Mapping the full customer journey: 3 reasons why voice matters

In Calabrio’s recent blog “Harnessing CCaaS and CRM solutions: what’s the missing link?”, we discovered how data is the beating heart of a synchronized agent and user experience, empowering frontline staff to deliver better customer experiences.  We then explored the importance of capturing all kinds of information from inside and outside the contact center – to create a “single pane of glass” where complete customer journeys are reflected, from the channels used, to previous purchases and past conversations.

Voice is the common denominator

If today’s news articles and social media are to be believed, achieving this “single pane of glass” in the new era of Customer Experience Intelligence (CXI) depends on a successful digital transformation that embraces the latest ‘must-haves’ such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).  However, organizations should not forget the role of voice calls to complete CXI data and to truly understand customer touchpoints. This begins by integrating voice with customer centric platforms such as customer relationship management (CRM).

3 reasons why voice matters for holistic customer journey mapping

• The trinity of integrated players for customer experience – modern cloud contact centers have mixed infrastructures including Contact Centre-as-a-Service (CCaaS) technology and typically a CRM product, however, both lack the capabilities necessary to fully map customer journeys.CRM specialists, while able to support modern omnichannel interactions, require access to voice and contact center know-how to release the valuable intelligence that emanates from millions of customer calls, emails, texts, Tweets and Chat conversations happening in customer service interactions.

Combined CCaaS and CRM solutions are not able to deliver omnichannel customer service infrastructure as well as entirely understand the customer at each and every touchpoint.  This is especially true at enterprise-level scale or complexity, however, there is a link missing to harness the full customer journey.

The perfect combination for customer experience (CX) is the best there is, and the trinity comes in the form of cloud-based contact center (CCaaS) and customer relationship management (CRM) with integrated workforce engagement management (WEM) tools and analytics connecting the two.  Solutions like Calabrio ONE fit neatly between CCaaS and CRM solutions for workforce planning, workforce engagement and customer journey analytics including all important voice calls.  

• Give digital touchpoints the right and real context – there are a myriad of solutions that claim to capture complete customer journeys. In reality, the majority center around the digital aspects of customer journeys whether that’s on a website, chat, social media or via an app and for most, the missing link is voice.Take the example of a customer who wants to order a gift for their mother’s birthday.  After adding the chosen item to their online basket, they realize they need more details about sizing or next-day delivery that they can’t find on the website so they use their mobile device to call the contact center before checking out.  The problem with the majority of solutions is they are likely to portray a linear digital customer journey, thereby totally missing the vital voice connection when the customer called the contact center – the critical make-or-break factor in the deal!Integrating voice with your CRM system makes it possible to connect every aspect of a customer’s journey with the brand, providing a complete view of all customer touchpoints, whatever the channel.

• Aim high, be a Connected Enterprise – building and mapping better customer journeys by tightly integrating voice with CRM benefits not just customer service teams but an entire organization. Many businesses spend valuable time and resources searching for answers that are right in front of them. The contact center is at the heart of building the customer experience and understanding it. Connected enterprises need to look at how they can put the contact center, and thus the unfiltered voice of the customer (VoC), as their central hub of intelligence about variables and processes related to CX.

The point of nirvana here comes with truly dynamic, near-real-time AI-based Business Intelligence systems that help all functions be better, from enabling marketing to understand campaign success and brand presence to finance understanding billing issues, refunds and credits, based on what all customers and agents are saying, as well as what they’re doing. Modern enterprises can use out-of-the-box, function-specific dashboards, such as those in Calabrio Enterprise CXI, designed to amplify speech analytics data captured in the contact center to provide actionable insights to keep the entire organization one step ahead.

While the bid to be omnichannel may leave many focused on the digital footprint of customers, it’s time to elevate voice to the place it deserves, firmly at the front-end of contact center processes and the center of CX.

Kris McKenzie

Kris McKenzie is responsible for Calabrio’s EMEA operations and go-to-market efforts. He oversees sales, operations, strategic partnerships and customer success. Kris joined Calabrio with more than 20 years’ experience in global enterprise SaaS technology and 14 years of management and sales leadership. Kris brings extensive expertise in helping companies implement solutions to develop a deep understanding of their customers.