Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from the Retail TouchPoints website.
Adding a myriad of devices and resources to their unique shopping experiences, omnichannel consumers are expecting more out of service experiences — from initial engagement with a brand or retailer to post-purchase interactions.
"Customers are, as a rule, better informed than they have ever been, and are tending not to settle for the 'warm body on the phone' methods used by many businesses that haven't put time, effort and investment into good customer service," said Roy Atkinson, a Principal with Clifton Butterfield, LLC, a consulting the training firm.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) pages and educational YouTube videos, can add a level of self-service that empowers consumers to answer questions on their own.
Live chat and video chat have also gained popularity as efficient ways for service representatives to engage with consumers in a more personal, one-to-one fashion. Supporting this point, 40 percent of consumers say that being able to connect with a brand representative via chat or video chat to have questions answered would help them have a better online shopping experience, according to research from Moxie.
Once consumers make the initial engagement with a chat representative, they expect a quick response: In less than three minutes to be exact, according to Tyler Walton, marketing manager of Clutch. Said Mr. Walton, "In this texting/emailing culture, many consumers prefer to solve problems through the written word rather than spoken word."
While promising to help retailers address issues faster than ever before, digital channels still have to address consumers' top complaint: having to repeat information as they hop from channel to channel. Team members need to have detailed summaries of past purchases, browsing history, as well as past customer service inquiries and interactions — across the call center, the store, e-mail and even live chat and social media.
David VanAmburg, managing director of American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) said internet-based customer service mechanisms, such as email and online chat features, consistently trump call centers in retail and a host of other service industries for ease-of-use and overall satisfaction.
As internet penetration in the U.S. approaches 90 percent of households, Mr. VanAmburg argued that "it is all the more incumbent on retailers to steer traffic to online channels that are more efficient for customers to shop, and communicate and far less costly for retailers to build and maintain."
"Customers will use the web or another electronic means to address simpler issues or questions, but when things get difficult, they want to talk to a live person," Mr. Atkinson explained.