Putting the Pieces Together: Omnichannel Processes
Through this blog series, we have been discussing how to successfully implement your Omni-Channel communication strategies. First by recognizing how important it is to meet consumers in their preferred communication channel, and second we reviewed investing in omnichannel communication. Now we will delve into the processes that you should have in place, or consider along your journey to omnichannel communication with your consumers.
Across all industries, consumers are demanding that we allow them to communicate with us on their terms: when, where, and how they want to contact us. Today’s consumer also focuses completely on themselves and their experience; it is not just about the best product anymore—it is about who offers a great product and delivers service excellence. Your omnichannel strategy and the groundwork you put in place can make or break this customer experience.
Initially, a successful omnichannel strategy is about internal marketing and collaboration. This transition will affect every department within your company and it is imperative that your teams work together to achieve common goals. There will be a need for “Executive Champions” that lead each department and “Day-to-Day Champions” that lead individual teams, getting staff excited about the project and encouraging innovation and participation. The role of a “Champion” is to not only stir up excitement and keep morale high; it is also to focus on continuous forward progression and alignment of your goals.
It is important to have a clear strategy that stretches across all departments, giving distinct direction and milestones along the journey to your Omnichannel destination. Even though the end goal for each department is the same, we must encourage innovation and individuality in how everyone reaches that goal. As technology shifts and improves rapidly, we must be equally nimble in how we respond to those changes. We can keep up with the changes in technology by encouraging flexibility and spontaneity amongst our teams and trusting them to make decisions aligned with the company’s goals and strategies.
When creating your external service-level agreements and internal goals, you must focus on the grand scheme and those items that will expand your consumer base and provide 5-star customer experience. Focus on customer satisfaction surveys and meeting a set standard of performance by using surveys that are quick and easy to complete to ensure the most responses possible. Front-line staff should have goals designed to drive their focus towards providing excellent customer service and one-touch or one-call resolution, it’s not about the time spent with the consumer any longer—but about providing 100% resolution of their issue each and every time.
Scripting should be used to ensure legal compliance where needed, but encourage your staff to put the “person” back into “personalized” as they interact with your consumers. Your staff should be spending time to get to know your consumers and build their customer profiles in order to provide better experiences in the future. Fostering the ability of your staff to build out a profile and actively engage with a consumer while providing resolution is a great way to prove to your clients and consumers that they are valued as a person and not just as a dollar sign or as a number.
The transition to Omnichannel communication is a challenging one and requires persistence and dedication to the end goal. It is imperative that you have executive support to lead the charge as you move into the future and use “Champions” to keep the excitement and focus among your team. Be sure to request feedback from consumers and staff members along the way and use that feedback to continue to adapt and grow. Share this same feedback with your teams and work together to combat issues and improve upon successes, with the right mix of internal marketing and collaboration – you will succeed!