An Omnichannel Engagement Success Story

Business is about engaging customers. It used to be that customers had to conform to how businesses communicate, but that isn't the case any longer. Every one of your customers has a mobile device, a complex life, emotions and channels of choice. Your customers now expect help to be available when and where they need it. Omnichannel lets you interact with customers at the exact moment they need help. It also lets you go beyond email, social media or web-sites, and create better experiences. Let me give an example from my life.

Last week I made a trip to visit customers, and had trouble checking in for my return flight via the airline's mobile app. The generic error message directed me towards calling support, which I did. I spent 45 minutes on hold before giving up in frustration. (Everyone please start offering call-back queuing!) I dug around the mobile app, looking for a different way to get in touch with support. I even thought about signing up for Twitter so I could get their attention. I did find a chat option, and put myself in that queue via an automated SMS assistant. Getting a response still took a few hours, but I was able to go on about my workday without listening to hold music. Once an agent came on, a quick back and forth enabled us to resolve the issue and I was off and running (thanks Marie!).

The point here is not that I hate sitting on hold. The point is that I had a choice in how I engaged, and it improved the interaction. Channel of choice, for this particular instance, was an asynchronous one. Yes, waiting in a queue anywhere sucks, but we all have to work within the capacity the world provides. For me, being on hold is the worst. Listening to hold music on a low-quality call (premium routes are pricey) makes me feel like a hostage to my phone. Waiting for a text message back still isn't great, but it is better than sitting on hold. I am freer, happier and better able to move through my day. The airline gave me the choice. That is the point - they put the power in my hands, and allowed me to define how I wanted to engage.

By giving me the choice, the airline delivered happiness, agility, and no hold music. I delivered them a lower cost engagement that was more efficient, and yielded a boost to their NPS. Although their post-engagement survey went on too long. If they ping me, I'm happy to share my suggestions.