The way that customers want to reach out and interact with brands is changing. Gone are the days of simply connecting with customer support solely through the phone, inputting your information, being put on hold, and finally being connected with a support agent. While the phone is still a popular support channel, especially for urgent issues, customers today want to communicate with support the same way that they communicate with each other. This means through multiple channels, sometimes within the same conversation as well as sharing multimedia files in real time.

Here are some ways companies can adopt cross-channel support strategies in order to provide better experiences for their customers:

Meet customers where they are

With smartphones in almost every hand, customers have instant access to numerous channels such as phone, text, social media, and an array of capabilities within mobile apps. Providing the best customer experience possible means offering customer support across all of these channels.  For example, we found that 70% of customers believe in-app messaging and chat would enhance their customer support experience. If customers are already using an app, and would like to communicate with you through it, they shouldn’t be taken out of the app in order to reach a support agent. Instead, companies must meet customers where they are, on their preferred channel, and provide a seamless and great experience no matter which channel their customers prefer.

Allow real-time media sharing

A core part of empowering customers to communicate with support teams in the same way that they communicate with one another is to allow for the real-time sharing of multimedia files such as photos, videos, and screenshots. The ability to share a photo or video with a support agent not only provides contextual information, but also provides the visual information that may be needed in order to help resolve issues faster. In fact, 67% of customers say that the ability to upload and share a photo so that an agent can visually understand the issue would improve their customer support experience in the future.

Don’t lose sight of the human side of support

Adopting smart cross-channel support strategies and creating truly unique and one-of-a-kind customer experiences requires more than just the latest and greatest technology. It requires pairing new and emerging technologies such as cloud-based Contact-Center-as-a-Service (CCaaS) solutions, AI and automation, and more with customer support agents in order to better share information, quickly surface and analyze relevant data, and arm agents with everything they need in order to go above and beyond for their customers.

Laying the groundwork for optimizing cross-channel customersupport

As organizations begin investing resources in numerous support channels, including web, mobile, and in-app, they must also understand that simply having an in-app or mobile presence is not enough. Business must not only make themselves available across multiple channels, they must also optimize those channels so customers do not have to deviate from their preferred form of communication in order to reach a support agent or have their issue resolved.

Laying this foundation for a positive, cross-channel support experience is how companies can not only increase brand loyalty and capture a greater market presence today, but continue to grow and set themselves for continued success tomorrow.

Anand Janefalkar is founder and CEO of UJET. Prior to UJET, heheld key roles at Motorola and Jawbone, as well as serving as a technical advisor for various startups in the Bay Area. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in electronics from Mumbai University and a Master of Science in telecommunications from Southern Methodist University.