Communication Should Be Channel Agnostic

In the past, there were only really two ways businesses could communicate with customers: by phone or in person. Then, during the 1990s, technologists added email to the list.

Today, though, it’s a different story. There are dozens of chat apps and communication mediums out there, many of which have significant audiences.

For firms, this is problematic. While companies can open multiple accounts on different services, managing them all in an efficient manner is difficult. Agents often have to switch between platforms manually when engaging in customer service operations, creating bottlenecks and impeding workflow. And in some extreme situations, they even have to swap devices.

Clearly, setups like these are not ideal. And that’s one of the reasons why many companies are seeking “channel agnostic” communication solutions. These are services that collate all communication into a single dashboard, negating the need for reps to constantly switch between mediums.

Theoretically, there is no reason why modern text-based communication can’t be channel agnostic. App designers could quite easily make their messaging services cross-compatible. However, they choose not to because of the way the system is set up.

If that sounds a little strange to you, consider the landline system. Here, it doesn’t matter which service provider a customer has. Anyone can call anyone else connected to the network. That is, a BT customer in the UK can call an AT&T customer in the US without having to switch apps or platforms. In other words, communication follows the line of least resistance and customers get the best possible service.

The same is not true, though, in the text messaging space. WhatsApp users cannot text friends on Telegram or Signal unless they switch platforms. And while it is a mere inconvenience for consumers, it can be an operational disaster for firms. If brands don’t use their audience’s preferred mediums, they could lose business.

Why the Future Should be Channel Agnostic

The current setup is good for chat app providers, such as Facebook, but generally quite bad for everyone else. Customers have to switch between platforms, which is inconvenient. And companies have to manage multiple accounts that don’t always sync easily with their CRMs. In many cases, agents have to rotate through emails, website chat tools, chat apps, and, of course, regular calls, reducing their productivity. And, because of complexity, it is virtually impossible to track each customer’s progress through the buying cycle.

The future, however, needs to be channel agnostic. Consumers expect firms to retain information about them so that they don’t have to begin from the start every time they call up.

Simply knowing which channels customers are using isn’t a solution, as is sometimes suggested. Firms might have data showing that 50 per cent of communication comes via WhatsApp, 25 per cent via Messenger, and 25 per cent via email, but if they don’t have tools to bring those communications together, they’re still stuck.

Worse still, consumers are unlikely to take the lead in this issue. They expect firms to talk to them via their platform of choice, regardless of how other customers communicate.

How to Become Channel Agnostic

Fortunately, there are solutions on the market that make it possible for firms to become channel agnostic, at least in the chat space.

Click4Assistance’s Messaging solution, for instance, integrates with multiple text-based services, letting businesses consolidate all their communication in one place. Incoming messages are easily routed to relevant parties, and all reps can view communication histories to get up to speed with client tickets.

Integrations currently include Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and SMS messenger with more apps to be added soon. There’s also an API that lets businesses combine the Click4Assistance direct messaging system, too. Agents can then push data from chats into various other Click4Assistance solutions as required.

In practice, Messaging means that reps can view all text communications in a single panel. They no longer need to switch between apps and devices. And they can use clever integrations to shift valuable information to where customers need it, providing a more seamless experience.

Most firms still aren’t using solutions like these, and that is putting them at a disadvantage. Companies that don’t become channel agnostic risk losing valuable customer segments and failing to move with the times. Firms require robust communication and marketing methods that can stand the test of time and don’t fall prey to app trends.