A customer describes his request in the chat, is forwarded to the service and has to explain everything again. Later, a phone call follows in which the same questions are asked again. For the company, these are different contacts. For the customer, it is a single problem.
This is exactly where omnichannel customer service comes in: customer concerns should remain traceable across chat, email, telephone and AI agents. It is not the number of channels offered that determines good service, but the ability to hand over information and responsibility without unnecessary disruptions.
The most expensive channel change is the one without context
Changing channels is not automatically a problem. Customers switch from chat to telephone because a concern becomes more complex, a personal consultation is necessary or documents are missing. It becomes critical when the previous conversation context is lost along with the channel.
In Smart Communications’ Customer Experience Benchmark 2026 , 48 percent of respondents said they sometimes or always need to repeat information when switching between channels or service agents. The study is based on around 4,000 respondents from regulated industries, including financial services, insurance and healthcare.
Behind this number is a concrete process problem: Customers do the same explanation work several times, while service teams need time for research, queries and reclassification.
Omnichannel means more than multiple contact channels
A company can offer telephone, email, chat and self-service and still not have end-to-end omnichannel customer service. As long as each channel has its own history, customer concerns remain fragmented.
A common view of the process is crucial. The service team should be able to see why the customer has contacted them, what steps have already been taken, and what is needed next. Changing the communication channel must not automatically trigger a new information process.
This is especially relevant for B2B companies. A support case can be related to an ongoing project, an open delivery, or a contractual agreement. If you only see the last chat message, you may not understand the actual customer problem.
When AI agents hand over, context must come along
AI agents can process standard requests, provide information, and pre-qualify requests. It becomes more difficult when a request cannot be resolved. Then the quality of the handover determines whether the previous interaction has really helped the customer.
A meaningful human handoff not only transmits the conversation, but also the relevant information: What did the customer want? What has already been checked? What answer has the agent given? Why is a handover necessary? What next action is expected?
Not every available information should be automatically passed on. The handover must be limited to the specific service case and take into account existing access rights.
What information should not be missing during a handover
Course offor handover
| Information | Benefits for the service team |
|---|---|
| Concerns and Goals | The actual need is immediately recognizable. |
| the conversation so far | Questions that have already been answered do not have to be repeated. |
| Audited steps | The team continues in the right place. |
| Customer and case context | Open issues and relevant agreements are taken into account. |
| Reason | The next responsible person understands why they are needed. |
| Next action | Responsibility and further procedure remain clear. |
A good handover is therefore not just a routing issue. It combines customer history, process logic and responsibility.
What Dynamics 365 Customer Service and Contact Center can do
With Dynamics 365 Customer Service , customer concerns, cases, activities and relevant customer information can be handled in a structured way. Dynamics 365 Contact Center extends this way of working to include communication via voice and digital channels, intelligent routing and call summary functions.
In conjunction with Microsoft Copilot Studio, AI agents can be used for selected issues and handoffs to service employees can be set up. Conversation history and contextual information can be transferred if the appropriate integration and configuration are available.
However, the benefit does not come from the technical connection alone. A chat history does not replace a clean case structure. Automatic routing does not replace clear responsibilities. And a summary only helps if it is relevant and correct for the next processing.
Therefore, before automating, companies should determine what information a service case needs and when a concern needs to be handed over to another person or team.
Three situations where context is particularly important
The first critical moment arises when switching from self-service to face-to-face contact. If the customer has already tried steps, the service team should be aware of them. Otherwise, a helpful pre-qualification becomes additional work.
The second moment concerns escalations. When a case is passed on to a team of specialists, previous decisions, technical findings and open questions must remain comprehensible. Simply forwarding it to the next queue is not enough.
The third moment arises with recurring concerns. If a customer contacts us again, he should not be treated like an unknown first contact. Open cases, previous commitments and processing statuses are part of the preparation for the conversation.
How companies recognize good omnichannel customer service
A central service interface alone does not prove that the process works. More meaningful are key figures that make the actual effort and continuity of processing visible.
These include the number of repeat customer contacts on the same issue, the frequency of transfers, the time to resolution, and how often information needs to be recaptured after a handover.
Qualitative feedback is also important: Do service employees understand the reason for handover? Are summaries useful? Can they work on the case without renewed basic research?
This shows whether omnichannel customer service only connects channels or actually reduces customer effort.
How companies get off to a meaningful start
The best way to get started is to change channels frequently, with a clear definition. For example, handing over a chat request to personal support or escalating a service case to a team of specialists.
First, check what information is being lost today. Then define a binding handover standard: What information must be available, what information is relevant and who will take the next step?
Only then should routing, AI summaries, and automation be adjusted. This not only unwinds an existing break faster, but improves the underlying process.
Conclusion: The customer should not be the interface
Omnichannel customer service doesn’t start with an additional chat channel or a new AI agent. It starts with the question of whether a customer concern remains understandable and editable across multiple contacts.
When customers have to explain their situation repeatedly, the service is not necessarily missing another channel. Often, there is a lack of connection between existing channels, data, and responsibilities.
A good service process ensures that the next employee can pick up where the previous contact left off.
FAQ
What does omnichannel customer service mean?
Omnichannel customer service combines communication channels such as telephone, email, chat and self-service with a common customer and case context. The goal is consistent processing regardless of the chosen channel.
What is the difference between multichannel and omnichannel?
Multichannel means that several contact channels are available. Omnichannel continues: Information, processing statuses and responsibilities should remain coherent even when changing channels.
What does Human Handoff mean in customer service?
Human handoff refers to the handover of a concern from an AI agent or automated system to a service employee. Relevant conversation information and the reason for handover should be retained.
How does Dynamics 365 Contact Center support omnichannel customer service?
Dynamics 365 Contact Center supports the processing of voice and digital interactions, routing to suitable service agents, and AI-powered functions such as call summaries. The concrete handover of the customer context depends on the setup of the respective processes.
What metrics are important for omnichannel customer service?
Particularly relevant are repeated contacts on the same request, forwarding, resolution times, the number of information requested again and the quality of the handovers.
