The digital revolution has raised the bar for retailers. A retailer may offer a smartphone app, same-day delivery, personalised recommendations and, say, mobile payments, but if these capabilities don’t blend seamlessly across multiple channels, the customer experience will be inferior to that offered by a retailer who does some or all of these things well.
In the last decade, consumer behaviours, preferences and expectations have changed beyond all recognition. Retailers must now create consistent, personalised customer experiences by optimising all channels and going to market with an integrated strategy. Doing this successfully requires investment in business solutions that are agile and cohesive.
To deliver consistent customer experiences, it’s important to…
1.GET CONNECTED
Today’s customers interact with brands across a range of online and offline touchpoints. They react to in-the-moment views and reviews on social media. They research products on smartphones. They expect immediate access to information, and a personalised service. You have to give it to them or they’ll move on.
2.DRIVE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
Accurate information is vital to effective decision making. A detailed, holistic view of the business is therefore essential to modern CFOs. Microsoft Dynamics ERP solutions combined with Microsoft Analytics enables insights that drive better ongoing business performance.
3.OBTAIN A UNIFIED VIEW OF THE CUSTOMER
All staff members who interact with a customer by any means need a unified, at-a-glance view of all interactions to date with that customer. Research shows that in growing companies, customer-facing employees are 12% more likely to have seen all the invoices associated with a specific customer than in companies with lower (or negative) growth rates.
4.UTILISE CONSISTENT KNOWLEDGE AND DATA
To answer customer questions reliably, front-office personnel need consistent data and excellent knowledge of business processes. We found that in growing companies, staff are 54% more likely to be able to track orders than in businesses with less favourable prospects.
5.OFFER INTELLIGENT AND PERSONALISED INTERACTIONS
Most growing businesses are good at building an offline rapport with customers. Yet they must become adept at doing this online, too. Personalised interactions are the key. Offering all customers the same thing makes no sense: they are individuals with different interests, tastes, and requirements. Offering them what they want or need can only be achieved via the application of high-quality customer data.
To find out more visit www.k3retail.ie