How to measure the success of an omnichannel contact center

It is undeniable that digital transformation in contact centers is an ongoing process that won't be slowing down any time soon. While 2022 was the year that exceptional customer experience became more mainstream, organizations will have to deliver on that promise in 2023. 

However, customers are becoming more demanding due to rising costs and reduced purchasing power. This puts pressure on contact center owners to balance keeping good staff and controlling costs while maintaining a high level of CX. Retaining customer loyalty has become critical as customers are easily able to switch suppliers for better value.

The days of multi-channel customer experiences are over, and the focus is now on omnichannel integration. Regardless of the channel a customer is on, whether it's in-store, on the phone, or online, the expectation is that their customer profile and history should follow them.

Personalization is key, and businesses can use sophisticated insights and analytics to predict customer behavior and provide tailored recommendations. However, if businesses fail to integrate this data across all channels, they risk losing out on valuable opportunities to enhance the customer experience and drive sales. The human psyche means one bad experience needs three positive experiences to balance it.

Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to adopt omnichannel contact centers in order to meet the demands and expectations of modern customers. However, successfully implementing and measuring the effectiveness of these contact centers requires a strategic and well-planned approach.

To successfully implement an omnichannel contact center, businesses must first delineate their customer engagement strategy, which requires a comprehensive understanding of customers' preferences and behavior patterns. 

Subsequently, they need to leverage the right technology and train their staff adequately to utilize it efficiently. Regular monitoring and refinement of staff performance is critical to sustaining optimal service quality standards.

Measuring the success of an omnichannel contact center entails tracking key performance indicators such as customer satisfaction, first contact resolution rate, average handling time, and sales revenue. This requires a robust performance evaluation framework, including advanced analytics and data-driven insights, to help businesses identify opportunities for improvement and optimize their overall customer experience.

Overall, the successful implementation and evaluation of an omnichannel system demands a cohesive approach, a deep understanding of customer needs, and a rigorous focus on performance metrics.

Implementing an omnichannel contact center

Here are the steps businesses can take to successfully implement an omnichannel contact center:

1. Determine your business objectives and customer needs

The identification of desired outcomes is the first step in aligning the omnichannel strategy with business objectives. It involves careful consideration of the goals the business aims to achieve through the adoption of an omnichannel contact center. 

This may include improving customer satisfaction, increasing sales, reducing costs, or enhancing brand reputation. Your business objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART).

Moreover, to develop an effective omnichannel approach, it is crucial to understand your customers' journeys and needs, including the communication channels they use and their paths, which is gleaned through data analysis. A comprehensive study of customers’ pain points enables businesses to tailor their omnichannel strategy to cater to the customers' unique needs and expectations. For example, an eCommerce business may discover that customers prefer to use social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook for product inquiries and purchases, while a healthcare provider may find that telemedicine and email are preferred channels for patient appointments and inquiries.

2. Choose the right technology

Selecting the right technology is the next crucial factor in the successful implementation of an omnichannel contact center. The technology employed should provide agents with a comprehensive view of the customer journey across all channels, allowing for seamless integration of all communication channels into one platform.

One of the most important technologies to consider is a customer relationship management (CRM) system. It can consolidate customer data from various sources and provide agents with a unified view of customer interactions.

Scalability is an essential consideration when selecting a technology solution. As your business expands, you must be able to handle increased call volumes and new channels. A scalable technology solution allows for future growth, enabling you to add new channels and agents as required. 

Customization is another critical factor to consider. Each business is unique, and the technology solution should be customized to meet specific requirements. This may include the customization of agent scripts, integration of third-party applications, or configuration of reporting dashboards. 

Lastly, the technology should be user-friendly and intuitive for agents to learn easily, allowing them to promptly address customer inquiries without extensive training.

3. Develop a comprehensive training program

The old saying ’happier agents make happier customers’ has never been truer. The agents are the representatives of your brand, and they must be proficient in handling customer interactions across various channels. The integration of new technology may require training to ensure that staff members are familiar with the features and functions of the software and can use it to its full potential.

One of the primary benefits of staff training is the development of familiarity with various communication channels. Training can also equip agents with the necessary skills to handle customer interactions effectively and efficiently. This includes training in communication skills, problem-solving, and empathy. With the right training, agents can cultivate a customer-centric mindset that enables them to identify and meet the unique needs of each customer. Regular training sessions can also keep staff members informed of new technology updates and changes in company policies and procedures.

According to a study conducted by Better Buys involving 2,000 employees, access to professional development opportunities resulted in a 15% increase in job engagement and a 34% higher retention rate. Therefore, training is essential not only for the success of the omnichannel contact center but also for the engagement and retention of your employees.

4. Monitor and improve performance

It is important to continuously evaluate your technology, training programs, and strategies to ensure that they are still effective. As technology and customer preferences evolve, businesses must adapt to these changes to stay relevant. Regularly reviewing and improving upon existing strategies can help ensure that businesses continue to meet the needs and expectations of their customers.

One way to achieve this is through the use of analytics, which can provide insights into key performance metrics such as response time, resolution rate, and customer satisfaction scores.

By tracking these metrics, businesses can identify areas that require improvement and develop strategies to address them. For instance, if the response time is too long, businesses can identify the root cause and implement changes to improve it.

Customer feedback is also valuable in identifying areas that need improvement. By soliciting feedback from customers, businesses can gain insight into their experience, identify pain points and develop strategies to address them and improve the overall customer experience.

Investing in an omnichannel strategy not only enhances the customer experience but also improves employee engagement and retention. With the right strategy in place, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and create a strong brand reputation in today's digital age.

Measuring the success of an omnichannel contact center

Measuring the success of an omnichannel contact center is critical in order to understand the impact it is having on the customer experience and the business as a whole. Here are a few key metrics that can be used to evaluate the success:

Improved customer satisfaction

Consistently satisfied customers across all channels signify that the omnichannel contact center is successful in meeting customer needs and expectations. High scores for customer satisfaction (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), or other relevant metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of the omnichannel approach. For instance, when a customer reaches out to a company via email, a prompt, personalized response that solves their problem instead of a generic acknowledgment can lead to greater satisfaction. In today's customer service landscape, 90% of customers expect immediate responses to their inquiries. By measuring customer satisfaction through various touchpoints, you can identify areas of your omnichannel strategy that need improvement and adjust accordingly.

Increased customer loyalty and retention

If customers are loyal and continue to use the company's products or services, it is a sign that the omnichannel contact center is providing a positive experience. 

For example, if a customer has a history of purchasing a particular product or service, an agent can proactively offer them relevant promotions or deals. This can help increase customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. 

To measure customer loyalty and retention, companies can track metrics such as repeat purchase rate, churn rate, or customer lifetime value. By analyzing customer behavior and preferences, companies can tailor their marketing and customer service efforts to improve retention and encourage repeat business.

Higher efficiency and productivity

Unified data can lead to a 10% increase in employee productivity. Hence by tracking and improving efficiency and productivity metrics, such as average handling time, first-contact resolution rate, or agent utilization rate, an omnichannel contact center can demonstrate its success in optimizing resources and delivering high-quality support. If these metrics improve over time, it can indicate that agents are becoming more efficient and effective at handling customer interactions across multiple channels.

For example, an omnichannel contact center may implement a chatbot to handle routine customer inquiries, freeing up agents to handle more complex issues. By measuring the chatbot's success rate and the time it takes to resolve issues, the contact center can optimize the chatbot's capabilities and improve overall efficiency.

Another example is integrating your contact center software with your CRM platform, enabling agents to access customer information and transaction history across all channels. This integration can help agents resolve issues more quickly, reducing AHT and increasing FCR rates.

Lower costs

A successful omnichannel contact center can also help reduce costs associated with customer service. By providing self-service options or automating repetitive tasks, companies can reduce the number of calls, chats, or emails that require human intervention, which can lead to lower costs per contact. For example, a company that uses chatbots to handle simple inquiries can reduce the number of chats that require human intervention, leading to lower staffing costs.

According to Gartner, implementing AI chatbots to replace human workers in call centers could result in cost savings of up to $80 billion in staffing expenses annually by the year 2026.

Improved overall business results

Ultimately, the success of an omnichannel contact center can be measured by its impact on business results, such as increased revenue, profitability, or market share. Customers who have a positive experience with a company are more likely to become repeat customers and recommend the business to others, which can also increase market share. Therefore, businesses should regularly evaluate the impact of their omnichannel strategy on key business metrics and make adjustments as necessary to maximize its effectiveness.

Overall, measuring the success of an omnichannel contact center requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account both customer and business metrics. By regularly tracking and evaluating key performance indicators, businesses can ensure that their omnichannel strategy is meeting the needs of both their customers and their business objectives.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the paradigm shift towards omnichannel contact centers represents a significant advancement in customer service. This state-of-the-art approach has redefined the way businesses interact with their customers, allowing for a comprehensive, efficient, and customized experience across all communication channels. 

By embracing this innovative technology, businesses can elevate their customer experience to new heights, driving increased loyalty and retention and, ultimately, greater profitability. To successfully integrate an omnichannel contact center, organizations must thoroughly evaluate their business requirements, select the appropriate technology, ensure their agents are well-trained, and continually optimize their processes to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. 

The adoption of this transformative technology represents an opportunity for businesses to stay ahead of the competition while delivering a seamless and personalized experience that customers expect and deserve.