CX in retail: experience is the new branding

Today’s consumer can buy whatever they want, wherever and whenever they want. Customer experience has become the new branding—both before and after purchase. But the more connected people are, the more frustrated they become at retailers that treat them differently depending on which channel they’re using.

You can’t truly put the customer first if a complex patchwork of systems, resulting from merged technologies and processes, prevents your agents from delivering positive outcomes. You can’t simplify the customer experience when you’re still playing channel pinball. If all you have is a simple interaction history rather than intelligent insight, you can’t offer well-timed and targeted recommendations that make the customer feel like you truly know them. And if you can’t resolve issues in the first instance, customers will lose the will to live—let alone spend—as they hear the strains of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on eternal loop while on hold.

So what can we learn from the blueprint of those retailers that are winning? What we’re seeing on a day-to-day basis is that they view their contact centre as a value generator, rather than a cost centre, and they never rest on their laurels.

Yes, that requires a level of focused, ongoing investment and technological sophistication. But more importantly, a customer-centric model requires the conviction to promote an open culture, to break down organisational silos and unify objectives, to build a solid foundation for implementing new tools and technologies. Get it right, however, and customers will do your marketing and acquisition for you—sharing their experiences with friends across social channels.

Your contact centre: business expense or profit centre?

Learn more and check out the eGuide, “Turn your contact centre into a revenue generator: 5 trends you need to know.“