The difference between a multi-channel and omnichannel customer experience.

1. Industry experts share their point of view
on the world of Customer Experience
July 2013
How would you define the difference between a multi-channel and
omnichannel customer experience?
John Bowden, Senior Vice President of Customer Care, Time Warner Cable
We must offer a multi-channel strategy that allows customers to use the channel of their choice. Multichannel is an
operational view - how you allow the customer to complete transactions in each channel. Omnichannel, however,
is viewing the experience through the eyes of your customer, orchestrating the customer experience across all
channels so that it is seamless, integrated and consistent. Omnichannel anticipates that customers may start in
one channel and move to another as they progress to a resolution. Making these complex “hand-offs” between
channels must be fluid for the customer. Simply put, Omnichannel is Multichannel done right!
Elizabeth Herrell, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Constellation Research
Although there is no formal distinction between multichannel and omnichannel there is a perceived difference.
Multichannel, a more traditional term, conveys customer support for voice, email and Web channels. Omnichannel
includes the addition of social and mobile channels and suggests fully integrated support to deliver a continuous
and consistent customers experience. Customer data from Web sites flow to agents, so there is no need for
customers to repeat information. Omnichannel optimizes customers’ experience with a rich media cross channel
experience.
Dan Miller, Senior Analyst, Opus Research, Inc.
“Multi” means “many,” and “omni” means “all.” Both terms represent visions of the customer care Promised Land.
“Multi-channel” feels more modest and doable. Even when taking “cross-channel” interactions into account, it puts
constraints on modes of communications that are supported: phone, face2face, text, Web “clicks” and so on. Omnichannel is more provocative and perhaps aspirational because it hints at “omnipresence” and “omnipotence” –
which are attributes each individual customer would welcome gladly.
John Casaretto, Contributing Editor, SiliconANGLE
An omnichannel experience is the expectation nowadays – the closer you can get to it the better. Consumers
benefit when they are well connected to the product or service. So the challenge in the industry is to track and tailor
across all the channels for the best experience – retail, web, mobile, text, phone – the good ones get this notion
and do it well.
Daniel Hong, Senior Director of Product Marketing, [24]7
Omnichannel means supporting all channels and having a holistic view of the customer regardless of
communication method. This is vital as customers are increasingly dictating how they want to be engaged and
serviced. Unlike multichannel, omnichannel interactions are not siloed but integrated providing for richer customer
experiences that are connected (digital), continuous (consistent across devices, channels, and time) and contextual
(relevant) no matter how many times a customer may transition from one channel to another for one task or during
an entire journey.
[24] 7
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