There are two ways to go about channel diversification in a contact centre – multichannel or omni-channel. Multi, which literally translates to many, implies that your support function is now available across many channels. Omni, which means 'all', implies that the experience across all these channels will be consistent.
While multichannel might seem to require less effort and investment, omni-channel offers more value. That’s why 91% of contact centre professionals name omnichannel integration as one of their top three priorities. Here is how it differs from a multichannel contact centre.
Omni-channel Contact Centre Definition vs. Multichannel
An omni-channel contact centre can be defined as a customer support function (inbound) or a sales function (outbound) that operates across call, email, mobile app-based chat, website-based chat, and social media with data continuity across these platforms so that the customer never or rarely has to enter the same information twice.
In contrast, a multichannel contact centre is one where the customer support function (inbound) or a sales function (outbound) operates across call, email, mobile app-based chat, website-based chat, and social media, with agents specialising in a particular channel and looking after that channel’s interactions independent of customer interactions on other channels.
As you can tell, there are a number of points of difference between omni-channel and multichannel contact centres.
How Are Agent Experiences, Customer Experiences, and Technology Requirements Different in Omni-channel vs. Multichannel?
Agent Experiences
In an omni-channel contact centre, agents are highly skilled professionals, conversant in every channel’s best practices and familiar with the integrated customer data system (CDP) or customer relationship management (CRM) system that powers the ecosystem. They have exceptional communication skills as well as multitasking capabilities to keep pace with an omni-channel environment’s complexities.