CAN YOU TEMPT ME OFF THE SOFA AND INTO A SHOP?
TRULY OUTSTANDING SHOPPER EXPERIENCES – HOW RETAIL STORES CAN THRIVE
For the past few years I’ve been a coach potato when it comes to shopping. I’ve been of the mindset of ‘why bother’ with crowded shopping centres when I can sit at home and fire up the internet? But after finding myself (not for the first time) saying ‘that’s not how it looked online’ I realised I actually missed going to the shops. Don’t get me wrong, I not going to pack away my laptop anytime soon but there’s no online replacement for either the expert knowledge an advisor can impart or seeing for myself what I’m just about to purchase. I don’t think it’s just me either. There seems to be a bit of a resurgence going on with people valuing a proper in-store experience.
But now that stores have regained my custom I feel a bigger challenge lies ahead. How to keep me, and others, coming back?
The answer is how well you can respond to customer needs. When a shopper enters a store, ask yourself whether they’re looking to buy or browse? Is your store being used as a shop or a showroom? If it’s the latter, you’ll need to work hard to bring the customer round and the only way to do that is to offer a package of product and service that is simply too good to refuse. It’s all about giving shoppers a truly outstanding experience.
But how? How do you arm your staff with the knowledge required to efficiently deal with customer queries? How do you give them access to latest stock data, pricing deals and promotional information? How do you make shoppers feel safe and protected from accidents and incidents while in your store? How do you balance technology with the desire for a personalised experience that makes each and every customer feel special?
"53% OF EUROPEANS WOULD RATHER SPEAK TO A HUMAN SHOP ASSISTANT
THAN USE INTERACTIVE IN-STORE TECHNOLOGY"
- Meet the European Connected Customer, Retail Week and Osbourne Clarke, 2016
As an employee at Motorola Solutions I see the true value of workforce communication everyday, and this could indeed be the answer to building a superior shopping experience for everyone. Unified voice and data communications connects people with real-time information - from the showroom to the till, from the warehouse to the accounting office, from the car park to the security desk. It seems to me that with everyone communicating as one team, staff can satisfy customer requests quicker and deal with unforeseen events more efficiently. That’s good for getting people off the sofa.
So next time you have an internet shopper like myself in your store, think about unified voice and data communications. It may be easier than you think to make the visit memorable.
Blog
CAN YOU TEMPT ME OFF THE SOFA AND INTO A SHOP?
TRULY OUTSTANDING SHOPPER EXPERIENCES – HOW RETAIL STORES CAN THRIVE
For the past few years I’ve been a coach potato when it comes to shopping. I’ve been of the mindset of ‘why bother’ with crowded shopping centres when I can sit at home and fire up the internet? But after finding myself (not for the first time) saying ‘that’s not how it looked online’ I realised I actually missed going to the shops. Don’t get me wrong, I not going to pack away my laptop anytime soon but there’s no online replacement for either the expert knowledge an advisor can impart or seeing for myself what I’m just about to purchase. I don’t think it’s just me either. There seems to be a bit of a resurgence going on with people valuing a proper in-store experience.
But now that stores have regained my custom I feel a bigger challenge lies ahead. How to keep me, and others, coming back?
The answer is how well you can respond to customer needs. When a shopper enters a store, ask yourself whether they’re looking to buy or browse? Is your store being used as a shop or a showroom? If it’s the latter, you’ll need to work hard to bring the customer round and the only way to do that is to offer a package of product and service that is simply too good to refuse. It’s all about giving shoppers a truly outstanding experience.
But how? How do you arm your staff with the knowledge required to efficiently deal with customer queries? How do you give them access to latest stock data, pricing deals and promotional information? How do you make shoppers feel safe and protected from accidents and incidents while in your store? How do you balance technology with the desire for a personalised experience that makes each and every customer feel special?
"53% OF EUROPEANS WOULD RATHER SPEAK TO A HUMAN SHOP ASSISTANT
THAN USE INTERACTIVE IN-STORE TECHNOLOGY"
- Meet the European Connected Customer, Retail Week and Osbourne Clarke, 2016
As an employee at Motorola Solutions I see the true value of workforce communication everyday, and this could indeed be the answer to building a superior shopping experience for everyone. Unified voice and data communications connects people with real-time information - from the showroom to the till, from the warehouse to the accounting office, from the car park to the security desk. It seems to me that with everyone communicating as one team, staff can satisfy customer requests quicker and deal with unforeseen events more efficiently. That’s good for getting people off the sofa.
So next time you have an internet shopper like myself in your store, think about unified voice and data communications. It may be easier than you think to make the visit memorable.