After the recent crisis-driven spike in call volumes, many organizations are considering self-service and lower-cost digital channels to serve their customers. But these new channels serve neither the business nor the customer if they are buggy and prone to failure. Complicating matters further, customer preference and the nature of certain tasks means that some customer journeys will span multiple channels and require different systems to work together flawlessly. For example:
- Live-agent call to SMS for secure transactions that require two-factor authentication
- IVR call to SMS to web for secure transactions, such as a password reset requested by phone
- Web to outbound live-agent phone calls for website callback requests
- Web self-service or chatbot to webchat for service escalations
Regardless of channel or channels, consumers expect a smooth and consistent experience when engaging with your organization. The only way to assure perfect execution for thousands of customers daily across these channels is through rigorous and ongoing testing throughout the development cycle.
Until recently, CX technology professionals had to be content with manual testing or automated testing of channels separately using test cases optimized for each channel: voice, chat, web, chatbot, email, and SMS. They couldn’t effectively and automatically test the hand-offs between systems or escalations from self-service to agent-assisted services. Nor could they rely on consistent and accurate manual testing of complex journeys. However, recent advances in automated testing enable digital experience and CX technology professionals to test journeys that span and hop channels. How does this work in practice?
Agero, a market leader in software-enabled driver assistance services, is on a mission to transform the entire driving experience through an unmatched combination of innovative technology and human-powered solutions. Agero recently implemented an innovative omnichannel journey for customers seeking roadside assistance. The journey starts with a driver contacting Agero through a voice call, and if the driver’s phone supports it, they are directed to a visual IVR that collects key information, while staying on the line with the agent for help answering questions and to provide confirmation that the roadside service is on its way. Once the call is complete, the driver receives SMS updates on when help will arrive.
When drivers are sitting on the side of the road, there is no room for error. Agero assures the quality of this customer journey with automated testing that uses synthetic customers to engage holistically with all the systems involved in delivering the journey. This ensures that systems are working properly and that real customers are not exposed to dropped calls, delays in responses, failed prompts, confirmation texts that never arrive, or web pages that do not load properly. It’s an integrated testing approach that spans multiple channels—but with the single-minded view of delivering a perfect cross-channel experience for each and every customer.
Think about your customers’ many and varied journeys. How certain are you that each one will complete successfully? Your answer should be 100%! To learn best practices for testing across all voice and digital channels,
download this eBook.
