How to create a great retail customer experience.

As competition for customer loyalty intensifies, today’s retailers must focus on creating memorable experiences that set them apart from the competition. As we’ve emphasized previously, it isn’t enough to just have a great product anymore - customers expect to be treated as individuals, and are more likely to return if they feel valued and appreciated. That’s why a great retail customer experience is so important.

Creating a positive customer experience in a retail setting requires more than just having friendly staff and agents or easy-to-navigate stores or websites. It requires an overall understanding of what makes customers feel appreciated, valued, and confident that they are making the right decision. Understanding consumer behavior can help retailers tailor their experiences to meet customer needs and preferences.

In this article we’ll go through what makes retail customer experience so important, and give some examples of how to do it by showing you how we’ve done it for many of our brilliant clients. By focusing on cutting edge tech but never losing sight of the importance of the human aspect we manage to create something special - over and over again.

What makes a great retail customer experience?

A great online retail customer experience should be intuitive and enjoyable for customers. It should be seamless from start to finish. The customer should be able to effortlessly complete the process of purchase. But it doesn’t stop there.

Customer support should also be an integral part of any retail experience. Retailers should strive to create positive customer experiences with friendly staff that are knowledgeable about the products and services they're offering. Customers should be able to quickly find the answers they need and have their questions answered with patience and care.

It's also important to keep up with the latest trends and technology when it comes to retail customer experience. Consumers increasingly expect retailers to use technology that makes shopping and support easier, faster, and more secure. This includes everything from better agents to virtual assistants like chatbots and voice recognition software. 

How does Transcom do it?

The basic principle of good retail customer support is easy - enable the agent to do their best, and enable the customer to do what they want. Apart from that we’re looking to make and keep customers happy through customer care and retention.

Enabling agents.

A good and capable agent is the first step towards a truly excellent retail customer experience. Anyone who has worked with people knows that they are capable of an unimaginable number of questions and have an endless supply of problems. That ‘s why you need great agents that are empowered by tech to be the best they can. 

ADA - Agent Development Accelerator.

The first step is, as could have been guessed, training. A Transcom we know that better training means a vastly better service and lower costs, but we also know that training is very time consuming. Training a single agent can take weeks - sure you can train them in bluk but they still need a personalized touch. This length of training is exasperated by the fact that training good agents well takes even more time.

That’s why we’ve put our efforts into ADA - our agent development accelerator. Better agents, faster - through the power of AI. The key part in any agent training process is roleplaying scenarios with customers to prepare agents for what’s to come and to see how they would handle it. This shows the trainer roughly where the agent needs to improve and gives the agent an idea of what the calls will look like.

While integral, roleplay is fundamentally flawed. The people acting it out can never fully get into the roles which leads to skewed expectations and bad preparations. ADA is built to tackle that. We have created an AI that you can call and which can take on truly countless personas with a high level of nuance and complexity. This means that you can have customers ranging from just plain angry about something to ones who want to buy a service or a product but are prepared to be coy and haggle. A lot. 

All of this, combined with ADA’s analytics capabilities which tell your agents exactly where they may be lacking, leads to a truly excellent retail customer experience due to the quality and efficiency of customer support.

Analytics.

After training, when your agents have settled into their new roles, you might think that that’s it. They know what they know. They do the job the way they do it. While, by some stroke of incredible luck, this may work it is highly unlikely. Agents tend to fall into patterns and figure out their way of doing things which might be easy but not necessarily the best. That’s where cold, hard data comes in.

By using analytics you can pinpoint areas for improvement or things that other agents should take on. From tone of voice to speech patterns, every little thing matters. That’s why we love data and statistics. By collecting, analyzing, and utilizing data from your agents you can create an operation truly on the top of it’s game. 

Performance tracking and development.

Another way of following your agents’ performance is through performance tracking through platforms like T:Perform. This tool focuses on growth through coaching and guidance. Here we’re aiming at the employee as a person, not as a worker. 

This approach leads to better performance, higher productivity, better agents experience, and customer satisfaction. The reasoning behind this is simple: Happy agents produce happy customers.

Enabling customers.

Apart from the focus on agents you can also focus on providing your customers with the means to do things their way. Some customers do not want to use a foreign language. They don’t have the time to wait on the phone but would rather use instant messaging. They want their answers as quickly as possible. Your job is to encourage this. To have systems in place that enable the customer to do things their way.

Omnichannel Solutions.

You know what's really transformed in customer service? It's the way customers choose to get in touch with us. Once upon a time, it was just the good old telephone. Then came emails and chats. And now? We're reaching out to customers on instant messaging and social media.

But here's the problem. With so many channels open, things can get a little messy. 

Each channel may operate in its own little world; a customer might get in touch on one, spell out their issue, then switch to another only to start all over. Sounds inconvenient, right? That's why going all-in on multiple channels might be counterproductive and sometimes result in less-than-stellar customer satisfaction scores.

But don't worry, we've got a handle on this. Transcom’s Omnichannel Solution. It's where we take the flexibility of multiple channels and sprinkle in the crystal-clear data of a single channel. Imagine it like this: your agents get a neat, complete history of a customer's interactions and inquiries. The result? Customers spend less time in waiting limbo and their issues are solved quicker. A practically perfect retail customer experience.

Automated Translation.

Imagine if your customer service agents could speak every language in the world. Quite the superpower, right? That's where Transcom's AI-powered tool, Automated Translation, comes in. It's like a secret language decoder ring, providing near-instant translations in over a hundred languages. And it's not just some rough translation - we're talking 97% accuracy.

So, what does this mean for your customers? They can chat away in their native language, making them feel right at home. It levels up the retail customer experience, and we all know how much customers appreciate that personal touch

But wait, there's more. Automated Translation isn't just a one-trick pony. It can work its magic on both text and voice. It’s also a breeze to use due to the fact that it takes no more than a click to operate. Plus, it's super flexible, fitting right into your omnichannel strategy. And the cherry on top? It keeps a written record of all the conversations, so your agents don't have to play back the chat in their heads or keep asking customers to repeat themselves.

Chatbots.

You know, there's an alternative to the traditional customer service routine that not only takes pressure off your team, but also ensures speedy responses, drastically boosts the rate of issue resolution on the first try, and pretty much guarantees happier customers. We're talking about the magic of chatbots.

Think about this: a well-oiled chatbot is like a virtual assistant, always ready to step in and handle those simple, straightforward inquiries that, honestly, can be a bit tiresome for your customer service agents. This frees up your team to tackle the more challenging issues that truly need their expertise. A win-win, right? The agents feel their skills are being put to good use and the folks on the other end of the line get quicker, efficient assistance.

But it doesn't stop there. A cherry on top is that chatbots have a knack for directing customers to the right agent for their specific needs. This means that your customers get the best possible retail customer experience, and your customer satisfaction rating takes a pleasant hike. Truly, it's a game-changer that keeps everyone smiling.

Anything in between.

There are also steps to take that don’t necessarily fit the enabling of either customer or agent. They are focused on creating a pleasant experience for the customer in general. From customer care to security, let’s delve into some general touches you can put on your service.

Customer care.

Let's have a heart-to-heart about this: customer care is all about those tiny, seemingly insignificant gestures that let your customers know you value them. Picture this: You're returning a product and the process is hassle-free, with no third-degree interrogation involved. Or maybe, you're going through a rough patch, and on top of the excellent service you're already getting, they throw in a little something extra just to brighten your day. 

Sounds like a dream, right? The best thing about it is that these things cost nothing or next to nothing so you’re not bleeding money. But for your customers? It's like striking gold. It leaves them grinning from ear to ear, eager to pop back into your store, and ready to sing your praises to their friends and family. Now, that's what we call a win-win.

So, don't be afraid to show your customers that you care. A simple heartfelt gesture can go a long way in making their day special. Give them an unforgettable retail customer experience and they'll come back for more because a great retail customer experience means more than you may imagine.

Content moderation and security.

In the retail sector, it's all about mutual trust. Consider this - every time a customer shops with you, they're sharing some pretty sensitive stuff. Their name, home address, and even credit card details. It's a big deal.

We understand that in the retail industry security is paramount. Rest assured, we're in your corner. When it comes to protecting your customers' data, we at Transcom don't just step up to the plate - we knock it out of the park. We use the most advanced technologies and processes to ensure that your customers’ information is as safe as possible. It's what we do, and quite frankly, we wouldn't have it any other way.

And as for your customers? They shouldn't have to give security a second thought. In fact, if they do, it's likely because something's off. Ideally, security works best when it's quiet, unobtrusive, yet totally dependable. That’s the way that Transcom likes to operate.

Customer retention.

When it comes to the health of your business, nothing is more vital than nurturing the relationships you have with your customers. Sure, attracting new customers is necessary, but it's your regulars—the ones who stick with you through thick and thin—that really form the backbone of your enterprise. Their loyalty is priceless. 

How do we do this for our clients, you ask? Well, the secret lies in delivering a retail customer experience that they won't forget. We focus on cultivating genuine relationships with customers, ensuring that each interaction is seamless, efficient, and tinged with that extra bit of sparkle. After all, when everything is so effortless and extraordinary, why would anyone want to shop anywhere else but you