Technological evolution has allowed companies to achieve levels of efficiency in multi-channel communication that would have been impossible even a decade ago. This has caused those companies to claim the holy grail of omnichannel success, but true omnichannel customer communication capabilities remain elusive, albeit tantalisingly within reach. Creating a true omnichannel corporate ecosystem is becoming increasingly accessible, provided companies put an active strategy in place to achieve it.
Defining the undefinable
The vast array of contexts within which companies work means that omnichannel definitions will always be open to interpretation. Operational complexities can both inhibit or enhance omnichannel activities, but a universal definition of omnichannel communication in customer service could be that it is a customer experience (CX) strategy that aligns continuous customer interactions access all channels. This is especially true of industries such as banking and iGaming, where customer service needs dovetail with compliance requirements and data security.
This shouldn’t be confused with omnichannel marketing, in which companies market their brands, products and services across multiple channels and a full range of devices. Without omnichannel communication, omnichannel marketing cannot fully take place; the challenge is to develop a supportive ecosystem for both.
At the heart of customer-based business in a data-intensive operating environment, the goal is to have a single, unifying view of the customer. For example, the customer journey should be tracked, monitored and measured from end to end. From attracting and onboarding new customers to customer retention and then offboarding as operational requirements may necessitate, systems should offer a visual representation of a customer. This is central to any kind of data-based activity, allowing companies to market to specific customer preferences.
Fortunately, the overwhelming shift to digital channels has helped: it is impossible to create an omnichannel environment using legacy software and hardware, so as companywide systems are upgraded, it becomes possible to implement the software needed to develop that single view of the customer. An example of this would be companies that previously had multiple communication channels (landlines, mobile, email, chat and online) had no way of centralising their data unless operators were physically entering information into manual databases. The latest technology allows companies to gather data and produce reports without having resource-heavy human reports. As audiences mature and become more sophisticated digital users, the need for landlines is dropping off, with this being one of the trickiest channels to integrate in a multi-channel Customer Service (CS) environment.
Integrity, privacy and security in data usage
Conversely, as customers become more sophisticated in their digital activities, they have become appropriately concerned about how their data is accessed, used, stored, and disposed of. Regulatory frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provide reassurance to customers that their data will be handled accordingly, in ways that reduce the potential for manipulation or misuse.
Part of the implementation of GDPR frameworks is consent, empowering customers over the ways in which their data is accessed, used, stored and disposed of. This, too, is a challenge faced by companies seeking to move towards omnichannel communication: ensuring that the methods used are structured and ethical.
Omnichannel in practice
In an industry such as iGaming, there’s an ideal opportunity for companies to excel at (close-to) omnichannel communication. The industry is highly regulated with a variety of touchpoints that allow companies to develop a single view of the customer, right from the Know Your Customer (KYC) checks up to the ongoing monitoring of account activities to support responsible gaming and prevent activities such as money laundering, in accordance with industry requirements.
Add Customer Support into that mix, and a company like ganadugaming.com has an opportunity for a cohesive communication strategy that prioritises data security.
Many companies outsource their customer service to third-party agencies since they are resource-heavy, but doing this creates a disruption in the single view of the customer process. It is much harder to integrate data from a third-party company, whereas if the customer service efforts are maintained in-house, the data produced in the customer journey remains useful and accessible. Furthermore, this can create a more secure operating environment since all CS systems and employees can be fully monitored to ensure compliance and prevent fraud, especially through any manual processes that may be involved.
Any company relies on its customers for revenue; it makes sense to have the most sophisticated CS systems in place for their benefit. A customer-first approach must accept that the customer is the most important person in the room at all times; it may take extensive resources in establishing or moving towards omnichannel operations, but the value that results in customer satisfaction and retention is tangible.
The data science team in a company is rapidly becoming the engine room of operations. It can provide an operational overview into all aspects of business as well as a drilled-down view of customer activities, allowing companies to personalise their offerings and to speak to specific customer needs.
Reports can be set up that identify opportunities and problem areas without the need for resource-heavy human intervention, although skilled data scientists are still required to interpret and apply the information.
The single view of the customer is designed to create a seamless customer experience that’s enjoyable and beneficial to both the customer and the company.
The omnichannel customer service experience means that companies can respond to customer needs, communicate information when necessary and develop strategies that enhance CX and provide opportunities that lead to product and service development.
The quest for omnichannel never ends, but it is, increasingly, within reach.
