When challenged by issues, customers often seek immediate assistance, as these issues could be dangerous and result in unforeseen losses. This is why service providers create a 24/7 support medium for their clients to ensure help is always one call or text away. However, issues with the communication medium may arise, threatening the availability of assistance that the customer should typically enjoy. Because of this, businesses have taken to creating multiple support channels for their customers, to ensure they are not hindered from enjoying the best their services have to offer.
Multichannel support systems are the combination of multiple communication networks between businesses and customers to ensure that users can always connect with their service providers to resolve issues, make inquiries and conduct other communication demands. The communication channels are set up by customer service teams to help the customers easily access support when needed. These platforms make use of various communication mediums such as phone calls/sms texts, email, live chat, social media apps, etc to help businesses ensure their customers are not hindered by communication channels downtime when they are in need of assistance. All of this has just one goal: to provide customers with several choices of communication methods in order to enhance accessibility and convenience.
Multichannel support systems are simply individual communication channels strung together. Businesses combine these channels to create an uninterruptible communication medium for their customers to always have access to them regardless of time, day, or circumstances. There are different types of these communication channels, so let’s look at the most utilised ones, and how they play their role in a multichannel communication support system.
Website chat options, AI assistant tools, and FAQ materials on the business’s website are some of the many online channels used in multichannel communication. These are very efficient for minor issues that can be easily resolved, empowering users to easily find what they need. And as a medium of communication, it allows users to easily connect with assistance without delays or extra charges (attracted on phone calls/sms), or delays (from online queues).
Sms and telephone communications are great for users with issues that require verbal directive instructions. Rather than have them wait for responses from emails or AI tools, phone call communication connects users with a human to listen to them. The human representative can then guide them through the steps and procedures they are to follow to solve their problems.
Email communication is ideal for official communications, corporate discussions, and inquiries that require response from high ranking officials. Email enquiries go through careful checkpoints within the organisation, as the use of email communication means customers’ needs may be sensitive and complex. And with email communications, discussions can easily be tracked, monitored, and supervised to ensure maximum privacy, transparency, and satisfaction.
Social media is a more dynamic communication platform that businesses can use to provide support to their customers. Social media interactions are perfect for business announcements, product updates, promos, etc. It is ideal for quick dissemination of information in a transparent and responsive manner that allows customers to get involved.
From the business’s perspective, social media is also a great marketing tool. Most new users from diverse backgrounds like to opt for social media to find common information about the product, also giving companies an opportunity to reach diverse demographics, expanding their users' audience while maintaining a satisfied consumer base.
Community forums like Telegram and Discord are powerful multichannel communication tools that thrive on communal interaction and engagement. These platforms provide users with diverse channels for discussions and collaborative effort in solving issues. With features like instant messaging, voice chats, and organised threads, community forums offer a dynamic space for individuals with shared interests to connect, exchange information, and seek assistance together. Community forums also make it easier for users to know when a problem is a general one, and share ideas they may have used to overcome the problem. And just like social media, community forums function as hubs for announcements, updates, also encouraging user-generated guide content to foster a sense of community and shared knowledge among members.
Multichannel support systems have proven to be very beneficial for business growth. In fact, users' support experiences are boosted by over 94% when there are multiple channels to follow for support requests. This shows a significant impact on customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and overall brand reputation that businesses enjoy after implementing multiple support systems. Let us look at some of the benefits of multichannel support systems for businesses and their customers.
Firstly, adopting multichannel support systems enhances customer satisfaction. By offering customers various communication channels, businesses cater to their users' individual preferences, providing flexibility through live chat, email, or social media. This makes it a lot easier to access support, increasing client retention rate by 89%, as clients often prefer brands with multichannel support systems than those with one.
Improved responsiveness is another notable impact of multichannel support systems. Real-time channels like live chat, community forums, and social media enable swift interactions, allowing companies to address customer inquiries in a timely manner. This level of responsiveness is important for positive customer experience, showcasing company values and discipline.
Operational efficiency is also optimised through multichannel support systems. Integrating various communication channels into a centralised system allows businesses to efficiently manage customer interactions, track inquiries, and maintain consistent records. This approach contributes to operational efficiency, reducing response times, delays in accessing customer’s information, and optimising resource allocation.
Brand loyalty, trust, and continued patronage are also dividends of a proper multichannel communication system. Over 48% of marketers believe that the best benefit of multichannel communications is building brand loyalty for continued patronage. When customers know they are only one contract away from support they are naturally calmer. Offering a variety of communication channels and providing effective support during issue resolution builds trust and fosters brand loyalty. Customers are more likely to remain loyal to a brand that demonstrates accessibility and a commitment to resolving their issues, creating lasting relationships.
Multichannel support systems also provide valuable businesses with data driven insights through the use of analytic tools to study customer usage pattern/behaviour. By analysing data on customer interactions, preferences, and concerns, businesses can make informed decisions to improve products, services, and the overall customer experience.
Effectively managing multichannel support systems is important for achieving its objectives, but it requires a strategic approach to doing this. For seamless customer experiences across various communication channels, here are key strategies to guide its integration and management.
1. Centralised Platform Integration:
A centralised system that integrates all support channels has to be built. This gives a unified view of customer various interactions, allowing support agents to track and manage queries efficiently. The centralised system also facilitates a consistent flow of information, reducing the risk of miscommunication or misplacement of customer issue peculiarities.
2. Cross-Channel Training:
It is important for support agents to be well-trained across all communication platforms. Agents have to be adept at handling phone inquiries, responding to emails, engaging live chats and social media interactions, etc. Cross-channel training promotes flexibility, empowering agents to provide consistent and high-quality support regardless of the channel used by customers.
3. Support Request Prioritization:
Support reps are to develop a clear strategy for prioritising customer inquiries according to importance. Understanding which channels customers use most for certain types of issues helps in knowing where to find higher priority enquiries, managing workloads effectively. This way, urgent matters receive prompt attention, and issues are not left to deteriorate.
4. Automation:
Automation boosts the efficiency of support channels by . Implementing automation tools where necessary helps to streamline routine tasks by assisting in sorting and categorising incoming requests, providing instant responses to common queries, and routing issues to the appropriate support agents. This boosts efficiency, and frees up human resources for more complex inquiries.
5. Monitoring and Analytics:
It is important to utilise monitoring and analytics tools to track inquiries and issue resolution across communication channels. This allows businesses to identify common issues, measure response times, and assess customer satisfaction from support reps interactions. Analysing this data then provides insights into changes to be implemented, areas to improve upon, and other tips to follow to improve support strategies.
In summary, multichannel support systems solve a major problem users are challenged by. The use of various communication channels to interact with and assist customers helps prevent scenarios whereby the only channel being used is down, and users cannot access support during that period. The goal is to provide customers with flexible options, allowing them to choose the communication method that best suits their preferences. While this ensures customer satisfaction, businesses also benefit from this satisfaction. Centralising these platforms into one system often requires cross-channel training for support agents, and the strategic use of automation to streamline processes. Overall, multichannel support systems are a necessity to create a seamless and positive customer experience across diverse communication channels.
