Multichannel vs Omnichannel helpdesk: What is the difference?

To stave off intense competition and cater to needs of customers who are more aware and choosier than ever before, business are focusing on offering enhanced customer service. While offering outstanding customer service is a prime need, there is no single way to offer such service to the customers. You will come across many terminologies related to customer service nowadays. The terms ‘omnichannel’ and ‘multichannel’ customer service are widely used and sometimes they are used interchangeably. However, on closer analysis it becomes clear they have differences. Before you can decide which types of strategy can be ideal for your company, it is better that you learn about nuances and differences between these.

What are customer support channels?

The means through which support and service are provided to the customers of a company are referred as channels. These channels include phone, live chat, email, social media sites, forums etc.

Why offer many channels of support to customers?

Businesses offer various channels of support to customers to make things easier for the latter. Not all customers have similar mindset and conditions, to begin with. Less technology savvy people prefer using telephone for seeking support even now. On the contrary, younger generation rely more on Smartphone sand computers. They prefer using live chat and social media services for seeking support. So, companies can keep all types of customers happy by offering support thorough multiple channels. It helps in retaining the customers and enhancing brand perception among them.

Multichannel customer support

Basically, Multichannel customer support stands for customer support provided through more than two channels. The software used to offer such multi level support is referred as multichannel helpdesk software. Multiple ways are kept open for the customers to interact with the company. If you shop through mobile app, you may have come across multichannel customer interaction. While the companies offer several ways for interaction- your experience may not be identical across all the channels. For example, resolving the same product issue over live chat takes less time than resolving it over email for the same company.

Omni channel customer support

The term omnichannel customer support denotes service offered to the customer in a consistent manner across all available channels. In it, two and more channels can be used at the same time. While offering a unified experience through all channels is not possible for all companies, organizations can increase customer loyalty and retention by offering omni channel support. Adopting omni channel strategy in marketing can also be profitable for the organizations-shows findings of several studies.

As a matter of fact, Omni channel customer support system takes multichannel customer support to greater level. It is based on the concept of creating seamless customer experience across all available channels.

Potential downside of Multichannel customer support

While multichannel customer support helps your company retain more customer, there are a few drawbacks too. It may not be cost effective for startups and small companies. Even for midsized companies, maintaining same level of service across multiple channels may not be possible. This can have adverse impact on the customers. If the live chat support of a company is excellent but email response is shoddy- the disparity can take a toll on its reputation.

Benefits of omni channel customer service over Multichannel approach

• Better customer insights

In Omni channel customer support system, it is easier to get better insight about customer preferences and mindset. Through seamless sync through all channels used, a vast amount of data is gathered and its analysis enables you to understand customer needs better. Later, you can make necessary tweaks and changes to make customers happier.

• Enhanced agent efficiency

In multi channel customer support setup, an agent makes use of one channel at a time even though multiple channels are present. In Omni channel customer support, the agents use specialized helpdesk software solution which combines all channels in one UI. So, they can interact with the customers from one place in a seamless manner. They can respond to customer queries faster too.

• Operational cost saving

Setting up an Omni channel customer support system sounds like a costly proposition to the businesses. While there is an initial setup cost, in the long run- operational cost goes down. Usually, a unified helpdesk solution is used to handle multiple channels in efficient manner at the same time. This reduces the need to maintain separate software and hardware setups to offer services and support through various channels. Including self support section in the website can help bring down the cost further.

Major differences between Omnichannel and Multi-Channel support

• The Multi-channel service approach is based on addressing customer needs in several ways by use of multichannel helpdesk but the sync between various ways are not very strong. On the contrary, the omni channel approach is based on inter-relating all channels to keep the customers engaged and happy. So, omni channel method helps in strengthening the business customer bond.

• The omni channel approach in customer service has better consistency compared to Multi-channel service. The businesses following this model ensure the customers receive equal importance through all the channels. It also makes the customers feel more assured. They can seek support through any of the channels and receive due attention.

• The Multi-channel service model focuses on connecting with the customer through as many ways possible. It shows a conscious effort on part of the company to keep many channels open. The Omnichannel method focuses more on offering excellent customer experience rather than focusing on specific channels. So, the customers can switch between two channels without facing any hardship in this method. If the chat connection is lost during a session, the customer can switch to email without having to start it from scratch.

Summing it up

Both Multi-channel and omni-channel customer service models have their advantages while the latter has its edge over the former. Omni channel service is ideal to cater to needs of customers better who have become more savvy and choosier than the past.

Vaishali Gopi is an enthusiastic Digital Marketer who has keen interest towards customer support management and related stuff and voices about it frequently.