Customers expect automation, but with artificial intelligence steadily creeping into their daily lives, many are also suspicious of automated practices and procedures. This can pose a challenge with omnichannel communication when the customer realizes some might be automated or set by your software. However, there are several things you can do to find balance with omnichannel messaging, starting with the level of convenience omnichannel e-commerce solutions can provide.
Communicate Clearly About Convenience
When you’re using an omnichannel communication platform like Mitto, do your customers know that they can contact you in a variety of ways and that your customer service representative will always have access to their information, including case numbers and past orders, appointments, or interactions with your business? Several major airlines function this way with omnichannel communication. That convenience is essential for the consumer on the go — but few people know that they can text their airline even though they made the booking on the airline’s website months ago.
To spread the word about this, provide the consumer with some information when they make their purchase and when they have their first customer service interaction, whether that process is automated or not. Let them know that they can always text, call, or access the web chat or email to chat with a representative of your company. Plus, if you want them to get hold of a human efficiently, let them know how they can do that, too.
Your Automated Omnichannel Communication Solution Doesn’t Appear Automated
The best thing about automation is that it makes smart decisions and frees up your human workforce to focus on more important tasks, like handling escalated customer service issues. Use effective omnichannel communication software like Mitto and set it up properly. Your customers won’t have to go through layers of automation to reach you or send a message. Don’t simply sell omnichannel communication as a convenience — make it one.
The right omnichannel software can help you determine exactly when that omnichannel messaging needs the attention of a human agent. For example, if your omnichannel e-commerce platform asks a customer how satisfied they are and they rate it one star on a scale of one to five, it’s best for a human to reach out to that customer immediately. This can create a problem-solving opportunity and can mitigate bad reviews and bad press. It’s all about finding the right balance between automation and human agents to build customer trust and strengthen it.
Future Trends in Omnichannel Communication
It’s likely that future trends will expand upon something popular today: the outlook of personalization. Thanks to automated technology, companies can provide customized products, greetings, and solutions for their customers’ needs. An automated assistant can help them check in at the doctor’s office or perform self-assessments. Gone are the days of letters and texts addressed “Dear Customer.”
Thanks to companies like Amazon, customers expect more specific recommendations. For example, if a customer purchased a sweater from you and rated it highly, they might want a personalized note letting them know it’s now available in a new color. To make it easy, they can click and find their shopping cart populated with the item in the new color and their existing size. This level of personalization isn’t just convenient; it’s expected — and you can get there with the help of omnichannel communication solutions like Mitto.
Through convenience, personalization, and omnichannel software that connects your customers to customer service representatives and agents at the right time during the interaction, you can harness the power of omnichannel communication for an improved, seamless customer service experience.
