The ability to say to customers: ‘you can have it right now,’ was a competitive differentiator for retailers during a year when online shopping was the only option. Those who could deliver the fastest, with next day- or even same day- delivery, caught the attention of shoppers and won big. Stores of all shapes and sizes had no choice but to ditch their ‘business as usual’ approach and operate differently in 2020.
Now, with stores open again, consumers are rethinking their shopping options; balancing the convenience of online with the immediacy of heading in-store. However, attracting and retaining customers isn’t down to a simple question of online or in-store. The reality is a bit more nuanced, as customers don’t want to go back to the pre-COVID customer experience in its entirety.
With the learnings and data gained from the past year, many firms are already in a great position to build on the digital foundations they have now put in place.
Service agents are better equipped to work remotely and with greater agility; new collaboration tools help teams support each other and customers in a more seamless way; and we’re seeing businesses put customer experience at the heart of their strategy. There’s no going back – customer expectations will only continue to rise. So what comes next?
A hard, rapid reset
The majority of EMEA leaders (67 percent) agree that the global pandemic has accelerated digital transformation by years, according to research from Zendesk. Such a pace of change brings its own challenges, but being able to keep up offers even bigger rewards. Now that the shift to digital is in full swing for many firms, companies are in a much better position and ready to continue their journey to richer digital experiences that complement the in-store experience.
In the UAE and wider GCC, the pandemic has served to accelerate digital economic transformation programmes that were already in place at the public sector level. Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank and a front-runner in digital banking in the MENA region, reported a 59 percent rise in contactless payments – which included both contactless plastic and mobile wallets – year-on-year in 2020. The bank also saw e-commerce transactions increasing by about 25 percent in 2020 over the previous year.
Meanwhile, experts believe that the future isn’t down to online alone – but the real opportunity lies in a seamless blend between brick and clicks to deliver a seamless shopping experience. Brands and customers alike have realised the value and convenience of online interaction. As new channels open up for connecting with customers – ranging from WhatsApp to Instagram – the customer service agents behind these interactions have learned to shift from issue resolution to sales support. Suddenly, the call centre, which was traditionally seen as a business cost, has become the central hub for engaging and selling to customers.
Brands, whether they are fleet-of-foot startups or established heritage retailers, can capitalise on the changing environment, rather than become a victim of it. Take Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group (KOJ) as an example. This major retailer in the fashion and beatify industries – whose franchises include The Body Shop, Lego, The Early Learning Centre and Neal’s Yard, to name a few – have increased the use of digital communication channels to ensure that they provide a customized experience to their customers, most of whom (95%) visit their stores online. Responding to customer preferences, the retailer added WhatApp messaging as one of the communications tools, helping them to manage an increased number of engagements with customers to collect even further insight. In addition, by systemizing the responses through automation, KOJ was able to reduce response time to 30 minutes, increasing customer satisfaction.
Hi-tech shopping
Remove the friction between retailer and consumer, and new opportunities can be created. With a connected and digital approach across channels, companies can make the technology work harder for them to deliver both personalisation at scale and actionable data insights. Once the basics are there, there are endless possibilities to grow and evolve.
Amazon, a store famous for the removal of friction in the purchase process online, has now brought that same frictionless process to physical stores with the arrival of Amazon Fresh in the US and UK. Examples like this don’t just show models of more convenient shopping, they also create the much sought after asset that every retailer wants – a way to design a shopper persona that connects both the online and physical store. This opens the door for more personalised options in the future and will enable shoppers to have a tailor-made experience, with individual discounts, recommendations and communication options wherever they shop.
Businesses that didn’t already have CRM systems connected in their stores are now forced to think about how they can integrate e-commerce, customer service and in-store systems to recreate that highly efficient and seamless experience. By employing an integrated omnichannel customer service solution, brands will find it easier to deliver greater personalisation and interactivity – whether that’s through the store assistant, a customer service agent, or even a chatbot.
Come through for your customers
The MENA’s e-commerce sector is among the fastest growing in the world, reaching a value of $22 billion by the end of 2020. And while many may be excited to return to bricks and mortar stores, the novelty will eventually wear off and retailers have to be ready. This isn’t about betting on whether the pendulum will swing towards online or physical stores, it’s about creating a symbiotic relationship between the two. Although shoppers like the price comparison and quick click convenience of online, they like the tactile experience of the store. Both should coexist, but with digital communication running through the two like the pass of a baton in a relay race.
The writer is vice-president for the UK, Ireland and Emerging Markets at Zendesk
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