Brands from across all vertical markets are now utilising different channels to allow customers to engage and interact with their operations. Between new sales and existing customer support, a study by Aberdeen Group Inc. found that companies with the strongest omnichannel customer engagement strategies retain an average of 89% of their customers, compared with just 33% for companies with weak omnichannel strategies. The same report also stated an average increase for these companies of 9.5% in annual revenue year-over-year, and an average decrease of 7.5% in ‘cost per customer contact’, demonstrating the true value of a diligent omnichannel customer contact strategy.
The telephone still remains the most popular contact channel for consumers but new media continues to change the scope of brand engagement. By handing power to consumers in the form of social media, the voice of the customer has more impact across channels than ever before. In the insurance industry, the release of the 2017 Eptica Insurance Conversation Study has shed light on the considerations of offering customers a multi-channel support operation. The report builds on research carried out since 2011, revealing that although the brands surveyed now operate across more channels, their average response times had worsened and the quality of service had dropped significantly.
If your brand embraces new media, AI or future technologies with your telephony channel, it’s crucial that the you get the basics right. Answering your customer succinctly and expediently goes a long way to improving your contact centre KPIs. Minimising the use of complicated language and jargon can also help improve understanding and reduce further inbound calls to your operation. Most importantly of all, consider which channels your customer will use and how they want to engage on these channels. Use this insight to improve your response times, engagement tactics, and better understand your customer profile.
