The Benefits of Infusing Omnichannel with AI

Kirsty Thomas at Vonage explores the benefits of infusing omnichannel contact centres with AI capabilities and learn how solutions can help transform communication experiences.

Breaking through the noise matters more than ever for channel partners today. Finding the right solutions for your different customer bases requires careful examination of vendors and new innovations.

But it isn’t just about the right solution. Easy service set up and ongoing support are now equally as important. So why do the right solution, set up, and support matter? Two words: evolving experiences.

The demand for personalized and seamless experiences across multiple communication channels is undeniable. Consumers want to engage with businesses whenever and however they choose, whether by social media, live chat, email, apps, or voice calling.

What is an AI-Powered Omnichannel Contact Centre?

Let's start by defining "omnichannel contact centres." This is the cohesive and positive support experience that end consumers receive across communication channels.

These include email, chat, SMS, social media, and phone calls, as well as devices such as mobile phones or laptops.

In an omnichannel contact centre, consumers can start a conversation on one channel and pick it up seamlessly on another without repeating themselves. In short, it allows businesses to connect on the channels that matter most.

So where does AI fit in? Omnichannel contact centres powered by AI enhance overall functionality and support agent productivity with greater insights that drive actions and automations that optimize daily tasks.

A contact centre with built-in AI equips agents with the tools they need to turn speech to text, analyse conversations for sentiment, link contacts to cases, and more. This helps them redirect their time and efforts to more complex issues.

Key Benefits

It’s no secret that bad experiences can really cost businesses. According to the 2024 Vonage Global Customer Engagement Report, 74% of customers are likely to take their businesses elsewhere after a bad experience. After a good experience, however, 35% will purchase additional products.

Using AI can help alleviate frustrations that lead to bad experiences, such as long wait times to speak to an agent and phone menus that are difficult to navigate. In fact, 61% of consumers say they already have a positive attitude towards AI.

AI-powered omnichannel contact centres have benefits that range from improved experiences to smarter routing. Let’s look at five of the key benefits.

1. Improved Experiences

AI enhances consumer interactions by offering personalized responses based on past behaviour, preferences, and real-time data.

It can seamlessly route consumers to the appropriate agent, or even resolve simple queries automatically through chatbots or virtual assistants. This ensures that customers get the help they need quickly, without unnecessary delays.

2. Centralized Insights

Whether end-consumers reach out via chatbot or phone calling, AI in omnichannel contact centres ensures that interactions are logged, analysed, and accessible. Solutions not only consolidates data but also delivers it in a single dashboard.

This means that agents always have the context they need to address questions without toggling between platforms. In short, centralised insights keep agents informed and consumers satisfied.

3. Enhanced Collaboration

Collaboration is a critical success component, particularly for companies with complex supplier ecosystems and partner networks. Need to address supply chain concerns or troubleshoot a partner issue?

Ensure that all key players have access to real-time communication and data-sharing tools to foster collaboration.

4. Smarter Routing

Smarter routing matters. AI-optimized routing ensures consumers queries are sent to the most qualified agents instantly.

Intelligent Workspace uses AI to streamline how service requests are routed, allocating tasks based on skills, availability, and priority — all while keeping valuable contextual information readily available.

5. Strategic Optimization

AI-powered solutions also enable strategic optimization across departments and roles, all helping to advance businesses forward.

• Agents: AI collects vital consumer details like order history or prior sentiments, so agents can make informed decisions during each interaction.
• Managers: Advanced reporting tools deliver interaction summaries, call performance, and agent metrics, allowing supervisors to optimize their teams' workload and growth more effectively.
• Executives: AI reporting can identify key trends in areas like consumers’ needs and operations. These insights can help guide strategic company decisions and prioritizations.

AI Gives Experiences a Competitive Edge

Continuing to use legacy tools in a digital-first world can put the brakes on business growth. Adopting an omnichannel contact centre powered by AI gives consumer interactions a competitive edge.

In a time when customers are demanding seamless, personalized, and efficient communication, this can make a true difference, helping to improve customer satisfaction and reducing agent frustrations.