Somewhere along the way, we woke up one morning and a seamless omnichannel experience was no longer just a “nice to have” but a necessity for excellent customer experiences. Buyers expect to be able to research on mobile, make a purchase on desktop, and then engage as a customer across chat, social media, sms, whichever channel they choose. And just like it’s doing everywhere else, artificial intelligence (AI) is raising the bar for what’s possible to maintain that consistent message across all these channels.

AI is vital to the future of the omnichannel customer experience (CX). It can improve performance and operational efficiencies while providing better, smoother experiences that keep customers returning for more. And it’s not just customers who benefit from AI. Marketers are excited about AI’s potential to engage and delight customers, and 66% of those marketers using AI saw a positive ROI. The smartest organizations will embrace AI to bolster brand awareness, improve conversion and retention rates and, most importantly, deliver a top-notch customer experience.

The omnichannel challenge

Regardless of the channel customers choose, they should get the same brand impression and experience every time. This cross-channel unity differentiates an omnichannel CX from a multi-channel CX. An omnichannel CX focuses on the entire customer lifecycle, from first touchpoint to purchase to retention. The channels of a multi-channel CX, on the other hand, are siloed from other channels.

Because of the ultra-competitive nature of today’s business environment, capturing and keeping customers’ attention is critical, and a frictionless omnichannel experience can help. Customer retention is crucial when you consider there is as much as a 70% chance of closing a sale with an existing customer. Compare that to the chances of selling to a new customer (as low as 5%), and the importance of retention strategies becomes clear. Deploying consistent messaging across channels helps retain customers. This consistency can foster trust; up to 62% of customers who trust a brand stay loyal. Customers can also help drive additional customer acquisition, as 86% of loyal customers will recommend the business to others.

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The power of AI for customer experience

AI tools have exploded in popularity in the last year, and their use is expected to grow. The global AI market is projected to reach $594 billion by 2032 (up from $103.7 billion in 2022), with AI for omnichannel strategies contributing.

According to recent research, 60% of CX leaders expect AI to have a “transformative” or “significant” impact in the CX space over the next few years. Further, 45% of CX leaders expect AI to have the most noteworthy effect on enabling customer self-service, procuring actionable customer insight (44%) and allowing staff to focus on higher-level tasks (40%). Some of the benefits of AI for improving the omnichannel customer experience include:

• Personalization. AI can collect and analyze customer data like browsing history, call transcriptions, and purchase behavior to deliver tailored recommendations and curated custom content. This personalization creates an engaging, relevant experience for each customer, no matter which channel they use, improving conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
• Predictive analytics. AI can leverage predictive analytics to predict customer behaviors. This forecasting allows businesses to identify and proactively address customer needs. Through predictive analytics, businesses can determine which products a customer is most likely to purchase next or flag someone at risk of churning. AI can also analyze customer feedback like reviews or social media mentions to gauge customer sentiment, and businesses can use that information to detect issues early and find solutions faster.
• 24/7/365 uptime. Unlike human agents, AI doesn’t require rest. AI-powered chatbots or virtual assistants can provide 24/7/365 customer support on a website, via social media, messaging apps or any other channel the customer uses. Gone are the days of listening to endless hold music and eventually abandoning the call because it takes too long to reach a real person. These AI systems can promptly answer common customer questions freeing human agents to tackle more complicated, nuanced issues AI isn’t yet equipped to handle. If the query posed is too complex for the AI, it can transfer customers to live agents.
• Omnichannel enhancement. AI can unify data from disparate channels to create a streamlined view of customer activity. This unity enables smooth inter-channel transitions, preventing customers from needing to repeat information and allowing them to continue their transactions from wherever they left off, regardless of the channel.

AI provides personalized, efficient and consistent interactions across all touchpoints to optimize the omnichannel customer experience.

The future

As technologies evolve, AI’s abilities will also improve. And since 31% of consumers have higher customer service expectations than last year, continuous improvement is crucial to meeting those rising expectations. A majority (80%) of consumers expect AI and AI-powered tools like bots to benefit their experience — especially in saving time and resolving issues more quickly.

By implementing AI solutions, companies can provide a more cohesive, efficient and personalized omnichannel customer experience that exceeds expectations, cultivates trust and loyalty and improves overall customer satisfaction and business success.

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