Customers aren’t waiting patiently for laggard retailers to catch up with their digital offerings.
Alan Linter, Capita’s Innovation Director, explains why agility and adaptability aren’t nice-to-haves but prerequisites for success and are easier to achieve than you may think.
The pandemic certainly didn’t create the shift from in-store to online shopping - that journey was already well underway. But, come UK lockdown in March, when all but essential shops were shut and consumers turned to digital channels for their every need, the category experienced six years of forecast growth in just six months.
While no retailer could have anticipated this surge, many thrived, relishing the opportunity to showcase the benefits of a digital lifestyle and convert previously reluctant or occasional consumers.
However, this doesn’t mean that customers are sitting patiently waiting for laggard retailers to get their act together or that they’re prepared to wait for online customer service and support during busy periods.
Nor are they prepared to make allowances for a lesser experience than they would have had in store, whether that’s a confusing layout, inappropriate product suggestions, a clumsy online check-out process or a lack of support for refunds and returns.
Catch-up time is over
Instead, customers now expect the best of both worlds: the personal service and immersive experience of in-store and a clockwork, low-click digital experience.
They want to be able check out in a single click, view a virtual sofa in their own living room and track the progress of their delivery right to their door.
As a result, a retailer’s digital offering is only as strong as the weakest link in whatever journey a customer is expecting to make.
As the number-one provider of customer management services in the UK, at Capita we see the challenges that retailers face in dealing with the dual pressures of instability today and uncertainty tomorrow.
But, despite the fact that the end-of-year peak trading period is fast approaching, it’s not too late for retailers to turn this instability into instant agility and be prepared for a range of potential scenarios.
Even at the last minute, it’s possible to be able to instantly provide whatever information customers might need about their order or delivery, be responsive to social media and ensure that, even in peak times, customer experience remains at a consistently high quality.
Digital transformation is within your grasp - and doesn’t cost the earth
This might sound like a logistical and budgetary nightmare. However, many retailers have been pleasantly surprised to discover that, thanks to new technology from virtual customer contact centres to conversational AI, they can quickly and cost-effectively rise to the challenge of the coming peak while being readier and more resilient for whatever surprises 2021 brings.
For example, virtual contact centre solutions can flex around unpredictable trading patterns. They can harness data and analytics to empower agents with prompts that allow them to protect vital revenues by having more productive, empathetic conversations.
Websites can be brought to life with augmented reality to make them more immersive and exciting and drive more conversions. Conversational AI can ensure that questions are answered quickly and accurately and contact centre resources deployed where they’re needed most.
With the right tools and technologies, good customer experience is not only seamless but looks and feels effortless.
Alan Linter
Innovation and Data Science Director at Capita
In his current role, Alan is responsible for searching out new and innovative technology solutions that allow our clients to be at the forefront of customer service delivery. He is also responsible for our Data Science practice that looks to link complex data sets and maximise the value that data can generate for clients in improving customer experience, generating revenue and reducing costs.
