The Personalization Disconnect: What Retailers Are Getting Wrong

Personalization, and personalized service, are crucial for luxury retailers, as they help to create a more engaging shopping experience for customers. Personalization can involve a variety of activities, including tailoring product offerings and marketing campaigns to meet the specific needs and preferences of individual customers; offering personalized recommendations, including upsells and cross-sells; and providing individualized attention and service.

However, despite the importance of personalization, there are often areas of disconnect or areas where retailers are getting it wrong. One common area of disconnect is the lack of consistent personalization across different channels and touchpoints. For example, a customer may receive personalized recommendations and offers via email, but receive a generic experience when visiting the retailer's website. There can also be disconnects when the customer makes an in-store visit — e.g., a sales associates cannot access the customer’s history, profile and preferences, or if associates can’t access product data or product availability information to meet the customer’s needs. These inconsistencies can be frustrating for customers and undermine the retailer's efforts to create a personalized experience.

Another area of disconnect is the lack of integration between different tech systems and departments. Retailers may have different teams responsible for different channels or touchpoints, resulting in a disconnected and fragmented customer experience, especially in instances where the customer needs assistance. This can be particularly problematic for luxury retailers, which often rely on a seamless and integrated customer experience to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

To fix these areas of disconnect, retailers need to take a holistic approach to personalization and focus on creating a consistent and integrated customer experience across all channels and touchpoints. This can involve investing in technology and systems that allow for the seamless integration of customer data and the creation of personalized experiences. It can also involve training and empowering employees to provide personalized service and building cross-functional teams that work together to create a cohesive customer experience.

Retailers can also seek feedback from their customers and use that information to inform their personalization efforts. By regularly soliciting customer feedback and using it to identify areas of improvement, retailers can ensure that their personalization efforts are meeting the needs and expectations of their customers.

Personalization is crucial for luxury retailers, but there are often areas of disconnect that can undermine the customer experience. By taking a holistic approach to personalization and focusing on creating a consistent and integrated customer experience, retailers can fix these areas of disconnect and deliver a more personalized and engaging shopping experience for their customers.

Susan Jeffers is the founder and CEO of XY Retail, a  a global POS and unified commerce solution.