In the early 20th century, businessman Harry Gordon Selfridge coined the term, “the customer is always right.” While this may not always be true, retail shopping remains the most popular way for consumers to purchase goods and services, and customers play a vital role in this. How can shaping the customer’s experience in retail be maintained so businesses can continue to thrive? Errol Andam, formerly of Nike answers this question below.
Retail Shopping is Defined by the Customer
Retail shopping is defined as “the sale of goods or services from a business directly to a consumer for their own use.” This includes both physical stores and online stores, such as websites that can even be accessed through a mobile device.
Of course, it is well known that customers are the lifeblood of any business. The more that customers are buying products, the more the business profits, therefore it is always in a business’s best interest to ensure that their customer experience is top notch.
Customers that have a positive experience with a business are:
- more likely to become repeat customers
- increasing revenue and return on investments
- willing to advocate for the business to new customers
- going to want to share feedback
All of these are likely to increase profit and traffic to the business, so it’s definitely worth investing the time, energy, and money into improving the customer experience.
What Businesses Can Do to Shape the Experience
Shaping the customer experience to create something positive that will keep customers coming back is easier said than done. Luckily, there are various tried and true strategies that have proven successful for optimizing the customer experience again and again.
Use Data
Data is the most important thing when it comes to shaping the customer experience. Especially with the advent of technology, businesses can gain a lot more insight into their customer base and really make every individual’s experience unique.
Data can tell a marketing team how to design their store, what colors and layout to use on their website, and so much more. It can also provide valuable insight into certain demographics and even individual shoppers.
Think About Process
The process of customer experience is another important point to note. Process is otherwise known as the whole act of shopping, from going to a store to browsing to finally buying. When the process of shopping at a business is enjoyable, then the customer will want to shop there more often.
One part of the online shopping process is how easily navigable a website is. If a customer is lost and can’t find what they’re looking for, then they’re not going to bother with the business. If the process is smooth, efficient, and stress-free, then the customer will be happy.
Don’t Forget Human Interaction
In a world of technology, it can be hard to find human-to-human interactions, but this is still an important element in any business. Customers are looking for that human touch, even if they don’t explicitly ask for it.
Human interaction can be anything from great customer service to videos and tutorials on a business website. This makes the customer feel understood and seen, as opposed to the frustration that sometimes comes when stuck interacting with a robot.
