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In 2024, over 85% of consumers do not stick to one point of contact when they're trying to reach you. Instead, they use on average 6 channels, including email, social media platforms, live chat, phone, SMS and self-service portals, to get in touch (Sprout Social).
This variety allows businesses to meet customers where they are, enhancing the overall customer experience by providing timely and efficient service across their preferred platforms. But the customer experience will only benefit from this omnichannel approach (and an omnichannel inbox) when it's done well.
This is pivotal, because not only do customers use a variety of channels, they expect businesses to do too. And expect consistent interactions across multiple communication channels when dealing with businesses.
So you're part of a service providing team right? And you want to meet, no exceed, customer expectations to increase customer satisfaction and... yes of course ultimately also revenue. On this page I'll take you through everything you need to know about an omnichannel inbox, and how to use the omnichannel inbox best for your business.
What is an omnichannel inbox? - In a nutshell
An omnichannel inbox is a unified communication platform that integrates multiple customer interaction channels —such as email, social media, live chat, and SMS — into a single interface.
This platform ensures that all customer inquiries and interactions are centralised, allowing for a seamless and consistent customer experience. By consolidating these channels, businesses can manage and track communications more efficiently, respond to customer needs more effectively, and maintain a comprehensive view of each customer's journey (HBS Working Knowledge).
💡Difference between multichannel and omnichannel? You can find the answer here.
What are the advantages of using an omnichannel inbox over traditional support methods?
According to a report by Omnisend, companies using an omnichannel approach to customer engagement retain, on average, 89% of their customers, compared to 33% for companies with weak omnichannel strategies.
These numbers speak for themselves. If your business is unable to reach and contact prospects and customers on the channels they wish to use, it might fall behind.
The impact an omnichannel inbox has on customer retention and loyalty is huge. By integrating an omnichannel inbox, businesses can provide a more cohesive, efficient, and data-informed customer service experience, which is increasingly important in a competitive market.
3 Benefits of using an omnichannel inbox
1. Enhance the customer experience
Like mentioned earlier, an omnichannel inbox allows teams to manage all customer communication, no matter the channel in one centralised platform.
What customers find on their end is a seamless and consistent experience. Even when they switch between channels they won't have repeat themselves, and your team can still provide timely and relevant responses, improving overall satisfaction and loyalty.
2. Increase efficiency and productivity
With an omnichannel inbox, support teams can streamline customer communication and their workflow. Because customer conversations and the process of managing communication is all happening in the same place.
This eliminates the need to switch between different platforms and reduces the chances of missed messages or duplicated efforts. Features like automation, @tagging, and prioritisation help teams manage their workload more effectively, leading to quicker response times and higher productivity.
3. Gain insights from reporting
When you don't know how you're doing, it's too difficult to improve. That's why reporting is pivotal.
An omnichannel inbox provides comprehensive data and analytics on customer interactions across all channels. This helps businesses understand customer behaviour, preferences, and pain points more clearly.
Dive into this data and you can make informed decisions, improve customer service strategies, and tailor marketing efforts to better meet the needs of their audience. This ultimately leads to better business outcomes and a stronger competitive edge.
How can an omnichannel team inbox help your business?
An omnichannel inbox is essential as, like described here above, it consolidates all communication streams — email, social media, live chat, SMS, and more — into a single, unified interface.
This consolidation ensures that no customer query goes unanswered, enables a consistent and personalised customer experience, and enhances efficiency by allowing service teams to manage and track interactions in one place. By adopting an omnichannel inbox, businesses can improve response times, build stronger customer relationships, and drive overall satisfaction and loyalty.
Not convinced?
I'm sure that these 16 omnichannel customer service statistics will persuade you.
What does an omnichannel customer experience look like?
💡Read everything there is to know about omnichannel customer experiences here.
Need some practical examples of how others are using this approach?
Check out these 5 inspiring omnichannel customer service examples.
How exactly will an omnichannel communication platform improve customer experience?
By prioritising customer experience, you cultivate a loyal customer base.
And anomnichannel communication platform will do exactly that. Because with it your team can finally dive into proactive, personalised, and seamless service.
What are the key features of an omnichannel inbox
From the biggest to medium-sized businesses if the aim is to turn one time vistitors into loyal customers, you can bet an omnichannel approach is on the table.
💡 Have a look at the key features of an omnichannel inbox and how to use these here.
Looking for an omnichannel customer support tool?
Here are the top 3 omnichannel customer support tools in 2024. These are the very best solutions out there. So this will make it a lot easier to pick the ones that fits your business best!
Looking for an omnichannel customer engagement software?
If your focus is not just an omnichannel customer support tool, but rather an upgrade of your entire service. Then a platform to help your team go from overwhelmed to in control is a real game changer. We've said so before in the article talking about the 5 key reasons to pick an omnichannel software that fits your business.
💡This is the top 5 best omnichannel customer engagement software in 2024
Consider this before selecting an omnichannel inbox
Integration capabilities
Ensure the inbox integrates seamlessly with your existing CRM, social media platforms, email, and other communication channels to provide a unified view of customer interactions. Luckily the best omnichannel inboxes do!
User friendly
Choose a platform that is intuitive and easy to use for your team, minimising the learning curve and maximising productivity.
Reporting
Look for robust analytics features that provide insights into customer behaviour, team performance, and overall communication effectiveness to inform strategic decisions.
Do you already work with an omnichannel platform?
Then think about applying the omnichannel approach to your customers' favourite channels. Start here:
- How to add an omnichannel widget to your website
- Omnichannel WhatsApp Integration guide - A Unified Approach
One omnichannel inbox to rule all your channels
An omnichannel inbox significantly enhances customer experience by centralising all interactions across various channels, improving efficiency and providing valuable insights.
Use the inbox, and ensure seamless communication, boost productivity, and make informed decisions based on comprehensive data. Sometimes it is that simple.
