New-age customers interact with companies across multiple channels — it could be through the firm website, chat, phone, social media, email or apps. Customers expect and demand a seamless experience, irrespective of the channel they are using. What they don’t want is traditional and siloed service. So, how can companies meet their expectations? By providing an omnichannel customer service experience.
What is an omnichannel customer service experience?
An omnichannel experience entails a customer being able to interact with a business seamlessly across multiple channels and touchpoints. How is it different from a multichannel customer service experience? In the latter, while customers are able to interact with a business across multiple channels, the experience is disconnected and inconsistent. On the other hand, an omnichannel experience is more integrated and continuous and does not feel inconsistent across channels.
Take the case of Lowes, a major American home improvement retailer. The company exemplifies omnichannel success by building a "Total Home Strategy" that positions it as a one-stop shop for home improvement projects. A key example of their integrated, seamless and omnichannel experience is their robust "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" (BOPIS) capability. The BOPIS option is highly popular among customers, accounting for 60% of the retailer’s total orders. Furthermore, when customers visit the store for pickup, 40% of them end up purchasing additional products. The Lowe's app also enhances the in-store experience by allowing customers to search for a specific item, confirm its stock and follow a store map to the exact product location, making the shopping journey frictionless whether online or in person.
Why omnichannel?
Today’s customers demand speed and consistency across channels. They could start a conversation regarding a possible purchase on one channel, for example chat. That conversation could be dropped mid-way, and could then be continued on phone, with the final purchase happening on the app or website. Customers expect context retention across channels without having to explain themselves or their requirements from the start. Omnichannel customer service satisfies such expectations, leading to customer retention and loyalty. This model also enables faster issue resolution and better insights due to shared and unified data across channels.
Research has shown that in these days of easy reach through social media and other online channels, unhappy customers do not just leave, they go on to tell others about their unsatisfactory experience with a company. Hence, it is vital for companies to get their customer service on track, so that customers are heard, helped and treated consistently across every touchpoint. Omnichannel is simply the best way to get to this state.
Sephora, the cosmetics multinational, is one of the most cited examples of the omnichannel strategy done right. In 2017, long before the pandemic accelerated digital adoption, they were using augmented reality to let customers virtually try on makeup at home, while simultaneously using their mobile app to enhance the in-store experience. Their approach was never purely about driving sales. It was about supporting the customer journey at every touchpoint, from personalised product discovery to post-visit Digital Makeover Guides sent after in-store appointments. The result spoke for itself: in 2023, Sephora generated $2.7 billion in US beauty ecommerce sales alone, the highest among any company in the market.
Choosing the right outsourcing partner
Providing omnichannel service is something that not all customer service outsourcing providers have the ability to do. While many promise omnichannel, what they actually have are multiple channels with limited integration across them. While evaluating partners for outsourcing, companies should go beyond headcount and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The provider should be able to walk you through their channel architecture in detail and explain how email, chat, voice and social media platforms are integrated. When a customer moves from chat to a phone call, what happens to the conversation history? Does the incoming agent receive a full transcript and summary, or do they start from scratch? A cross-channel handoff will be able to demonstrate the customer’s experience in handling the moving of context across channels
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Do not forget the human element
While technology enables omnichannel, people deliver it. Chatbots may handle routine queries and automated systems may route contacts in an intelligent manner. But what really matters in customer service is the human element. When there is a complex problem to handle and a very frustrated customer on the other end of the line, only a human can show the empathy and understanding that the customer is looking for. Getting that balance right is crucial for any customer service outsourcing partner.
Customer service outsourcing is no longer just a simple back-office function. It is a powerful business lever in an era when customers are flooded with choices and have less patience than before. Omnichannel customer service helps build loyalty and the kind of word-of-mouth publicity that no advertising budget can buy. Outsourcing this requirement to the right partner frees businesses to focus on their core business and what they do best.
How Infosys BPM can help
Customer service outsourcing is a strategic approach where a specialised provider manages customer interactions on your behalf. Experienced partners such asInfosys BPM bring deep expertise across a wide range of support needs. By outsourcing, businesses gain access to skilled, round-the-clock support teams while significantly reducing costs compared to building and maintaining in-house teams.
