Customer Service

Curbside pickup is here to stay so it's time to make it work better

Brian Donnelly, marketing director at LivePerson, shares that winning retailers will be those which offer consumers a seamless, convenient curbside pickup experience. The losers will be those that continue to leave customers confused in their parking lots and struggling to engage associates to fulfill their orders.

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August 14, 2020 by Brian Donnelly — Marketing Director, LivePerson

The first time I tried curbside pickup, stores were shuttered and I, like many, was on a home improvement kick. My enthusiasm waned, however, when I was met with a haphazard queue of cars in the home supply store parking lot — and zero guidance. When a brave, aproned soul finally emerged from the store, he asked me if I had called in. I had, but nobody picked up. "Did you call the number on the sign?" He asked. What sign? He looked around, his eyes finally falling on an errant piece of posterboard on the sidewalk. "Oh wait, it blew over."

The pandemic has put new urgency behind contactless shopping modalities, including curbside pickup, and retailers have responded. According to Retail Info Systems, 44% now offer curbside pickup as a fulfillment option. Of those retailers not currently offering curbside pickup, a third are rushing to implement a solution. However in their haste to address a customer demand that arose virtually overnight, curbside fulfillment protocols have been marked by improvisation, confusion, and frustration for both customers and staff.

Customers are reporting long wait times, sporadic availability of associates, and unclear instructions at stores large and small. While customers have been patient and understanding of the extraordinary nature of the pandemic circumstances, as curbside pickup persists as an in-demand option, their expectations will only rise.

It's time to move beyond improvisation and think about long-term, sustainable curbside fulfillment. According to McKinsey, consumer behaviors shifts related to COVID-19 will persist well after the virus is controlled, and "to meet rising customer demand for contactless fulfillment options, retailers should introduce curbside pickup... and continuously improve execution." In fact, 76% of US retail executives plan to improve the integration between online channels and stores. Curbside pickup, where the order starts online but is fulfilled at the store, is a perfect example.

Customer expectations for a seamless, convenient curbside pickup experience will create winners and losers in retail. The winners will be those that offer safe, coordinated, and clear fulfillment without requiring customers to exit vehicles. The losers will be those that continue to leave customers confused in their parking lots, struggling to engage associates to fulfill their orders. Here's how to avoid falling into the latter category:

1. Don't make customers call you from the parking lot

Unless you can guarantee someone will be free to immediately pick up and fulfill the order, this is going to cause frustration. Store associates are not typically twiddling their thumbs waiting for the phone to ring, they're busy serving other customers. And if a customer sitting in the parking lot gets put on hold or not answered at all, their patience will wear thin as they lose valuable time in their day. Make sure you have an automated way to initiate the fulfillment that doesn't rely on the consistent availability of a store associate.

2. Don't leave customers marooned

The number one frustration customers have with curbside pickup is being left waiting too long. With the lack of standards around curbside fulfillment, some may wait patiently for ten minutes while others may demand answers after three. And when these customers want a status update, how do they get it?

If the only two options customers have to get a status update are calling or coming into the store, you don't have an acceptable option. A call will require (again) availability of a store associate, who may well not be the associate working on the order — which will waste everyone's time re-establishing context. Coming into the store means the customer is so frustrated they are taking the safety risk they tried to avoid by ordering curbside pickup in the first place, meaning you have a sorely disappointed customer on your hands. Make sure you are proactive with status updates and have a convenient channel for customers to make inquiries during the fulfillment process.

3. Don't rely on mobile browsers or your app

There's a reason mobile web conversion rates are half that of desktop: mobile browsers are rife with usability issues. Couple that with a lack of parking lot wifi and fleeting cellular data connections, and there's no guarantee that your customer won't be met with an error message rather than a confirmation when they check on their orders. Even if they do succeed, are you marooning them as spelled out above, or does your web service offer proactive status notifications and two-way conversation capabilities?

Your app may offer a better digital experience, but chances are your customers, outside of your devotees, don't have it or want it. Brand apps are unpopular mainly because, as a Statista study indicates, people don't install more than twenty apps, and most of those are social media, messaging, or specific high-traction commerce apps like ridesharing or meal delivery. Individual brands' apps often just don't warrant this rarefied space on the customer's phone. Instead of asking customers to use your app exclusively, give them an option to use the apps they already have, like messaging.

A better way to do curbside

In light of the factors above, consider automating your curbside experience on a mobile-native channel your customers already use, like SMS, iMessage. or WhatsApp.

From these messaging apps, customers can initiate fulfillment conversations upon arrival at your location by simply scanning a QR code on a sign or punching in a short number.

Messaging channels are readily automated with chatbots, which save associate time on simple tasks by greeting customers, collecting info like order number and vehicle make/model, and even providing status updates. Best of all, chatbots can route inquiries to store staff equipped with tablets when that special human touch (contactless, of course!) is necessary. Curbside pickup is here to stay. It's time to make it a great, safe experience for your customers.