Retailing: From A to Z

Consistency makes good customer experiences better for all parties. Thus, we must ask. Are firms doing well with customer service (the customer experience). Or is it just hype? Some firms are doing well, other not so much. And consistency of the customer experience is essential for their loyalty. As a result, customers must be satisfied EVERY TIME they interact with a firm.

According to Forrester:

“Today, there are growing consumer expectations, rising customer churn rates, and more options with lower barriers to switch. Therefore, a firm’s customer experience (CX) moves to center stage. And CX leaders grow revenue faster than CX laggards. In addition, they drive higher brand preference. Also, they can charge more for their products.”

Before moving to today’s topic, look at these posts:

• Closing the Customer Experience Gap
• Better Customer Experience: Factor Consideration
• Customer Service — Or Lip Service?
• Why the Customer Experience May Fail
• A Customer Experience Infographic

Consistency Makes Good Customer Experiences Better

For this section, we turn to observations by Connie Harrington for Customer Think. First are some insights. Then, we show a few graphics:

“Creating a single standout customer experience (CX) may get a customer’s attention — but does it win their loyalty? Not always. Companies that have made progress along the CX path recognize that delivering consistent experiences across multiple interactions helps fortify customer loyalty. Fostering consistency in experiences is becoming essential as customers use multiple channels to engage with brands.”

“According to 2017 research from Forrester, 95% of customers use three or more channels to connect with a company in a single service interaction, with 62% using more than one device. And Accenture research has found that 65% of customers expressed frustration over inconsistent experiences or information presented across channels.”

Image Source: SlideShare

“Today, consumers are more likely to conduct research—and consider multiple brands or products–before making purchases. A recent study found that two-third of customers research products online before shopping for them in a brick-and-mortar store. Over half follow this research online, buy offline process frequently or every time they shop. Many consumers do the reverse as well. In the same study, more than half of surveyed consumers said they will go to a store location to see products in person before buying them online.”

Image Source: Retail Dive

“Trust and consistency go hand-in-hand. In fact, McKinsey’s research in the financial found that brands that cultivated the strongest feelings of trust were more likely to deliver consistent customer journeys. Cultivating trust can have far-reaching impacts on a business. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, when customers trust companies, they are more likely to believe positive information about the company—and the opposite is true for companies they distrust.”

Image Source: Clear Action CX