Although the term omnichannel is already part of the corporate vocabulary, market experts observe that, in practice, it is still treated more as a buzzword than as a consolidated strategy. According to these professionals, despite the growing demand for integrated and personalized workflows, many companies still face structural and conceptual obstacles that hinder their effective implementation.
According to the researchState of the Connected Customer86% of consumers expect consistency across all interaction channels with a brand. However, data from PwC shows that only 22% of Brazilian companies claim to have full integration between their digital and physical channels — a direct reflection of the gap between expectation and reality.
"Many companies still confuse multichannel presence with omnichannel strategy. Being on multiple channels does not, by itself, mean delivering a good experience. The real challenge is to ensure that the customer journey is continuous, smooth, and frictionless regardless of where it starts or ends," says Guilherme Carvalho, CEO of Backlgrs, the leading Salesforce consulting and implementation firm in Brazil.
He also adds: "It's no use for the consumer to start an interaction on WhatsApp, then switch to email, and subsequently call customer service and have to repeat all the information. This is a symptom of a disorganized operation, which generates frustration, breaks trust, and loses the opportunity for loyalty. True omnichannel requires integration between systems, alignment between departments, and a customer-centric culture. Without this, what we have is just fragmented multichannel, which does not deliver value to either the business or the consumer."
With over 60 projects implemented among major brands in the country, Backlgrs has observed recurring errors in omnichannel strategies, ranging from lack of interoperability between systems to the absence of a customer-centric view. A survey by Aberdeen Group reinforces the impact of these errors: companies with a strong omnichannel presence retain 89% of customers, while those with weak strategies retain only 33%.
Among the main misconceptions, the specialist highlights:
- Misalignment between areasMarketing, sales, and customer service operate in isolation, harming the integrated view of the customer;
- Investment without strategyAdoption of various tools without a clear architecture or integration plan;
- Low data maturityLack of governance, inconsistent bases, and absence of intelligence to personalize interactions;
- Focus on the channel, not on the journeyImplementations focused on presence rather than fluency.
For the specialist, omnichannel should be treated as a strategic pillar, not as a technological fad. Today we talk abouttotal experience, where the focus is not only on the customer but also on the employee and internal processes. "Brands that understand this will get ahead, not just by offering good services, but by building lasting relationships," he reflects.
