Commentary
5 steps to customer continuity
Mike Small, chief client officer at Sitel Group, explains why it's no longer enough for brands to provide consumers with a mobile app or automated tweets in response to questions. Consumers expect fully immersive and seamless experiences.
May 28, 2018
By Mike Small, chief client officer, Sitel Group
In today's digitally integrated landscape, it's no longer enough for brands to provide consumers with a working mobile app or send automated Tweets in response to questions asked on Twitter. The fact is, consumers expect fully immersive and seamless experiences — whether they are shopping in-store, messaging with chatbots about product specifications, or doing both at the same time.
Brands that want to stay relevant and maintain a loyal customer base — which is critical as it costs five times as much to attract new customers versus maintaining current customers — should recognize the customer journey is cyclical rather than linear, and consider the following steps to create experiences that are emotionally intelligent, digitally driven and continuous.
Transparency is key
Research shows the vast majority (91 percent) of shoppers are more likely to use and recommend a brand that is genuinely transparent. Additionally, brands with a strong social stance or charitable call-to-action resonate more with consumers and make them feel like they are a part of a mission statement. As a result, they are more likely to return. Brands like Everlane, for example, are setting a new standard in corporate social responsibility with their commitment to "radical transparency" — providing in-depth explanations of how, where and with what materials their products are made, as well as inside looks into every single one of their factories around the world.
Everything in omnichannel
The line between physical and digital retail is more ambiguous than ever, as companies that were once purely online players, like Amazon, have infiltrated the brick-and-mortar space (i.e. Whole Foods). In this scenario, these two retail conglomerates are not only transforming the grocery shopping space with hybrid, tech-driven experiences — for example, installing Amazon Lockers at select Whole Foods locations so that customers can pick up their online orders while grabbing last-minute dinner ingredients, but also by rewarding their most loyal customers — Prime Members — with exclusive savings.
Rethink brick & mortar
Despite the massive impact social shopping has had on commerce — like Home Depot's partnership with Pinterest to help consumers virtually shop their home improvement pins — physical stores continue to drive customer retention by fluidly extending the online relationship to an offline conversation. Nespresso is a prime example of a brand that is reinventing their physical stores to make them an exciting, engaging space for experiences that will keep customers coming back. Customers can visit Nespresso stores to soak up the atmosphere, discover their latest coffee machines and take part in a tasting session. Coffee specialists are on hand with tablets to assist shoppers with recommendations and streamline the checkout process, thus maximizing the quality of one-on-one customer interactions.
The data is in the details
Within data lies the "wow" factor customers expect, and it's up to brands to leverage this data to create exceptional and emotionally connected experiences. Reports show 70 percent of consumers would like it if in-store staff knew the contents of their online shopping cart. What's more, 78 percent of consumers say they are more likely to return following a personalized experience. The convergence of in-store data — for example, average spend based on loyalty program data and delivery address — and information gathered from a brand's digital platforms are pivotal in helping in-store and online associates classify the personality of the customer, anticipate their needs and offer more personalized solutions.
Go social
Social messaging systems offer a new way for brands and customers to communicate directly, and allow for seamless browsing and purchasing — with the integration of digital wallets — all on one platform. Domino's, for one, has been successful in enabling customers to order pizza via Facebook Messenger. Additionally, messaging apps like Viber are taking social shopping to a whole new level. Within the platform, users can browse product offerings from top brands like Sephora, Macy's and Forever 21, share items with friends for feedback, connect with brands directly to address questions and finalize their purchases.
In our fast-paced world that demands instant results, five steps may seem like a lot. But the fact is that these recommendations are easy to implement, and even obvious. Brands who want to build and improve their customer relationships need to deliver results that matter to their customers, whether it's enriching in-store experiences, data-driven, personalized recommendations or social connectivity.
