The challenge of new channels

We are a multi-client contact center

Challenges

So you have decided to tackle the challenges of dealing with a multitude of communication channels. On the one hand, this is a great idea because it is what the final customers have come to expect based on their experiences with the best e-commerce websites.

Unfortunately, there are many more problems to solve here than a casual glance may show. Few contact centers have the requisite technological capabilities to smoothly integrate multi-channel communication. The back office usually lacks the organization to handle all of the challenges that come with this ambitious goal.

Cause of the challenge

You want to move beyond simple voice communication, which is expensive and time-consuming. The problem is definitely not a lack of options! There is a wide variety of tools and technology on the market. For each communication channel, there are many different suppliers. Each of those suppliers makes use of a myriad of different platforms, formulas, package deals and so on. The problem is that it all gets very, very complex. Clients are not always equally aware or interested in this jungle of options. Since their focus lies elsewhere, they are often not organized to allow for a smooth integration of the contact center in their website.

So it falls on the shoulders of the contact center to deal with this. Unfortunately, the challenges require a great deal of re-organization before they can be met (see “Costs” below).

In a nutshell, it’s very tough to get multi-channel communication up and running, both for multi-client contact centers and for their customers.

Costs

When the technological and logistical challenges of multi-channel communication are not met, contact centers will see their clients’ call volume decreasing. This puts a lot of pressure on them because the market is highly competitive and clients tend to see contact centers as a cost, not as something that generates money.

Recruitment costs will be higher. Because the contact center is now a multi-channel communicator, different skills will be required which will lead to quite a challenging re-organization.

Last but not least, support functions will have to be increased, which is also quite expensive, but the expertise is absolutely necessary to keep the multi-channel communication running smoothly. Inevitable hiccups will occur and then clients demand a quick and professional solution.

Goals