Dos and Don’ts of a Cross-Channel Customer Experience

With websites, smartphones, tablets, mobile shopping applications and in-store shopping, retailers have the opportunity to connect with consumers on several different channels. While many retailers know the key to a memorable customer experience across multiple channels is brand and data consistency, for some this may prove to be a challenge. Below are some thoughts around how every retailer can create a better experience for their customers, regardless of the channel:

Do anticipate customer needs. Any negative retail experience will leave a lasting imprint. In addition to stocking up on known and predicted best-sellers, examine customer shopping data to identify key trends around customer behavior from prior seasons. With this information you can allocate the appropriate customer resources and support to each of your retail channels, helping to ensure each customer has a seamless experience.

Don’t make the customer run in circles. Customer service representatives (CSRs) should have enough information about the customer and all the data around a specific item on hand so they can quickly give answers to customers rather than sending them to multiple representatives or departments. Regardless of channel, you need to guarantee your product stock information is consistent across all platforms and that your staff can quickly access this data to provide it to customers.

Do proactively offer information. While it’s possible that top-selling products may sell out at some point during the year, you always need to communicate product availability to consumers. By specifically noting the item’s availability and its anticipated arrival, you can immediately provide answers to shoppers and give them an accurate time frame of delivery or suggest when they should return to purchase the product.

Don’t go silent. Even the best retailers encounter unsatisfied customers. Regardless of how egregious the error or how upset the customer, address the situation immediately. In addition to always answering the phone, customers should never reach a busy signal. Identify a strategy or solution where customers can get in touch with you at any time to receive accurate answers and up-to-date information.

This same strategy applies to social media. Respond to any angry customer that publicly complains. Whether the experience takes place over the phone, online or in person, customers will always remember how you either successfully handled or fumbled a situation.

Do create a consistent brand experience. Your brand must feel, look and sound the same across every channel. If you're planning to incorporate new images on your website, ensure that those images are also replicated within your stores, catalogs and mobile applications. Today’s consumers face an increasingly crowded market, so offering them a cohesive experience through sight, sound and attitude can distinguish their experience between one retailer and another.

Don’t hope the product will sell itself. Several channels give retailers the opportunity to recommend certain products based on a specific customer’s past purchases or suggest an item that other customers have highly recommended. This insight into a consumer’s behavior enables you to make customized recommendations, increasing the opportunity for making a sale and creating a personalized experience for each and every shopper.

Do offer ideas and solutions. Outside of providing product recommendations, retailers need to be as helpful and resourceful as possible. While in-store operations are blessed with an in-house customer service team to immediately answer any questions, retailers should provide the exact same experience to their mobile, online and catalog shoppers.

Ideally you should create a central system of CSRs that can be reached via phone, email and social networks. By directing customers to a centralized customer support team, you immediately connect the customer to a staff member that's knowledgeable in a certain area. They may even have insight through past conversations with this customer, which can streamline the conversation and save the customer from having to repeat themselves.

It’s in your best interest to create an experience for consumers that's memorable and personalized. By focusing on the customer experience, you have a better chance of not only securing a sale, but also building brand loyalty within your customer base.

Dave Toliver is director of corporate marketing at Angel, a cloud-based customer experience solutions provider. Reach Dave on Twitter @detoliver.