To create a consistent omnichannel customer experience, help customers continue what they are doing when they switch channels: preserve relevant context, provide compatible information and policies, and make the next step clear. Start with a small number of important journeys, find where continuity breaks, then improve the handoffs and measure the journey end to end. Omnichannel does not mean every channel must work identically; it means each channel contributes to coherent progress.
What an omnichannel customer experience means
Omnichannel is not simply offering a website, app, store, phone line, email address, and social accounts. The defining feature is how those channels work together from the customer’s point of view. A customer might research online, ask a question by chat, and finish a purchase or resolve an issue by phone or in person. A connected experience lets them move between those steps without losing necessary context or repeating avoidable work.
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There is no single universally accepted academic definition. A 2021 review in Electronic Markets quotes Verhoef et al. (2015), who describe omnichannel as “the synergetic management of the numerous available channels […] in such a way that the customer experience across channels and the performance over channels is optimized.” The review’s own framing emphasizes integrated processes and information systems that support a seamless, consistent experience across digital and physical channels (Electronic Markets, “Omnichannel Business”).
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In practical terms, multichannel means customers can reach an organization through several channels; omnichannel connects those channels so a customer can make progress across them. Salesforce illustrates the difference with a customer who starts an issue with a website chatbot and then calls support without having to explain the issue again. That is an example of the intended continuity, not independent evidence that any particular system delivers it (Salesforce, “What Are Omnichannel Experiences?”).
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Why continuity matters—and what the figures do and do not show
Cross-channel movement is common enough to make handoffs a central design concern, but published figures describe different populations and periods rather than a single current benchmark. McKinsey reported in 2020 that more than half of customers engaged with three to five channels during each journey toward a purchase or resolution. In one specific example from the same article, a customer trying to book one accommodation reservation online switched nearly six times between websites and mobile channels. Neither figure should be treated as a universal rate for every industry or journey (McKinsey, “Redefine the omnichannel approach: Focus on what truly matters,” June 22, 2020).
Other findings point to consistency challenges, but their scope differs. NTT’s 2020 Customer Experience Benchmarking Report findings said 66.4% of organizations had no cross-channel contact management strategy, while 24.5% claimed good or complete consistency across contact channels. These are historical benchmark findings, not current estimates for every sector (NTT, “Customer engagement through CX design”). In a separate public-sector measure, the OECD’s 2026 Digital Government Outlook reported that only half of OECD countries had a government-wide omnichannel strategy, based on its Survey on Digital Government 3.0. The report compares 2023 and 2025 observations and notes survey coverage and period limitations; it is not a private-sector prevalence estimate (OECD, Digital Government Outlook 2026).
Gartner’s July 24, 2024 guide abstract says, “With most customer journeys spanning multiple channels, seamless cross-channel transitions are essential to provide a consistent customer experience.” It frames the strategy around low-effort customer resolution across channels; the available abstract supports that framing, not additional claims about the guide’s recommendations (Gartner, “Ignition Guide to Developing an Omnichannel Strategy”).
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1. Choose a few journeys that matter most
Begin with customer goals, not a list of channels or a technology purchase. Choose a small number of journeys where channel switching is likely and continuity matters—for example, researching a product and buying it, asking for help and following up, or beginning a task online and completing it in person. These are useful examples, not a claim that every organization’s customers behave the same way.
Prioritize based on the importance of the task to customers and the likelihood that they will move between channels. McKinsey advises focusing on the top two or three interactions that matter most rather than trying to perfect every possible journey. This keeps the effort centered on high-value customer needs instead of spreading it across every touchpoint at once.
2. Map what customers actually do
For each selected journey, document the customer’s goal, the steps they take, and the channels they use at each step. Include both planned steps and the recovery paths customers use when something goes wrong. A map should make transitions visible: where someone moves from web to phone, email to store, or chat to a human agent.
Use customer conversations, support records, feedback, and operational knowledge to check the map against real behavior. Avoid assuming that an organization’s internal process is the same as the customer’s experience. The useful unit of analysis is the task as customers experience it, including waiting, repeating information, and switching channels.
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3. Diagnose the handoffs
At each transition, ask what information or action must carry forward for the customer to continue. Look for friction such as repeated identity checks or explanations, conflicting information, unavailable order or case history, unclear next steps, channel-specific policies, or poor routing. Treat these as diagnostic prompts to investigate in your own journeys, not as claims about how often each problem occurs.
Separate necessary differences from avoidable inconsistency. A store employee, a phone agent, and a website may have different capabilities, but customers should not receive contradictory answers about the same policy or be left uncertain about who owns the next step.
4. Fix the supporting information and processes
Make the relevant customer, order, and case information available where it is needed, subject to appropriate access and privacy controls. Define how work moves between teams and channels: what gets recorded, who acts next, and how the customer is told what will happen. Shared information without a clear process can leave a customer’s issue visible but unresolved; a good process without usable context can still force the customer to start over.
The Electronic Markets review identifies integrated information systems, integrated processes, and channel management as dimensions of omnichannel capability, with logistics also relevant where physical fulfillment is part of the journey. These are organizational capabilities, not a prescription for one universal system architecture. Gartner’s emphasis on low-effort resolution reinforces the importance of making the transition work for the customer rather than merely connecting internal tools.
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At the end of each interaction, ensure the customer knows what happens next, whether they need to act, and how to continue if they change channels. If a handoff is needed, pass the relevant context and route the customer to a person or team able to act on it. A technically successful transfer is not a successful customer handoff if the customer still has to reconstruct the situation or cannot tell whether anyone is responsible.
6. Measure the complete journey
Do not judge the experience only by isolated channel metrics such as response time or page completion. Suggested operational measures include whether customers complete the task, whether the handoff succeeds, whether they contact the organization again about the same issue, and how much effort they report. These are useful measures to consider, not source-reported standards or universal targets.
Interpret measures in context. A repeat contact may signal a failed resolution, but it may also be a legitimate follow-up; a fast handoff may still leave a customer confused. Pair operational data with customer feedback and review the full path across channels before deciding what to change.
7. Iterate—and add channels only when they help
Use evidence from the journey to identify the next improvement, then check whether it reduces friction without creating a new break elsewhere. Add a channel when it serves a customer need in a priority journey, not merely because the technology is available. The goal is coherent progress, not maximum channel count or identical experiences everywhere.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHow to evaluate an omnichannel implementation approach
There is no single implementation choice supported as best for every organization. The right approach depends on the journeys being improved and on the systems, teams, and processes that support them. Compare possible approaches against these criteria:
Best Value
| Criterion | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Shared customer history and context | Can the next channel see the information needed to continue the customer’s task? |
| Channel coverage and handoffs | Can customers move between the channels used in priority journeys without losing necessary context or ownership? |
| Fit to priority journeys | Does the approach support the specific customer tasks selected for improvement, rather than simply adding more touchpoints? |
| Integration with systems and processes | Can the approach work with the organization’s existing information systems, operating processes, and, where relevant, logistics? |
| End-to-end measurement | Can the organization examine task completion, handoffs, repeat contact, or reported effort across the journey? |
| Operational effort and governance | Who maintains shared information, routing rules, channel policies, and responsibility for the next step? |
These criteria reflect the capabilities and journey-prioritization needs described by the academic review, McKinsey, and Gartner. They are evaluation axes, not a product ranking. An organization can use them to compare process changes, integrations, or software without assuming that technology alone creates an omnichannel strategy.
Common mistakes that break consistency
- Counting channels as the outcome. More ways to contact an organization do not guarantee that customers can move between them.
- Optimizing touchpoints in isolation. A channel can meet its own performance target while the overall customer task stalls at a handoff.
- Making every channel identical. Channels have different strengths and constraints. Consistency means compatible information, expectations, and progress—not identical interfaces or interactions.
- Starting with software rather than journeys. A platform cannot decide which customer tasks matter, who owns the next action, or what a successful resolution means.
- Assuming a connection equals continuity. Systems may exchange data while customers still repeat themselves or receive unclear instructions. Check the lived handoff, not just the integration diagram.
- Treating unlike benchmarks as one score. The McKinsey and NTT figures are from 2020 and have different scopes; the OECD finding concerns government strategies and survey coverage. They cannot be combined into a current cross-industry estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between omnichannel and multichannel customer service?
Multichannel service offers more than one contact channel. Omnichannel service coordinates relevant information and processes so customers can continue a task when they move between those channels.
Does an omnichannel experience require every channel to be identical?
No. Channels can have different capabilities. The aim is for information, expectations, and next steps to remain coherent as the customer moves between them.
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Where should an organization start?
Start with a small number of important customer journeys that are likely to cross channels. Map the steps, find where context or ownership is lost, and improve those handoffs before expanding the effort.
What should an organization measure?
Consider task completion, successful handoffs, repeat contact about the same issue, and customer-reported effort across the journey. These are suggested measures; the appropriate set depends on the task and organization.
Do these statistics describe current omnichannel adoption across all industries?
No. The McKinsey and NTT findings are historical 2020 results with different populations and measures. The OECD’s 2026 finding concerns government-wide strategy in OECD countries and includes survey coverage caveats. They should be read in their stated contexts, not treated as one industry-wide adoption rate.