Customers are no longer restricted to contacting businesses over the phone. The modern customer journey now takes place over multiple channels, from SMS to social media and video. Embracing the right channels for customer service is the key to meeting growing expectations.
70% of customers say they’d be willing to purchase more from companies offering convenient support across multiple channels. The trouble is many organizations still don’t know which channels they should be prioritizing. They’re still searching for the “perfect channel”.
In reality, many consumer groups have different preferences, making it crucial for companies to take a versatile approach to building their customer experience (CX) strategy.
The Channel Shift: Evolving Communication Channels
Voice calls are still a valuable tool for contact centers. 65% of customers still say they prefer using voice for speed and convenience in customer service. What’s more, voice interactions can still deliver exceptional results, achieving an average customer customer satisfaction score of 86%.
However, there’s a significant shift in the contact center landscape towards digital channels. An increasing number of customers, both millennials and Gen Z, are digital natives, used to finding the information they need online and interacting with businesses over social media, email and web chat.
Email is perhaps one of the most important digital communication channels for customer service teams. After all, there are more than 4 billion email users worldwide, and email offers a convenient alternative to calls for customers who don’t need immediate assistance.
However, the digital communication landscape extends a lot further, covering channels like:
1. Live Chat
72% of customers choose online chat when they want to connect with a brand. Live chat can offer an experience that combines the best of both email and phone support, combining real-time assistance, with convenient service that doesn’t require waiting in a call queue.
It can also be an excellent source of insights for companies, allowing team members to gather data about common customer queries, and better understand the customer journey.
2. Self Service
Self-service is by far one of the most popular customer service solutions for younger generations. It gives customers a way to answer questions rapidly without waiting for agent support. The challenge for companies is that self-service interactions can take place over various channels.
Automated IVR systems, chatbots, FAQ knowledge bases, and automated troubleshooting solutions all provide access to different types of self-service. It’s important to prioritize ease of access to self-service channels to minimize customer frustration.
3. Social Media
According to one study, 47% of respondents said they feel more positively about brands that can provide customer support over social media. Again, the concern for contact center leaders here is that there are so many different social channels to consider, from X (), to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn for B2B professionals, and even TikTok.
A comprehensive omni-channel customer service strategy that leverages social media will require companies to have a broad understanding of which channels their customers use.
4. Mobile Messaging
Up to 97% of the US population owns a smartphone. Mobile messaging is an excellent way to connect with customers on the go and deliver personalized service. In today’s world, mobile messaging isn’t just limited to SMS and MMS messages.
Companies are also interacting through asynchronous messaging apps including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, allowing the customer to pick up the conversation at a time that is convenient to them.
5. Video Chat
For some support inquiries, video chat can be extremely useful. The ability to share your screen, and interact with customers face-to-face can be a game changer, particularly during technical discussions. Video calls offer an excellent way for companies to walk customers through troubleshooting steps, or demonstrate visual solutions in real-time.