Customer service becomes more costly and less effective as customers look to resolve issues across multiple channels, according to Gartner data shared in a webinar Wednesday.
The average cost per resolution starts at $9.10 for single-channel journeys and reaches $26.04 for three-channel journeys. Customer retention, in contrast, drops the more channels are introduced, from 52% for single-channel journeys to 38% after three-channel journeys.
Nearly three-quarters of customer service journeys span at least two channels, such as call, email, or website, and more than one-third reach three channels.
CX leaders don’t need the latest technology to properly map and improve customer care. Careful planning and data organization can help companies resolve customer service journeys in fewer channels without breaking the budget.
“We still advocate for getting the Post-it notes out, grabbing the marker, and doing it the way that people have done journey mapping for many, many years now,” said Christopher Sladdin, director analyst in Gartner’s customer service and support practice, during the webinar. “That's still a perfectly good approach.”
Companies can maximize the benefits of the strategy while minimizing costs and complications by determining the two or three customer journeys that have the biggest impact on business goals, according to Sladdin.
Potential metrics businesses can consider include which kinds of inquiries represent the largest call volume, have the biggest impact on long-term loyalty, or incur the highest cost to serve.
From there, companies can focus on mapping the average customer journey. There will be gaps at first, but over time a coordinated team can connect the data to create a better understanding of how customers use their systems, according to Daniel O'Sullivan, director analyst in Gartner's customer service and support research group.
The key to taking control of customer service journeys over a long period of time is discipline, according to O’Sullivan. Leaders need to constantly analyze and adjust their operations — and they may even create a dedicated journey management team to better manage the effort.
“This isn't a technology or something that you can just go and implement tomorrow,” O’Sullivan said. “This is more like a muscle, something that you're going to have to work on and train over time.”
