Connect people to platforms for better CX

The retail industry, both in-store and online, typically focuses on showcasing its products. But this strategy alone will not generate more sales, greater customer satisfaction, or an improved experience (CX). We've seen time and time again that human connections—meaningful exchanges and experiences between retailers and customers—are the true drivers of loyalty.

Recent data suggests that customers also have high expectations of retailers. According to PwC research, the factors most important to clients, and those they would be willing to pay extra for, are efficiency, convenience, knowledgeable service, and friendly service.

It's one thing for businesses to rate technology and customer experience when issues arise or the process is interrupted, but SMBs would be wise to always make it a priority. Here's more information on the types of technologies that can enhance customer experience and make customers happier, and how to turn that insight into actionable strategy.

Efficiency and Convenience

Efficiency is easy to overlook, because when processes are powerful and employees use a lot of their time, it can seem like the business is operating at a standard level. Under the hood, however, an efficient business doesn't just start buzzing; it's driven by technology that minimizes friction, maximizes speed and enhances the human element that every customer craves.

System unification plays an important role in increasing efficiency. Unification exists when all elements of a company's technology suite - from CRM to point-of-sale, and all the acronyms in between - are deeply integrated so that powerful AI/ML services can run across of the system. These services, which include customer sentiment analysis, canned pop-up responses, anomaly detection, and chatbots, to name a few, all conspire to save reps time on manual tasks, which reduces personalized customer engagement. On the customer side, tools like chatbots or auto-triggered responses provide immediate support, even on mobile, which can be a key differentiator for retailers looking to improve accessibility and convenience.

Customer context

Seamlessly unifying the customer experience also allows retailers to passively ingest, share, and store all relevant customer information to improve future interactions. When these disparate tools are properly integrated, a unified customer service system gives service representatives immediate access to past customer interactions, product use case details, new product inquiries, and the frequency and to the preferred mode of engagement. Technology provides the right context for retailers to personalize the customer experience, whether in-store or online.