With platforms for customer communication on the rise, call center service providers have finally adapted to the multi-channel environment. However, we are still far off from the times before it can deliver quality service across a plethora of channels. If you still have doubts, let’s ponder over this question- Is our customer service vertical capable of resolving the issues faced by the customer via a channel chosen by the customer or does our customer have to switch among the channels to get their issues resolved in a desired manner.

It might come as a surprise to many but customers need to switch between channels if they want to get their issues resolved. This becomes true especially in a case where their first chosen channel was SMS, IVR self-service or social media platforms. When a customer begins with one of the channels mentioned above, it often require them to contact the call center via a different channel in order to resolve the very same problem. In a majority of the cases, it leaves them stranded and irate.
 Let us discuss about some intriguing points. A vast majority of customers that start via one contact channel does not like to switch between channels to resolve the very same issue or problem. It is important to keep in mind if a customer’s inquiry remains unresolved and they are required to go through the process of contacting the company all over again, they tend to go through the channel they used at in the initial stages.

As a matter of fact, when a second channel was needed to contact to resolve the save query or issue, it was observed that for a web-enabled self-service channel, as much as 78% and in case of IVR self-service channel, approximately 80% of the customers opted for the same channel. In a majority of the cases, when the customers opted for a different channel to resolve a query, it was a result of a failure in that particular channel and not because the customer decided to switch between channels on purpose.

However, it is important to note that when a customer decides to go another channel to resolve his/her queries, reputed call center services is by far the most preferred channel for the customers. This is primarily because of the fact that call centers are well-equipped in handling complex customer queries that other channels are not capable of resolving. In addition to this, the model of using the same channel to resolve a query is the highest when customers opt for a call center channel.
It is important to understand that it is not possible to make customers satisfied at every platform. In some complex cases, they need to switch between channels rather frequently in order to resolve such problems.