Improve Your Retail Customer Experience During the Holiday Shopping Season

With the holiday shopping season ramping up, retailers face plenty of problems. Besides the obvious – staff shortages, shoplifting, and competitive pricing – there’s a different type of hurdle businesses should be aware of: the customer experience.

The pandemic undeniably affected the retail world, and consumers turned to online purchasing at higher rates than ever before. According to research by Tidio, 20% of all retail sales are online, and the U.S. is in the top 10 countries that experienced retail e-commerce sales growth.

As consumers gear up for a new year of holiday shopping, demand could be another issue for retailers to face. High demand without enough stock will lead to an uptick in delivery requests. And the timing of those gifts is everything.

Retail is Calling

Communication between retailers and consumers is needed from shipments to returns and even customer support. The best way to connect? The phone call, of course.

In a past article, we discussed why people prefer the phone call:

And don’t even get us started on chatbots! A robotic messenger can’t solve a delivery dispute between customer and retailer like a phone call with a live agent can.

Know the Unknown?

Now, we know why people prefer phone calls, but what does that mean for consumers when their retailer uses an unknown number?

For most, 60% of people said they’d missed calls from stores they’ve purchased from because they didn’t recognize the number.

A missed phone call can lead to delays in delivery or fixing an order. It’s crucial for retailers to get it right with so much on the line during the holiday gift-giving season.

This missed connection (and a subpar customer experience) can make consumers consider switching to a retailer that will deliver – on communication and their purchases.

Is the unknown good?

Some surprises are great this time of year … but not for phone calls.

When customers are expecting a delivery, they’re more likely to answer a call from an unknown number. And while that sounds fine and dandy, it can spell trouble.

Scammers are notorious for kicking it up a notch in the holiday season and catching customers at their weakest. You wouldn’t think they’d steal from a family, right? Think again.

Avoiding a Holiday Headache

Customer demands constantly change, and it’s a business’s job to think ahead of the game.

Branded Communication could be the best thing a retailer can do to protect their business and brand.

A Study in Retail Customer Experience

A success story for you:

A retailer came to us with an issue making calls for pre-delivery, delivery, and customer support. Calling back customers was easier said than done.

With INFORM®, our Branded Text Display solution, the retail chain experienced a significant drop in their decline rates! Meaning the right calls were answered. They also experienced substantial growth in other key areas:

People were more likely to answer and engage with the retailer’s calls, resulting in happier outcomes for both company and consumer.

Nobody wants their holiday to be delayed. So much so, that if a consumer even thinks their gift isn’t coming in on time, they’ll move on to the next place that will deliver and communicate with them. Loyalty isn’t as important as the gift-giving season. In fact, nearly two-thirds of people would switch to a brand that properly identified outbound calls.

Don’t let unknown numbers keep your business from making magic this holiday season. Unwrap the power of Branded Communication today.