Business Solution for Omni-Channel Customer Service

The solution for the “Omni-Channel Customer Service (OCS)” is based on a configurable framework for developing call centre applications so that:

• the agents have a single customer view at their disposal (all-in-one desktop)
• the customer experience is orchestrated across all channels, in such a way that it is seamless, integrated and consistent (customer centricity)

By virtue of its replicability, the OCS solution makes it possible to meet the emerging demands of Digital Transformation in an Omni-Channel context, thanks to an extremely quick TTM (3 months).

Introduction

The solution is driven by the need to meet the following objectives:

• to improve the value of the company's image (for the various communication channels)
• to significantly improve customer loyalty and customer experience
• to transform the relationship with the clientele into a competitive advantage, through the automated management of incoming information, the profiling of customer data for future sales campaigns and the provision of services (up-selling and cross-selling)
• to make use of role-specific monitoring/summary tools (KPIs/SLAs: the time needed to resolve the problem, to assign it, the duration of the call, etc.)

The strategy for achieving these goals involves:

• streamlining the channelling of problem reports and of the full end-to-end caring process
• adequate focus on HD operators
• the use of a Knowledge Base shared with the Management team (agent scripts, advanced e-mail templates, etc.)
• the use of centralised and certified customer data (legacy)

The solution for the “Omni-Channel Customer Service (OCS)” is based on a configurable framework for developing call centre applications, which facilitates:

• The use of a single dashboard (all-in-one) by the operator
• Multiple management through sessions that preserve the customer environment
• Multi-brand, multi-channel, multi-lingual, multi-country management
• The assignment of tickets to queues and teams, based on a fluid and automated process, according to centrally defined business rules
• The appropriate handling of large attachments, compatible with a usable web interaction
• The integration with Computer-Telephony Integration (CTI) systems for calls, call back, voice recording, etc.
• The use of a Knowledge Base shared with the Management team (agent scripts, advanced e-mail templates, etc.)
• The analysis of social media (Social Engagement)
• The creation of customer surveys and the verification of satisfaction levels (Voice of the Customer)
• Live chats, Co-browsing (shared screen)
• The use of a Chatbot
• The integration with certified legacy systems (SAP, WebSphere, Hybris, etc.)
• The use of role-specific monitoring/summary tools (KPI/SLA)
• The adoption of a cloud-based solution

Application

The technological platform consists of:

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Online including: Dynamics CRM, Unified Service Desk, Microsoft Social Engagement, Voice of the Customer and Customer Portal
• PureCloud by Genesys
• Bot Framework Cluster Reply Rome
• Azure services, including: Service Bus, App Logic, Azure Functions and Azure Blob Storage

The voice channels (call, callback, web callback) and webchat are provided through CTI’s PureCloud platform, while e-mail and social channels are provided via the Microsoft Dynamics 365 product, with the addition of Microsoft Social Engagement for the social media component.

The Unified Services Desk customer component provided by Dynamics 365 was introduced to improve the CSR system's performance and the interoperability between the different software products. This component allows the user to rely on a single work tool which displays the CRM interfaces and within which the media bar component for picking-up interactions from the CTI platform and from external applications (e.g. WCS e-commerce, SAP) can be embedded in specific forms or controls. The external applications can be integrated in “mashup” mode with the advantage of maintaining, where possible, the context data (i.e. the customer, the order, etc.), thus providing the agent with direct access to the data of interest, on the other platform.

The ChatBot is made available for integration with the chat channels in LiveChat scenarios. The flexibility characterising the system integration makes it possible to manage:

• interactions with the BOT regardless of the hours of service (first interaction always with the BOT)
• interactions with the BOT according to the opening of the Contact Centre (interactions always with the BOT during the time the service is not available)
• interactions with the BOT according to the unavailability of a human operator (interactions with the BOT due to lack of operator availability)

The logical architecture of the tools made available to the CSR system is illustrated in the following figure:

The architecture is based on the concept of global routing, in which, regardless of the input channel listener handled by the Customer Centre, the routing process (skill-based) makes it possible to choose the right agent according to the configured routing rules, while the agents are seen as a single pool of resources.

The figure below illustrates all the components involved in the global routing process.

The Microsoft Social Engagement component allows users to:

• Analyse the sentiment on various social networks, though interactive dashboards
• Manage the engagement process taking into account social media posts made by the customer (public and private)
• Directly convert a social media post into a Case within the CRM

The Voice of the Customer component allows users to:

• Create surveys directly through an editor embedded in the CRM system
• Have a customised landing page where the customer, upon receiving a survey, can fill in the survey sent
• The CRM archives both the surveys sent and the answers received, thus having detailed reporting available on the survey process
• Manage surveys in multiple languages
• Set up rules for sending surveys (multiple simultaneous surveys can be configured in the system)

The solution development roadmap provides for:

• The integration of new social media channels, including WeChat and Whatsapp
• Work Force Manager management via the PureCloud engine

Benefits

The adoption of the OCS solution makes it possible to:

• Streamline the channelling of problem reports and of the full end-to-end caring process
• Improve the value of the company's image (for the various channels)
• Significantly improve customer loyalty and customer experience
• Transform the relationship with the customer into a competitive advantage (up-selling and cross-selling through marketing campaigns, etc.)
• Standardise the response to the customer
• Improve the Case resolution timeframes
• Improve the efficiency of tracking customer requests
• Increase the service quality
• Provide for a numeric overview of all system interactions and the quality of the service being provided
• Have a single point of access to all the information and applications which the agent needs during the case management process

Conclusions

In conclusion, it can be affirmed that the omni-channel experience is a reality with which many organisations will increasingly be confronted in the coming years, driven by continuous technological progress. The omni-channel context represents an opportunity, but also a complex challenge. The changes taking place are radical and imply, first and foremost, the adoption of a mentality (or of a real culture) aimed at ensuring a seamless and consistent experience for the customer, overcoming the barriers between the physical world and the digital world on a permanent basis.

In view of its replicability, the OCS solution described here allows customers to meet the emerging demands of Digital Transformation in an Omni-channel context, thanks to an extremely quick TTM (3 months), significantly improving customer loyalty, customer experience and the company’s image.