Multichannel (also written multi-channel) means a business lets customers reach it through more than one channel, such as phone, email, web chat, text messaging and social media. In a multichannel setup each channel often runs with its own tools, queues, data and metrics. Customers get more ways to make contact, but their history does not reliably follow them from one channel to the next.
At a glance
- Multichannel describes how many ways customers can reach you, not how well those channels are connected.
- Channels are often run separately, so customers may repeat themselves and agents may switch between tools.
- It is a common starting point; many companies later connect channels into an omnichannel model.
- Success depends on shared customer records, one knowledge base and clear rules for moving a customer between channels.
- Measure the whole customer issue, not only each channel’s response time.
What problem it solves
Customers do not all want to call. Some prefer to type a quick question in chat, some want an email trail, and some expect to text. A phone-only operation can turn away those customers or forces them onto hold. Offering several channels lets people use the one that suits the question, spreads demand when phones are busy, and gives the business more ways to capture sales and service requests.
The trouble starts when each channel is added as a separate project. Chat comes from one vendor, email from the help desk, text from a marketing tool, and phone from the contact center. Every tool has its own routing, logins and reports. The customer who chatted yesterday calls today and has to explain the issue again, and leaders see channel dashboards but not the full picture of what happened.
How it works
A multichannel operation usually has these layers, whether they come from one platform or several:
- Channel connections. Voice through a phone system or contact center platform; email through a shared mailbox or help desk; chat through a website widget; text and social messaging through messaging connectors. Our glossary entry on digital channels covers the non-voice options.
- Routing. Each channel has queues, business hours and rules for which agents handle which contacts. In a basic multichannel setup, these rules are set up separately per channel.
- Agent tools. Agents may work in one desktop or in a different screen per channel. The more screens, the more time spent switching and the more chance of missed context.
- Customer records. The strongest multichannel setups log every interaction to the same record in the customer relationship management (CRM) system, even if routing stays separate.
- Self-service and automation. Chatbots or intelligent virtual agents can answer routine questions such as order status, with a way to reach a person.
- Reporting. Per-channel metrics such as response time, average handle time and abandonment, plus cross-channel measures such as first contact resolution, repeat contacts and customer effort.
Response targets differ by channel. Live chat is usually expected to answer within moments, text within minutes, and email within hours. Set targets from your own staffing and customer expectations rather than copying someone else’s.
When it matters for buyers
- When adding a channel. Before buying a chat or texting tool, ask whether it can write to your CRM and report alongside your other channels. A standalone tool adds one more silo.
- When choosing a contact center platform. A contact center as a service (CCaaS) platform that handles voice and digital channels in one place can replace several point tools. Check which channels are included and which cost extra.
- When tools have multiplied. If several departments bought their own chat, texting or social tools, consolidating them reduces cost and gives one place for customer history.
- When customers complain about repeating themselves. That is the usual sign that channels need shared records, and possibly a move toward omnichannel.
- When compliance applies. Each channel stores transcripts, recordings or messages, and each one needs retention rules, access controls and a way to keep sensitive data out of public social threads.
If you are weighing platforms, our contact center as a service page compares how providers handle voice and digital channels.
Questions to ask vendors
- Which channels are included in the base price, and which are add-ons priced per channel, per message or per agent?
- Do all channels route through the same engine, or does each have its own queues and rules?
- Can agents handle every channel from one desktop, and can they see a customer’s earlier contacts on other channels?
- Which CRM systems do you integrate with, and is the integration built in or a custom project?
- Can reporting show a customer’s issue across channels, or only per-channel statistics?
- How are chat transcripts, texts and recordings stored, for how long, and who can export them?
- If we start multichannel, what does it take to move to omnichannel later on your platform?
How it differs from omnichannel
Multichannel answers “how many ways can customers reach us.” Omnichannel answers “does the conversation follow the customer.” In a multichannel model, chat, email and phone may each work well on their own, but a customer who moves from chat to phone often starts over. In an omnichannel model, the channels share one customer history, routing and reporting, so the agent who picks up the call can see the chat. Multichannel can be a stable operating model for a small team or a stepping stone toward omnichannel. Which one you need depends on how often your customers switch channels during a single issue.
Problems this helps with
- Customers have to repeat themselves when they switch from chat to phone
- Each channel has its own tool, queue and report
- No single view of how a customer's issue was handled
- Adding a new channel turns into a separate project every time
