Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from the Retail TouchPoints website.
To Robert (Bob) Willett, the retired CIO of Best Buy, true customer-centricity certainly involves technology but also providing store associates with the freedom to reach service excellence.
"There are some retailers and service providers who stick religiously to a standard operating procedure and employees have very defined roles," says Mr. Willett, who also had held the title of CEO of Best Buy's international division and is a former global managing partner at Accenture.
He adds, "That doesn't leave much room for employees to meet the needs of customers. To be customer-centric, in my view, an organization has to stretch in terms of exceeding customer expectations both through behavior and technology."
Among the retailers he sees as particularly customer-centric are Zara, Apple, Nordstrom and British retailer John Lewis.
"(John Lewis) employees go out of their way for their customers and the employees have a stake in the retailer's success," said Mr. Willett. "Customers know that John Lewis is not going to be the least expensive or the most expensive store, but the retailer offers great value and has gained a tremendous amount of trust with shoppers."
In regard to technology, Mr. Willett said a customer-centric organization has to have the tools in place to identify and know more about their prime customers so that a retailer coming in contact with them, whether in store or online, can tailor the response to their needs. Mr. Willett adds, "It is a matter of solutions-based selling versus transaction-oriented selling."
"When a retailer really understands the data and the shoppers, it becomes a much more relevant experience for the consumer," said Mr. Willett. "From the customer's experience, they are more willing to share information with retailers that can provide solutions for them. Also, encryption and tokenization technologies make it safer to share this data. We're getting there."
At the end of the day, however, it is not about processes or technology, but about investing in people. Mr. Willett states, "Personal interaction becomes more and more important in a competitive environment. Successful retailers have employees who behave like owners."