context.
For this to happen, your contact center software needs an easy-to-use, intuitive interface that provides real-time data for each agent.
Look for these qualities:
- Customer data and conversations in one place: Agents shouldn’t have to jump through hoops. Native integrations, without the need for additional middleware, provide a seamless experience.
- Cloud-based redundancy: Look for a cloud-based tool that centrally manages all data sources and conversations, allowing agents to work remotely with ease.
- Quick access to real-time data: Agents should have instant access to customer insights, past interactions, and satisfaction scores to deliver personalized service.
- Pre-built integrations for common business tools: CRM systems, dialers, email, SMS, and social media platforms — a seamless connection is crucial.
2) Seamless integration between channels
Customer channel preferences continually evolve. An omnichannel contact center must integrate new channels rapidly without disrupting workflows.
Evaluate how a contact center handles integrations:
- Existing integrations: Ensure it connects with the tools you already use, like your CRM, predictive dialers, email, SMS, social media platforms, etc.
- Single view for conversations: The interface should unite cross-channel interactions into one view to reduce friction and eliminate the need for context switching.
- Unified reporting across channels: Reports should prioritize customer experience metrics over channel-specific ones for better forecasting and identifying areas for improvement.
- API (Application Programming Interface) integrations: APIs facilitate the smooth exchange of data between your contact center and other business tools.
3) Customer insights render personalized experiences
Personalization is key to building customer loyalty. Some customers prefer self-service options, while others need direct assistance for complex issues. The more relevant data agents have, the better they can personalize each interaction.
An omnichannel contact center should provide:
- Customer information: Name, company, contact details, open tickets — all readily available.
- Interaction history: Past conversations across all channels, providing context for current interactions.
- Real-time insights: Recent product usage, help document views, to understand current customer needs.
- Account value: Customer value, trending satisfaction scores, and survey results for a holistic view.
- AI-powered sentiment analysis: Use artificial intelligence to analyze customer sentiment during interactions to tailor responses and personalize the experience further.
4) Intelligent routing of inbound requests
With multiple channels, proper request routing is crucial for a seamless experience.
Look for features like:
- Automatic call distribution (ACD): Route calls based on skills, history, and priority for efficient resolution.
- Deep CRM integration: Leverage customer data to route inquiries to the right agent or team with the most relevant expertise.
- Conversational AI: Use AI for initial assistance, such as simple questions or routing complex inquiries to the appropriate agent.
- Skills-based routing: Besides skills and history, consider routing based on agent certifications or language fluency for a more precise match.
5) Integrated data across the customer journey
To deliver true omnichannel experiences, you need full visibility into each customer’s journey across all touchpoints and channels. Look for:
- Journey mapping: See where customers came from (mobile app, email, SMS, etc.) to understand their path and tailor future interactions.
- End-to-end pipeline tracking: Understand the full customer relationship from first contact to resolution.
- Customer Data Platform (CDP) integration: A CDP can unify customer data from various sources, providing a more holistic view of the customer journey.
6) Self-service options
Empowering customers to find solutions independently improves overall satisfaction and reduces call volume for your agents. A robust self-service portal should include:
- Knowledge base articles: A searchable library of helpful content addressing common questions and troubleshooting steps.
- FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions): A curated list of frequently encountered questions with clear and concise answers.
- Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots can answer basic inquiries, deflect simple requests, and schedule appointments, freeing up agents for more complex issues.
7) Performance management and reporting
Consolidated reporting and analytics provide deep insights into support team and agent performance, empowering data-driven decision-making. Essential analytics include:
- Historical trends: Quickly identify areas needing improvement and track progress over time.
- Customizable KPIs (Key Performance Indicators): Track the metrics most tied to your specific business goals.
- Agent dashboards: Provide individual agents with actionable insights for coaching and performance improvement.
8) Enterprise-grade security and reliability
With all customer data and channels running through one platform, security and uptime are paramount. For example, Nextiva’s network has the industry’s highest uptime, which means you can be there for your customers.
Ensure the solution:
- Meets compliance standards: PCI, SOC 2, HIPAA, etc., to ensure the security of sensitive customer data.
- Has a transparent status page and monitoring: Providing real-time system health information and a history of past incidents builds trust.
- Undergoes regular security audits and testing: Continuous security assessments minimize vulnerabilities and ensure adherence to best practices.
Top 5 Omnichannel Contact Center Software
- Nextiva: Nextiva is a unified communications provider that offers a cloud-based omnichannel contact center solution. You get complete contact center features to manage customer interactions across multiple channels, including phone, email, chat, social media, and SMS. Nextiva’s omnichannel contact center solution is easy to use and manage and can be scaled to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.
- Genesys Cloud CX: Genesys Cloud CX is a cloud-based contact center platform that offers a wide range of features, including omnichannel routing, self-service, automation, and analytics. Genesys Cloud CX is a good option for businesses seeking a comprehensive and scalable contact center solution.
- Five9: Five9 is a cloud-based contact center platform designed for the enterprise market. Five9 offers a wide range of features, including omnichannel routing, self-service, automation, and analytics. Five9 is a good option for businesses that need a powerful and scalable contact center solution.
- Zendesk Sunshine: Zendesk Sunshine is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform that can be integrated with a variety of contact center solutions. Zendesk Sunshine provides a unified view of all customer interactions, which can help businesses improve their customer service.
- Freshdesk Contact Center: Freshdesk Contact Center is a cloud-based contact center solution for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Freshdesk Contact Center offers many features, including omnichannel routing, self-service, automation, and analytics. It’s a good option for SMBs that need affordable and easy-to-use contact center software.
Explore more contact center software.👇
Comparison of top omnichannel contact center software
| Solution | Who It’s Best For | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nextiva | Businesses seeking an easy-to-use, all-in-one solution | Call recording CRM integration Live chat Email management Social media integration Advanced reporting & analytics | Starts at $50 per user per month |
| Genesys Cloud CX | Businesses needing a comprehensive and highly scalable contact center with advanced features | Workforce management Skills-based routing AI-powered self-service Speech analytics Customizable dashboards | Starts at $75 (can be expensive for smaller businesses) |
| Five9 | Large enterprises requiring a powerful, customizable solution | WFO integrations CTI integrations | Starts at $175 monthly (excludes Voice on the digital-only and includes only Voice on the base plans) |
| Zendesk Sunshine | Businesses prioritizing a unified customer view across channels and leveraging existing CRM integrations | CRM data integration Agent workspace Multi-channel ticketing Reporting & analytics | Starts around $69/user/month (custom integrations may add cost) |
| Freshdesk Contact Center | Small and medium businesses seeking an affordable and user-friendly contact center solution | Ticketing system Live chat Call routing Reporting & Analytics | Starts at around $59/user/month |
Related: Small Business Contact Center Software: Overview & Key Features
Omnichannel vs. Multichannel Contact Centers
Multichannel contact centers support multiple communication channels, but customers have to start over when switching between channels as there is no seamless integration.
On the other hand, omnichannel contact centers provide a unified experience across all channels, with features like CRM integration, real-time customer data, and the ability for a single team to handle requests across all channels.
Here’s a quick comparison between a multichannel and omnichannel contact center.
| Functionality | Multichannel contact center | Omnichannel contact center |
|---|---|---|
| Supports multiple channels | ✔ | ✔ |
| Seamlessly switch between communication channels | ✗ | ✔ |
| CRM integration for relevant customer data | ✗ | ✔ |
| Real-time insights on customer activity | ✗ | ✔ |
| One team can handle requests across all channels | ✗ | ✔ |
The key differences are:
- In multichannel, different channels are managed by separate teams, and customer history is not updated when switching channels.
- Omnichannel combines all channels, customer history, and data into a consistent experience. Customers can seamlessly switch channels.
Downsides of multichannel compared to omnichannel:
- Poor customer experience due to lack of personalization and need to repeat information.
- Potentially higher costs as more agents are needed to handle multiple requests for a single issue.
- Risk of harming customer engagement. Poor experiences can lead to customer churn.
While multichannel supports multiple channels, an omnichannel approach is crucial for creating a seamless, personalized, and better customer experience across all touchpoints.
Call Center vs. Omnichannel Contact Center
Contact center is a broader term for a system that handles customer interactions across various communication channels like phone, email, chat, etc. It’s the new-age version of a call center.
Call centers are the traditional model, relying solely on phone calls for customer interactions. Agents answer calls, address inquiries, and resolve issues — all through voice communication.
Omnichannel contact centers, on the other hand, take a more comprehensive approach. They provide customer service through a variety of channels, including phone calls, email, live chat, social media, and more. This allows customers to reach out on their preferred platform, fostering convenience.
When choosing the better option, omnichannel contact centers generally reign supreme. They offer several advantages:
- Customers can choose their preferred communication method, leading to a more positive experience.
- Information from past interactions (regardless of channel) is readily available, eliminating the need for customers to repeat themselves.
- Agents can leverage their strengths by handling inquiries on channels they’re most comfortable with, potentially speeding up resolution times.
- Omnichannel experiences lead to higher customer satisfaction.
While call centers might suffice for businesses with a basic customer base, omnichannel solutions offer a more flexible and superior customer service experience.
Implementing an Omnichannel Contact Center
Planning and implementing an omnichannel contact center solution is a multi-faceted process that requires careful consideration of various factors.
Here’s a structured approach to help you navigate through the process:
✅ Assess business needs and goals
Thoroughly assess your business needs and goals.
Understand the nature of your customer interactions, the channels they prefer, and the desired level of service. Identify the pain points in your current customer support system and areas for improvement. This assessment will determine the appropriate omnichannel solution.
🎛 Evaluate technology and integration requirements
Omnichannel contact centers rely heavily on technology.
Evaluate the available solutions and their ability to integrate with your existing systems, such as CRM, ERP, and other business applications. Ensure that the chosen technology supports the channels you want to offer, including voice, video calls, email, chat, social media, and self-service options.
🔖 Develop an omnichannel strategy
Based on your business needs and technology requirements, develop a comprehensive omnichannel strategy.
Define the channels you want to offer, the level of integration between them, and the customer journey you envision. Determine how you will manage and route interactions across channels, ensuring a consistent and personalized customer experience.
📝 Plan for agent training and workforce management
Successful omnichannel contact centers have well-trained agents who can handle interactions across multiple channels.
Develop a comprehensive contact center training program that equips customer service agents with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver consistent and high-quality service. Also, implement workforce management strategies to ensure proper staffing levels and efficient resource allocation.
💰Consider budget and ROI
Implementing an omnichannel contact center solution can be a significant investment.
Carefully evaluate the costs associated with technology, integration, training, and ongoing maintenance. Perform a cost-benefit analysis and calculate the potential return on investment (ROI) to justify the investment and ensure long-term viability.
📜 Develop a phased implementation plan
Implementing an omnichannel contact center is a complex undertaking, and it’s often advisable to adopt a phased approach.
Prioritize the channels and features based on their importance and impact, and roll out the solution in stages. This approach allows you to manage risks, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments along the way.
📈 Continuously monitor and optimize
Implementing an omnichannel contact center is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process.
Continuously monitor the performance of your solution, gather customer feedback, and analyze key metrics to identify areas for improvement.
Embrace a culture of continuous optimization, making adjustments and enhancements as needed to ensure that your omnichannel strategy remains aligned with evolving customer expectations and business needs.
Omnichannel Contact Center Best Practices
Embracing an omnichannel strategy means defining a cohesive vision to optimize the customer service experience. This effort results in revisiting tools, workflow automation, and customer touchpoints.
Let’s start by looking at some strategies and best practices as you move to a multichannel environment.
- Build more personalized experiences: Building an effective omnichannel strategy starts with personalization. Leverage unified customer data from all channels, so your agents have the full context about each person’s previous interactions and preferences to really personalize their experience and keep them engaged.
- Map out common customer journeys: Identify the common journeys your customers take across different channels. Understand the paths they follow and identify which touchpoints they prefer to use, so you can optimize their experience at each step.
- Be proactive about data collection: Consolidate all that customer data into a single, unified view for your agents. Bring in behavioral data from the website, details from the CRM, social media interactions — everything. That 360-degree customer view enables your team to provide much better service.
- Monitor changes in customer preferences: Don’t set it and forget it though. Stay vigilant about monitoring any changes in the channels customers use most frequently and their satisfaction levels on each one. Markets can shift rapidly, so you need to be able to adapt your omnichannel strategy accordingly.
- Strike a balance between humans and technology: Technology is powering these omnichannel experiences, but you can’t lose sight of the human element. Maintain a consistently high-quality experience across every channel. And always prioritize delivering amazing, customer-centric service over just hitting efficiency metrics or shortening handle times.
The Future of Customer Support Is Omnichannel
The days of a single point of contact are over. What matters most is to arm call center teams with the means to streamline multiple communication channels.
An omnichannel contact center makes it easy for customer support agents to provide exceptional customer satisfaction regardless of how customers contact them. While it may sound complicated, the results speak for themselves.
You don’t have to take on every digital channel at once. A phased approach lets you gracefully add more inbound contact methods to provide a seamless experience.
Considering that 86% of customers spend more money with companies that provide great experiences — you can’t afford to not use an omnichannel platform.
