Offering customers with services that keep them loyal to your brand is critical to the success of your organization. This may be accomplished in various ways, but omnichannel customer service is one of the most feasible possibilities.
Customers want to shop on their own terms: when, where, and how they want. They want to access their cart through any channel or device, including in-store.
Omni-channel strategies create a separate and independent shopping ecosystem, which is insufficient to meet this need. Achieving an accessible and connected customer experience requires omnichannel marketing, sales, and customer support.
This guide describes everything you need to create a great omnichannel customer experience. An example of a brand with benefits, action steps, and a great omnichannel experience.
What is Omnichannel Customer Service?
While omnichannel support focuses on pleasing customers, the omnichannel experience is approached across multiple channels. This enables an unrestricted, more cohesive, and integrated customer experience, no matter how involved the customer is.
Simply put, customers can jump from their desktops to the phone, then go to the physical store and have the same experience all the time.
Top 3 Benefits of Omnichannel Customer Service
1. It provides customers with multiple touch-points
Most customers hate waiting in long lines to buy a product or service. They believe they should be easily associated with a particular brand when selected through their favorite channel. With the proliferation of smartphones, more and more customers use channels such as in-app chat, email support, phone, live chat, social networks, and chatbots.
Omnichannel customer support allows you to extend your reach by communicating with your customers through multiple channels through data integration.
2. Boosts customer retention and sales
When omnichannel resources are aligned with marketing strategies, customer interaction is improved. As a result, you can retain existing customers and attract new ones. Omnichannel services treat each channel as a support channel and increase customer conversations. The more you interact with your customers, the more you can convince them to buy.
3. Brands can target different audiences
You can connect with both potential and existing customers by using different communication channels. You can expand your customer base by interacting with your customers through various forms of communication, such as social media and live chat.
It's important to provide an omnichannel customer experience and give your customers more options for interacting beyond regular channels.
5 Examples of Omnichannel Customer Service
It's always good to read about the benefits of omnichannel customer service, but it's always helpful to see it in actual practice. Here are some very good examples of omnichannel customer support that will help you understand how to implement an omnichannel strategy.
1. Timberland
Timberland helps customers better manage their shopping experience by offering customers tablets and giving them direct access to more information about its products. This means you're more likely to shop in-store or online using a customer-generated wishlist.
When entering the store, customers are provided with a tablet computer that can interact with products equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. By tapping on NFC-enabled products, customers can instantly get item information and related product recommendations on their tablets.
Image source: Digiday
2. Disney
Users can use the app to plan their entire trip, get real-time boarding times, unlock hotel rooms, and ask photographers to take pictures. And all of this can be done from a single application.
From the moment you consider booking a ride to the moment you check out of your hotel or leave the park, Disney Guests are connected to hundreds of tools and support systems. Everything can be managed through their phone.
But entertainment companies go one step further with the release of the Magic Band program. This tool acts as a hotel room key, a photo storage device for photos taken with Disney characters, and a food ordering tool. In addition, it features FastPass integration to keep you on the move.
Image source: Disney
3. Starbucks
Starbucks is widely recognized as an excellent advocate of the omnichannel experience. The app provides a seamless user experience that allows customers to pay with Starbucks cards, physical cards, or mobile apps. No matter which option the customer chooses, they can collect points.
You can also search for nearby stores, pre-order your favorite drinks, send gifts, and see new menu items from the app. The Spotify integration has recently been rolled out to allow customers to see what songs are playing in a particular store.
Image source: Starbucks
4. Sephora
Beauty and cosmetics retailer Sephora creates an omnichannel experience that connects shoppers with online purchases and physical store visits. In addition to beauty workshops and free makeovers, customers can access their "Beauty Bag" account via the in-store tablet while shopping.
Sephora encourages customers to make purchases by integrating beauty bag functionality into in-store communication channels to help them narrow down their choices from a huge number of products.
You can use this account to review the details of the article and use digital software to virtually try out the product. If you like an item, you can add it to your wishlist and buy the entire list from the app.
Digital skincare and makeover guides allow caseworkers to capture products used or recommended during the service and send them to clients with video and pre-and post-images for future reference.
Image source: Sephora
5. Pepperfry
Pepperfry is a furniture and decor company based in India. It was built by two friends who wanted to create a comfortable customer experience for buying furniture.
Pepperfry achieves this goal by linking the online store with an immersive personal experience. Customers can buy products online, search for furniture they like, and then visit Studio Pepperfry to see what the product actually looks like.
Customers are given a tour of the studio by a Pepperfry design consultant once they arrive. The consultant assists clients in finding their ideal home decor and gives recommendations to avoid buyers’ regret. When clients locate the furniture they like, they can buy it in-store or order it online from the comfort of their own homes. Customers and salespeople have less friction as leads are less compelled to make an in-store transaction. By integrating the online and in-store experience, customers can easily make product decisions.
Image source: Pepperfry
Conclusion
Omni-channel retail customer experiences require diversity and integration, but it's important to remember that they all come down to providing customers with a better, more immersive experience. It's not just about gathering opportunities. It's also about finding ways to increase brand equity and reputation.
Platforms like Simplify360 can help you manage your omnichannel customer service strategy, with comprehensive insights about brand, agent performance, and competitors.
To know more, visit: https://simplify360.com/ or call on 📞+91 11410 91911 or 📞+91 9667559647.
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