The transition of contact centers to omnichannel solutions has been going strong for quite some time now. However, while ‘pure voice’ call centers are pretty much a thing of the past, not all organizations have gone full-on omnichannel yet. Some still hang on to previous generation solutions, where different channels aren’t integrated into a single interface.
As Bicom Systems launches its new Omnichannel solution, I spoke with the company’s Contact Center Product Owner, Sevda Frasto, to get her take on the reasons why contact centers should go omnichannel, ASAP.
“Omnichannel solutions offer numerous advantages that significantly enhance productivity, customer experience, and key organizational performance indicators,” she notes.
Here’s what you need to know about the significance of omnichannel for modern contact centers, the main benefits to consider, and Bicom Systems’ new offering.
Agent Productivity Powerhouse
Let’s start with agent benefits. Contact center agents are one of the main beneficiaries of omnichannel solutions which boost their productivity, enhance their service delivery, and generally make their lives significantly easier. Here are the important agent benefits to consider.
Improved Customer Understanding – By integrating all channels into one interface and offering comprehensive knowledge resources, omnichannel solutions facilitate better understanding of customer needs.
“Agents are empowered to engage with customers through their preferred channels, fostering improved communication; and they can prepare better, act quicker, and resolve issues faster,” Frasto explains.
Multitasking – The seamless transition between channels, with all data available in one place, allows agents to multitask while maintaining a consistent level of service.
“Features like conversation history across channels allow them to handle multiple requests simultaneously without compromising quality.”
Time Saving – With chatbots, canned responses, and WhatsApp templates enabled, agents save a considerable amount of time, which can now be dedicated to more complex tasks.
“These features facilitate quicker responses, help direct requests to the right queues, and can sometimes resolve issues before they encounter a human agent,” Frasto notes.
Accessible Support – Many omnichannel solutions include features that allow agents to easily consult with their supervisors in real-time, resolving more issues on the spot.
“Features like private messages allow agents to consult with a supervisor confidentially within an existing conversation window and respond immediately.”
Seamless Customer Experiences
No less importantly, omnichannel solutions play a valuable role in improving customer experience. How do they change things for the better on the customer’s end, then?
Increased Convenience – First and foremost, omnichannel means that customers can reach the company through their preferred channels, making these interactions infinitely more convenient for them.
“Customers no longer have to make special efforts to communicate with brands – they can simply use channels like SMS, WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger to ask questions and seek support,” Frasto says.
Reduced Customer Fatigue – Customers are no longer forced to repeat themselves, since agents now have all the conversation history and relevant context at their fingertips.
“With all information available, agents already know what’s going on, making any follow-up interactions significantly less tedious for the customer.”
Improved Self Expression – Self-service chatbots and file attachment options allow customers to express themselves better and more fully.
“This contributes to more focused interactions, both prior to the conversation (by choosing the relevant subject) and during the conversation,” Frasto notes.
Improved Organizational KPIs
Ultimately, these benefits translate to significant business improvements. dashboards and blended reports, allowing for optimized agent and queue performance monitoring, they create a tangible improvement to organizational KPIs.
“Companies experience reduced handling time, first response time, and resolution time, as well as higher customer satisfaction levels,” Frasto explains.
“All of these are eventually reflected in increased customer loyalty and revenue.”
Bicom Systems’ New Omnichannel Offering
Bicom Systems’ new Omnichannel contact center solution offers a comprehensive set of capabilities corresponding with all the benefits mentioned above, and more. The initial version was launched in January with email, live chat, and SMS support; and the latest one, launched in May, adds WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger along with exciting new features for agents and supervisors.
Among other things, the newest version includes canned responses, private messaging, agent dashboards, and blended reporting, all while maintaining an intentionally simple admin interface for easy navigation. It also comes with an easy-to-embed visitor application.
“Based on feedback from our partners, we can already say that they’re extremely satisfied,” Frasto shares.
To learn more about Bicom Systems’ Omnichannel contact center solution, visit their website here.
