New customer demands are putting steady pressure on communication systems. Front-line staff need more responsive tools, customers want quicker answers, and IT teams are stuck making trade-offs. The challenge isn’t about adding more tools; it’s about making the ones in place work harder and smarter.
Three Trends Driving Practical Changes in Retail Customer Engagement
1. Channel Switching Is the Norm
Customers don’t stay in one lane. They might call, then text, then follow up by email. The expectation is that each handoff keeps context. Systems that don’t share data across channels create frustration, for customers and agents alike.
2. AI Needs to Actually Help
Many deployments promise automation but only add complexity. AI that works needs to handle repeatable tasks, hand off cleanly when it can’t, and plug into existing workflows without forcing process changes. Notably, 53% of organizations are already prioritizing AI-powered communication systems to improve service speed and quality[1].
3. Support Teams Are No Longer in One Place
Whether through outsourcing or hybrid work, service teams are spread out. Communication systems need to handle that reality securely, consistently, and without extra maintenance overhead. In fact, 92% of firms now prioritize hybrid communication systems to balance flexibility, security, and resilience1.
Where Mitel CX Fits In
Mitel is focused on enabling customer engagement through smarter communications. While engagement is the direct touchpoint, it also shapes the broader customer experience. The focus isn’t bells and whistles. It’s reducing the friction in day-to-day work and making sure IT can stay ahead of requests without constantly chasing fires.
- Works Across Cloud and On-Premises: Whether you’re moving to the cloud or maintaining critical systems on-site, Mitel supports both. You decide the pace.
- Built-In Retail Workflows You Design: Virtual agents don’t need weeks of tuning. They’re ready to handle common retail questions out of the box.
- Plays Nice with Existing Systems: CRMs, WFM tools, and legacy comms can stay. Mitel integrates without making you rebuild your environment.
- One Administration View: All the control, monitoring, and reporting from one interface, not a dozen logins.
- Service Support That Scales: From onboarding to regular updates, Mitel’s expert services help steer smart communication investments or fill gaps without stretching your team.
Fixing Common Retail Customer Engagement Headaches
- Too Many Dashboards: One place to manage users, view analytics, and adjust settings.
- Compliance Checks That Stall Projects: Pre-configured policies help meet standards like PCI-DSS and GDPR.
- Slow Issue Detection: Alerts flag problems before they hit customers.
- Disconnected Tools: Agents stay in one interface instead of toggling between apps.
- Not Enough Time to Roll Things Out: Mitel’s service teams speed up deployment and lower risk.
From Engagement to Experience
Customer engagement is where expectations are set in the moment, but the quality of those interactions defines the overall experience. Research shows that 52% of organizations cite improving customer engagement as their top driver for modernizing communications1. In retail specifically, 64% of firms plan to modernize their communication systems, with customer engagement cited as a leading driver.
By ensuring every call, chat, or message is handled with speed and context, Mitel helps make engagement a strength that supports the bigger picture.
Let’s Talk Next Steps
Explore how Mitel CX can strengthen customer engagement while supporting the overall experience. Request a quick assessment or schedule a demo to see what it could look like in practice.
FAQs
How do I make sure my contact center can handle customers switching between channels?
Retailers often see customers move from a call to chat to email in a single interaction. A modern communications platform keeps the context across those channels, so agents don’t waste time retracing steps and customers don’t have to repeat themselves.
What’s the practical role of AI in retail customer engagement?
AI is most useful when it takes routine work off the table like answering simple questions, routing requests, and surfacing data to agents in real time. This helps reduce wait times and improves resolution rates without forcing major process changes.
How should I prioritize spending to modernize my contact center if AI isn’t realistic for us yet?
Many retailers are in this situation. Hybrid communication systems let you modernize step by step, adding cloud features where they deliver clear value, while keeping on-premises control for stability and compliance. This approach balances cost with flexibility, giving you a modern platform today while leaving the door open for AI when the time is right.
[1] The Hybrid and AI Revolution in Business Communications. Techaisle Research 2025.
