Customer Service

Nearly 90 percent of retail sales still take place in physical stores. Yet the rise of voice-activated “intelligent assistants” such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home is taking the brand relationship out of the store and into the home, forever changing the way that consumers engage with products and services. Fortunately for retailers, the same…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Caitlin Sullivan discuss L.L.Bean's decision to change its famously generous return policy, the implications it may have on the brand, and what it means for its competitors.

The 2018 retail landscape is one of evolving platforms and new technology-driven consumer dynamics in which they change their preferences and purchasing methods as often as they change their shopping lists. So, how can retailers keep up with today's chaotic consumer behavior? Customer centricity is no longer an option, it's a marketing imperative.Today’s consumers are…

As ticket volume invariably rises during the holidays, companies can find it challenging to manage both the influx of customers and the accompanying surge of support tickets. What’s more, that ticket surge will vary by channel, along with increasing service expectations for the channel of their choice. This report evaluates trends in customer service from past holiday seasons, what they mean for retailers, and how companies can better prepare for this year's holiday season — the biggest, most crucial time of year for customer support.

The holiday season can be a chaotic time for businesses. Customers set high expectations for company services and retailers must typically hire temporary workers to keep up. While the holiday season might be a time of complicated balancing acts for any retail business, a company owner or manager should also be aware of the post-holiday…

Digital consumers today play retail hopscotch as shopping spans many channels. Wherever consumers buy, in stores or online, one competitive challenge remains — ensuring great customer experiences. Exemplary service is the differentiator. It will separate businesses that step up from those forced to step aside in 2018, as these trends shaping customer service indicate. Trend…

My seven-year-old son, Hendrix, has quite the green thumb. Last winter, we started preparing for our upcoming gardening season. Together, we researched what types of fruits and vegetables we wanted to plant, and we plotted it against our garden footprint. Hendrix was diligent in making sure each plant had everything it needed to be healthy…

Not long ago, customers wanting to make a purchase had two choices: physically walk into a retail store or call a 1-800 number to place an order. While these seem limited in today’s world of omnichannel commerce, there were benefits. Most importantly, it supported the ability to create and maintain a strong brand. After all,…

As we begin 2018, it’s safe to say that artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to infiltrate our everyday lives and challenge business processes to become more intelligent and proactive. In fact, according to Forrester, 38 percent of enterprises are already using artificial intelligence, growing to 62 percent by 2018. Additionally, IDC believes AI will be a $47 billion…

Ask and you shall (usually) receive. According to research from Accenture, 35 percent of millennials and 40 percent of Gen Zs say they often or very often provide retailers with direct feedback when prompted. Make the most of this opportunity, especially with the younger part of your customer base, by gathering valuable insights whenever possible. The…