Is MultiChannel Support Ideal for Businesses?
As businesses gain more customers, they have more people trying to reach them to make inquiries, provide feedback, or make complaints. Traditionally, companies had one mode of contact, which could be phone calls or email. This does not bode well in the current business landscape because customers will be stuck in a queue waiting for their turn to talk to a customer support staff.
Long wait times can turn people off and drive them towards a competitor. This is not good for a company’s bottom line, but there is a solution called multichannel support.
Multichannel support is when a business makes multiple channels available for its customers to communicate with them. This phenomenon is possible because of technological advancements and is quickly becoming the norm.
The commonly used channels are phone calls, website or in-app live chats, social media, emails, online community forums, and website help sections. Businesses that provide multiple support channels have better customer experience because people will get answers to their questions quickly and move on with their day.
This smooth and seamless experience is only possible if there are competent employees on the backend who provide informative and helpful responses when prompted. Therefore, companies should recruit people with excellent communication skills for these roles.
Benefits of Multichannel Support
Multichannel support is a great concept for businesses to buy into because it is beneficial to both them and their customers in the following ways:
Greater efficiency
If there are multiple channels through which customers can reach a business, each channel will become more efficient because there are fewer people to attend to. Also, it allows businesses to scale faster, manage customer relationships, and maintain high-quality customer support.
Constant access to support
Multichannel support ensures customers still get the support they need if one channel is down. For example, if the phone lines are not connecting, customers can send their messages via live chat or email. This will avert negative publicity and keep customers satisfied.
More accessibility
Multiple support channels give customers more opportunities to communicate with a business. Therefore they can customize their experience by communicating through platforms they already use. For example, an avid social media user would rather send a direct message to a company’s official account than call them on the phone. Multichannel support gives room for that, further improving customer experience.
Consistent quality of support
Businesses that provide multichannel support ensure that people receive the same level of customer service regardless of the platform they reach out through. Business owners know that any negative interaction can turn out to be a PR disaster, so they train their employees to treat customers fairly and equally regardless of their mode of communication.
Endnote
Multichannel support is ideal for businesses that have lots of customers and want them to have an easy time reaching out with their feedback, inquiries, and complaints. Having multiple platforms through which people can communicate improves customer satisfaction. It also provides a competitive advantage, so companies that use it the right way can grow their consumer base.
