Top Tools to Build an Engaging Omnichannel Customer Experience
Without the right tools, it is extremely difficult to provide the level of omnichannel customer experience that you desire. So, we went ahead and did what we do best. Create a list of the best Omnichannel customer experience tools.
Let us take you through the basics before we tell you what these tools are. We are going to tell you:
What are Customer Experience Tools?How to Pick the Right Customer Experience Tools
Review of some of the most common omnichannel customer experience tools:
i) Kommunicate
ii) Zendesk
iii) Microsoft Dynamic 365
iv) Avaya OneCloud
v) Buffer
vi) Twilio Flex
vii) Keap
We will see what customer experience tools are to begin with.
What are customer experience tools?
The software tools used to design and enhance the customer journey, from initial engagement to ongoing support and retention, are called customer experience tools. These tools aim to provide a seamless, personalized experience across all touchpoints, including mobile apps, social media, phone, email, and websites.
Omnichannel customer experience tools often combine artificial intelligence (AI) with machine learning capabilities to study customer data, identify patterns, and give insights that optimize experiences.
Other features of omnichannel customer experience tools include journey mapping, customer feedback management, etc, to help businesses continuously improve their customer experience.
Now that we have a brief idea of what CX tools are, let us look at how you can select the right customer experience tools.
How do you pick the right customer experience tools?
Choosing the right customer experience tool is critical to ensuring exceptional service and build long-lasting relationships with customers. Here are some of the key factors to consider before choosing a CX tool.
Map your customer journey: Identify the touchpoints where customers interact with your business. This will help you determine the specific features and capabilities you need from a CX tool.Figure out which channel to engage your customers: Customers today expect to engage with businesses across multiple channels, including messaging apps, phones, social media, and email. Choose a tool that supports this omnichannel approach, such as Kommunicate or Freshdesk.Consider scalability: The CX tool should be scale according to the growth of your business. So the onus should be look for tools that seamlessly integrate with your existing systems, like CRM or marketing automation systems.Take into account automation capabilities: Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation can significantly enhance the customer experience by predicting customer needs, automating repetitive tasks, and giving personalized recommendations.Give importance to ease of use: The customer experience tools that you choose will be used by your CS agents and employees on a daily basis. Hence, it is important that you choose a tool that is intuitive and has an easy-to-use interface. Tools such as Hubspot Service Hub and Kommunicate have simple interfaces that take minutes to master.
We know what omnichannel customer experience tools are and how you can go about choosing the best tools for your business. Now, let us take a look at some of the top names in the customer experience space so that you can choose wisely.
We begin the list with a chatbot-building solution that ticks all the right boxes when it comes to providing an omnichannel experience:
When you think about providing instantaneous responses to customer queries, with minimal friction and 24/7 availability, one of the major omnichannel customer experience tools is chatbots. And when you think of chatbots, think no further than Kommunicate.
Kommunicate enables businesses to provide seamless customer support across multiple channels. There is a wide range of features to choose from, including generative AI-powered chatbots, live chat, a help center, rich messaging options, and Kompose, Kommunicate’s own bot builder tool.
Businesses can leverage Kommunicate’s omnichannel capabilities to deliver consistent, personalized support and make sure that the customers are satisfied.
What you’ll like about Kommunicate:
Offers a comprehensive suite of features that deliver exceptional omnichannel customer experience.Has an open-source SDK that simplifies integration into Android apps, giving customers an engaging and customizable chat interface.Has AI-powered chats, rich messaging options like buttons, cards and carousels that enable seamless communication across multiple channels.Even users without coding knowledge can build complex chatbots using the Kompose bot builder with a Flow designer.
What you may not like:
Kommunicate’s SDK needs Android 4.1 (API level 16) or higher, which can limit the app’s reach.For smaller projects or individuals, the pricing may be a bit expensive for higher tiers.
Pricing
Kommunicate Lite at $100/month for small teams.Kommunicate Advanced for $200/month for larger teams.Kommunicate Enterprise — custom pricing for enterprises.
2. Zendesk
Zendesk is a name that needs no introduction, and the company has been around for more than a decade and a half now. According to the makers themselves, Zendesk allows you to “meet your customers where they are,” and provide truly omnichannel support, no matter the channel.
Zendesk’s Unified Agent Workspace gives agents access to valuable customer data, as they can communicate with customers across channels without switching between tools and dashboards.
What you’ll like about Zendesk
Zendesk is an omnichannel customer experience platform where agents can get seamless access to support across multiple channels.It gives access to live chat, AI-powered chatbots, and rich messaging options for effortless communication.It has excellent customization capabilities that allow businesses to tailor the experiences to their brand.OpenAPI enhances integration and extensibility, giving companies the ability to deliver a personalized experience across multiple touchpoints.
What you won’t like
During high-traffic scenarios, there have been issues or delays in message delivery.Individual developers and smaller teams may be put off because you need to create a Zendesk account and get the necessary credentials.Pricing is steep, especially for higher tiers, which may be a concern for smaller businesses.
Pricing
Zendesk Suite Team at $55/agent/monthZendesk Suite Growth at $89/agent/monthZendesk Suite Professional at $115/agent/monthZendesk Suite Enterprise at custom pricing.
3. Microsoft Dynamics 365
For enterprises that are already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a feature-rich omnichannel customer experience tool that ticks most of the boxes.
Released in November 2016 as a successor to Dynamics CRM, the tool is both a CRM and an ERP.
Dealing with your customers or dealing with your back office functions, everything is covered by Microsoft Dynamics 365. Readers should note that this is different from Microsoft 365, which is a set of office productivity tools such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
What you’ll like about Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 gives access to unified customer data across all channels (social, mobile, web. etc.)There are AI-powered virtual agents that will make sure your customers get a truly personalized experience.Microsoft Dynamics 365 is tightly integrated with Power BI, Office 365, and Azure, which ensures that there is greater productivity.It is feature-rich AI-powered assistance through Copilot, integrated MS Teams collaboration, and unified routing. All these features enhance agent productivity.
What you won’t like
For small businesses, the user interface can be a bit complicated and overwhelming.Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides limited out-of-the-box functionality for certain industries.Implementation can be time-consuming. Also, integration with non-Microsoft systems will require additional resources.
Pricing
Small and medium business first dynamic 365 app, subsequent qualifying dynamic 365 app, and business central essentials: $70/user/monthBusiness central premium: $100/user/monthCustomer service professional: $50/user/monthSales professional: $65/user/month
4) Avaya OneCloud
Avaya OneCloud is a powerful CX platform that combines advanced features, AI-driven capabilities and cloud-based flexibility. Best suited for enterprises that are looking for a comprehensive cloud-based solution that has excellent communication capabilities and a good CRM integration.
Avaya provides unified communications, a contact center, and workforce engagement tools.
What you’ll like about Avaya OneCloud
A unified interface for managing multiple communication channels like voice, video, chat, email, and messaging.OneCloud comes with scalable and flexible deployment options (public, private, or hybrid cloud).OneCloud is known for its reporting and analytics, live monitoring capabilities for supervisors, and quality management features for agent performance reviews.OneCloud Contact Center As A Service (CCaaS) uses cloud computing to allow remote and home-based agents. This enhances productivity from anywhere.
What you won’t like
Enterprises with legacy systems may find the initial setup and configuration process complex.Pricing is not transparent and can be a bit more flexible for businesses that have different budgets and requirements.Avaya OneCloud has limited out-of-the-box social media integration.
Pricing
Digital $48 per user per monthVoice $83 per user per monthAll-media $125 per user per month
5) Buffer
Okay, so Buffer may not be a full-fledged omnichannel customer experience tool like the other ones mentioned on this list, but it stands out as a social media management platform, and hence makes the cut. To provide a truly omnichannel experience, you may need to combine Buffer with other tools that provide live chat and customer support.
The problem statement that Buffer solves is pretty much the one that led to the foundation of the company way back in 2010. It is a feature-rich and reliable tool for managing social media campaigns and optimizing content performance across channels.
What you’ll like about Buffer:
Buffer is a great tool if you want to schedule and target social media messages, and see how your content is performing across various channels.The tool has a user-friendly interface and seamless integration with popular tools and platforms, including WordPress. This makes it a perfect choice for small businesses.Buffer’s collaborative tools facilitate team collaboration and enhance workflow efficiency.
What you won’t like:
Buffer does not provide integration with CRM or customer service platforms.Even though it is advanced, the tool does not have a built-in social listening or sentiment analysis feature.Buffer’s onboarding process can be further simplified, and they can provide more customer support resources that will enhance the effectiveness of campaigns.
Pricing
Free plan for up to 3 channels.Essentials for $5/month for 1 channelTeam for $10/month for 1 channelAgency for $100/month for 10 channels.
6. Twilio Flex
Twilio Flex is an omnichannel customer experience solution that works best for businesses that have strong technical capabilities. It enables seamless integration of various communication channels, including voice, SMS, chat, and WhatsApp, into one combined interface.
Twilio Flex was introduced in March 2018 to thousands of sales and customer support agents in companies such as Shopify and Scorpion.
What you’ll like about Twilio Flex:
The Flex Conversations API makes the deployment of omnichannel experiences very simple, meaning businesses can easily deliver personalized customer support.Twilio Flex, with its updated UI, has an enhanced screen reader capability, keyboard navigation, and button labeling. This means there is an inclusive experience for agents.The Open API framework and customization capabilities mean businesses can tailor the platform to their specific needs.
What you won’t like
The initial setup and configuration process may seem a bit complex for some users.Twilio Flex is a bit more expensive than other traditional contact center solutions.Customization and integration of this tool sometimes require significant development effort.
Pricing
Free trialPer-hour pricing starts at $1 per active user per hourPer-user pricing starts at $150 per named user.
7. Keap
Keap is a keeper, especially if you are a small business and are looking for a comprehensive solution that offers a lot of customization opportunities. It is a powerful tool that can manage interactions across multiple channels, giving you CRM integration, automated follow-ups and campaign management functionalities.
Keap started out as Infusionsoft in 2001, and it was created by brothers Scott and Eric Martineau in Arizona. The company rebranded itself to its current name in 2019 and is backed by leading names such as Goldman Sachs.
What you’ll like about Keap:
Offers a customizable dashboard that you can use to track and manage customer interactions across multiple channels. This means businesses can better personalize their customer journeys.Keap easily integrates with various CRM tools, which allows businesses to unify customer data.Keap is known for its appointment scheduling and reminder features.
What you may not like:
Although we live in the era of Generative AI, Keap has limited AI-powered features that will enhance its automation capabilities.Advanced users will find the customization capabilities a bit lacking.There is a lot of room for improvement in Keap’s mobile app support, for people who interact with the app on-the-go.
Pricing
Pro for smaller teams: $249/monthMax for growing teams: $329/monthUltimate for larger teams: $499/month
Bringing it all together
And there you have it. Some of the top omnichannel customer experience tools. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and there are new tools coming out every day that offer better features. As an organization, you should realize that merely having these tools in your arsenal will not guarantee that you will succeed in providing a great customer experience. You must have the will to use these tools to their maximum potential and go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that the customers keep coming back to you.
Best Omnichannel Customer Experience Tools 2024 was originally published in Chatbots Life on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
