A Guide to Multichannel Contact Center

By Paula Quiroz

 

A call center is often times the first and primary method of communication between a business and its customers or prospects, helping move them further along the company’s customer journey.

Providing a positive contact center experience, therefore, is key to meeting customer engagement goals. In fact, according to Salesforce, 84% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services.

For many businesses that are in need of call center services, a multichannel contact center (MCC) may be the best solution to meet customer satisfaction, acquisition, and retention goals.

The answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) about multichannel contact centers found below may serve as a guide for business leaders and decision makers looking to gain more information on these particular call centers: 

What is a multichannel contact center? 

A multichannel contact center is a call center that allows an organization to communicate with current or prospective customers  through different communication channels such as phone, live agent web chat, chatbot, email, etc. – allowing them to streamline customer support initiatives and improve customer satisfaction.

What is the difference between a multichannel and an omni-channel contact (OCC) center? 

Omni-channel contact centers are usually integrated through the cloud. OCCs allow customers to seamlessly transition between communication channels, while staying with the same customer support representative.

Multichannel contact centers, however, require a separate technology infrastructure for each communication channel. Multichannel contact centers are not connected via the cloud.

What is the difference between a multichannel and an intelligent contact center? 

Intelligent contact centers (ICCs) are Artificially Intelligent (AI)-enhanced call centers that enable faster interactions, deeper insights, and seamless experiences for both customers and customer service teams. Multichannel centers, may have some AI capabilities but this is not always the case.

How are businesses using multichannel contact centers?

Businesses are using multichannel contact centers to take inbound and outbound interactions with customers through a variety of means–usually with the intention of communicating with stakeholder (e.g., current and prospective clients, customers, patients, etc.).

It is important to note that not everyone likes getting on a phone call or having to deal with long call wait times. Similarly, not everyone is tech-savvy or has access to certain technology. In order to provide positive customer satisfaction and deliver results, businesses must be able to reach people through the channel that is most convenient or accessible to them.

What are some of the business benefits of multichannel contact centers?

These multichannel call centers provide businesses with vital real time data that can be leveraged to provide better customer support. From this data, businesses can learn the specific preferences of their customer base and tailor their business strategies to target those preferences.

 

Want to learn more?

Our experts are helping leading businesses across all industries select and onboard vendors and technologies that best support their specific needs.

Schedule A FREE Call With An Aragon Research Analyst Today!

 

---

 

RELATED BlOGS

 

What Are the Top 3 Customer Support Trends of 2022?	Top Customer Engagement Trends and Insights – 2022	Aragon Research Top Ten Technologies and Predictions for 2022 and 2027

Find information on a variety of technology and business topics by visiting Aragon Research’s blog!