What Is Omnichannel Customer Service - Benefits and Best Practices

Is keeping up with what customers want across chat, email, and phone calls hard?

That’s understandable - which is why omnichannel customer service is a better, more connected way to look at and improve customer experiences.

The world's top brands use this kind of system to build loyalty and long-term growth

Which is why, this guide will look at its needed features and main benefits of omnichannel CX. This guide also breaks down the best practices and real-world examples to show you how omnichannel customer support systems actually work.

The Main Difference: Omnichannel vs. Multichannel

Multichannel is about being present as a company on multiple channels. While Omnichannel Customer Service is about connecting with the customer with relevance to past interactions across multiple channels from one place. ‍

This difference is not just words, it’s the HUGE effect on how much more happier customers are and with the money the company makes over time.

Figuring out the difference between omnichannel and multichannel service is the first step. This is for any business that wants to make its customer experience better. People often mix up these terms. But they mean two completely different ideas and ways of doing things.

What is Multichannel Customer Support?

Omnichannel customer service gives customers multiple, separate channels. A business might have support on phone, email, and social media. But these channels work as separate, parallel streams. The primary goal is to be available where customers are.

However, the experience stays in the one channel where the talk began. This setup comes from having information in separate places.

In a multichannel system, each channel works on its own. A customer has to start over from the beginning.

This happens when they switch from a web chat to a phone call. A large number, 56% of customers, say they have to repeat themselves because of this.

What is Omnichannel Customer Support?

Omnichannel customer support systems put the customer at the center of the plan, combining all available channels in one place.

This creates a single, unified, and continuous conversation. An Omnichannel system is not just about having many channels. The main point is making sure they are connected and work together.

The main idea changes from giving channel choices to giving one connected experience. This is true no matter which channel a customer picks. This is built on a foundation of shared information.

All customer information and past talks are in one central place. This sets up a single source of truth that follows the customer. An agent on any channel can instantly see a full history of all past talks. This gets rid of the need for customers to repeat information.

Omnichannel Best Practices: Why an Omnichannel Customer Journey is Non-Negotiable

These days, a customer journey is CANNOT be an additional thought.

The journey has now become the main area where companies compete. Good numbers back up the argument for spending money on a smooth, easy experience.

Shoppers in this day and age have new basic expectations and if a company fails to meet them, it will cost them money right away - which is why omnichannel customer service and support becomes an absolute necessity.

What to AIM for - The Modern Customer's Expectation

Present-day customers do not have much patience for slow or bad service, as the best companies have shaped what they should expect - stellar omnichannel customer service.

This has made a new standard for all businesses with some of the priorities below, painting a clear picture:

• Experience Takes Center Stage: A large majority (80% of customers, in fact) now believe a company's experience is as important as its products or services. Creating an outstanding CX becomes essential.
• Time and Speed Plays a Huge Role A full 90% of buyers state that an immediate response is important or very important when they have a customer service question. This means instant responses across multiple channels with your customer’s past interactions in context.
  
• Personalization Goes Without Saying: 71% of consumers expect personalized experiences and feel frustrated when they do not receive them. For effective omnichannel systems, personalization is an absolute must.
• People Only Respect Brands That Constantly Engage Them: 62% of customers expect businesses to proactively identify and address their potential issues. This means engaging customers on ANY potential issues before they raise them.

What to AVOID - The High Cost of a Difficult Experience

The consequences of not allowing for a smooth omnichannel customer journey are serious and the margin for error with this can be very small. 

• Even Miniscule Bas Experiences: Research shows 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they love after just one bad talk. Other studies say the number is even higher.  Over 50% are willing to switch brands after one bad experience.
  
• Silent Churn Due to No Feedback Loops: This directly eats into profits. Brands lose $29 for each new customer they get when their service is not up to standard. Another big danger is silent churn. For every 26 unhappy customers, only one will speak up. The other 25 just leave without a word.

Key Benefits of an Omnichannel System

Using true omnichannel customer service leads to many specific, measurable benefits. These benefits show up in every part of a company.

These benefits things are not just ideas with omnichannel customer service and support. They lead to real improvements in customer numbers, money, and how well the company works on the inside.

The system's value is built on three main ideas:

1. Better Customer Numbers: The first benefit of omnichannel customer service is on the main customer numbers. Customer happiness scores reach an impressive 67% with a smooth, connected experience. This is a huge jump from the 28% happiness score for disconnected support. This smoothness also builds up very high retention. Companies with good omnichannel setups keep an average of 89% of their customers. This is a huge lead over the 33% retention for companies with weak setups.
   
2. Better Financials: These better customer numbers turn into better financial results. Companies with good, connected systems see a 9.5% yearly increase in their income. This is almost three times the rate of companies with weak setups. This is because a great experience gives a company pricing power. 86% of buyers say they will pay more for a better experience. A company can charge up to 16% more.
   
3. Better Operations: An omnichannel customer service and support also sorts out how a company works inside. By giving agents a full customer history, problems get fixed much faster. Companies with a connected system see a 31% drop in how long it takes to fix a problem the first time. They also see a 39% drop in customer wait times. This gain in effectiveness directly cuts down service costs. These systems have been shown to bring down service costs by 3-7%. They also cut costs by a large 25-35% with digital tools and proactive chats.

The Role of AI in Delivering a True Omnichannel Experience

• The big idea and concept of of omnichannel customer service can VERY attractive. But making it work on a large scale becomes a WHOLE different challenge.
  
• Creating a personal, context-aware experience to thousands of customers at once is a big job. And in reality, this job is too big for human agents to do by carry out consistently by themselves.
  
• This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes very important. AI is not just an extra tool. The technology is the main engine that lets a true omnichannel experience grow.
  
• AI acts as the glue that And turns a complex web of customer conversations into one single, smooth journey.

From Reactive to Proactive: The Predict-Prevent Model

The old model of customer service is reactive. It is a break-fix system that waits for a problem. AI permits a change to a proactive, predict-prevent model. An AI-powered omnichannel customer service and support system can look at signs in a customer's behavior and pick up on a potential issue before it escalates.

This lets the business reach out first to help, changing customer service from a department that costs money to fix problems to one that creates value by stopping issues before they even occur.

Essential AI Technologies in Use

A modern omnichannel system uses a set of advanced AI tools that work together:

• Natural Language Processing (NLP): This is the technology that helps computers understand what people say or type. This lets chatbots and voicebots make out what customers mean.
• Machine Learning (ML): This is like teaching a computer by showing it lots of examples. The computer learns from past talks to guess what will happen next. This helps send customers to the right agent.
• Predictive Analytics: This uses information to guess what might happen in the future. In customer service, this can spot customers who might be about to leave. This allows the company to act first.
• Generative AI: This kind of AI can make new things, like text. For agents, the AI can write up quick summaries of long customer talks. One study found this kind of AI helped agents get 14% more done.

How AI Agents Bring Customer Data and Context Together in One Place

The idea of a 360-degree customer view is central to the promise of omnichannel service. But achieving it has historically been a big technical challenge.

Artificial Intelligence is the key technology that turns this idea into a reality. AI-powered omnichannel customer service and support systems are created to break down information silos and weave separate pieces of information into one useful customer profile.

This process is built on three main ideas:

1. Making One Customer Profile: The first step is to bring all the information together. AI systems act like a central hub. They take in information from all sources in real time. This includes sales records, website activity, and past conversations. The AI uses all this to build up and update a full profile for each customer.
   
2. Keeping the Conversation's History: This single profile makes certain that the conversation history is never lost. A customer can start by talking to a chatbot. The chatbot writes down what they said. If the customer follows up with an email, the AI system adds that email to their profile. When the customer then calls, the system knows who they are. The human agent instantly gets a complete history. The agent can see a summary of the past chat and email. The customer never has to start over.
   
3. Using Information to Act Smarter: This profile is a living tool. This makes smart routing possible. For example, the AI can spot a high-value customer with a tricky problem. The system can automatically send them to a top support agent right away. This also lets the company be proactive. The AI can find patterns that show a customer might leave. This lets the company reach out with a special message to convince them to stay.

Omnichannel in Action: Real-World Use Cases

The best way to understand omnichannel service is to look at companies that have done it well. These companies have built smart systems that smoothly mix their online and physical stores. These examples of omnichannel customer service and support show real, measurable business results.

Retail and E-commerce: Online and In-Person Omnichannel Experiences

The retail sector has been at the forefront of the omnichannel revolution.

• Sephora: The beauty retailer connects its mobile app with the in-store experience. Customers can use the app to access their full purchase history while in the store. They can also scan any product on the shelf to instantly pull up online reviews and tutorials. This method of omnichannel customer service builds a loyal community. Its 11 million members spend, on average, 15 times more than non-members.
  
• Target: Target has perfected the clicks-to-bricks model. Its mobile app has real-time inventory checks for nearby stores. It also has in-store maps and a smooth connection with its Drive Up curbside pickup service. This allows customers to plan their trip online. They can then execute it with maximum effectiveness in the physical store.

Service and Subscription Models: Creating a Brand Ecosystem

For service companies, omnichannel customer service is about making an easy-to-use world for their brand.

• Starbucks: The Starbucks mobile app is the center of its omnichannel world. The app smoothly links up ordering, paying, and a personal rewards program. A customer can add money to their card on the website. Then they can use the app to order ahead. Then they pay with a quick scan at the store. Every purchase, online or in-person, adds to the same rewards account.
  
• Disney: Disney is a masterclass in omnichannel with its "My Disney Experience" app and "MagicBand" wristband. This connected system ties together park tickets, hotel room keys, ride reservations, photos, and payments. This omnichannel customer service and support experience creates one single, connected purchase quicker and easier.

Using Thunai for Omnichannel Customer Support

Juggling disconnected channels forces customers to repeat themselves and leaves talented agents without a full history to properly solve customer issues.

This costs you customer loyalty - you cannot afford to lose!

Thunai is one of the more empathetic, AI-powered solutions that unifies every chat, email, and phone interaction into one single, ongoing conversation, creating one source of truth. ‍

Stop operating in silos - move to a better omnichannel customer service that allows for:

• Human-Like AI Agents for All Channels: Thunai deploys human-like AI agents across voice, chat, and email, ensuring customers get instant, 24/7 support on their preferred platform.
• ‍Unified Customer View: Thunai centralizes scattered information and logs all interactions into your CRM, providing agents with a complete 360-degree history of the customer's journey.‍
• Smarter AI-to-Human Handoff: The system intelligently routes complex issues to the best-suited human agent and provides them with a full summary of the AI's conversation.‍
• Centralized Information: Our platform uses a unified knowledge base, the "Thunai Brain," to power every single agent and interaction. This single source of truth guarantees that customers receive consistent, accurate answers whether they call, chat, or email.

Want to move your support to omnichannel? Try Thunai for free to make the move effortless.

FAQs on Omnichannel Customer Service

What makes setting up omnichannel customer service so hard?

The biggest challenges with omnichannel customer service have to do with people and old habits. Company teams are often separate and resist working together. Connecting different computer systems is also a major technical
job.

How do we pick the right tools or omnichannel customer support software?

Pick one big omnichannel customer support software system that brings all your tools together. This Omnichannel customer service system should have one screen for agents and use AI for smart routing. The main goal is to connect everything, not create more separation.

How do you know if your omnichannel customer service is working?

Look at customer, operational, and financial numbers to measure success. Check customer happiness and how easy their experience was. Also see if problems were fixed in one continuous talk - this helps you understand if your omnichannel customer support software is doing what it’s supposed to be.