Omnichannel and Costumer Centricity
In the first article, we address the complexity and buzz around putting the customer ahead of the business. We know that much of this way of acting goes through an integrated channel strategy. Here comes the term Omnichannel, which has been widespread in the market for some time and that, as much as it is a concept, should reflect a strategy and this strategy should permeate every corporation. The rule applies especially when we think about processes, systems and cultu
Omnichannel for customer service. Why isn’t the business yet?
Being omnichannel is important that, in general, customers are not able to assimilate the differences between physical, voice and digital channels. For them, the company is the company, no matter if the attendants are outsourced, if the departments do not talk or if there are limitations between the channels.
If the customer will buy in the physical store of the company ACME, he imagines that the price will be the same offered in your e-commerce. If he bought online and the product did not fit, he believes he can make the exchange in the physical store.
From these confusions, a series of distortions in the strategy arise. A clear example is to think that the customer has to understand that the physical store has inventory, rent and labor costs. Do you want the real one? I’m sorry to inform you, but the client is not concerned about that.
My experience has shown that most companies define that an omnichannel strategy should include integrated logistics, dynamic pricing per channel and customer journey tracking (O2O - Online to Offline and vice versa).
These aspects are very focused on technical issues. There is, however, a much more complex cultural issue that evolves the format and organizational structures and ends up engendering and making the omnichannel transformation slow.
Relationship is different from strategy
It is necessary to remember that the term omnichannel began to be used in relationship strategies, especially in automated rules that integrate communication channels such as SMS, Email Marketing, Social and Push. It was soon understood that an omnichannel relationship is different from an omnichannel strategy. It is also important not to confuse the question of multiplatforms/multitelas with an Omni performance.
Thinking the ideal strategy, the channel should not be so distant from marketing, but be an integral part of the strategy of "go to market", that is, a product that works well in physical store, and has no similarity to online store, should minimally point, clearly, that cannot be conceived outside of a face-to-face environment.
A business rule limitation should not limit a fluid action strategy between channels.
And, in cases where autonomy at the end (PDX - point of experience) is necessary, it is necessary to empower the team for decision making, based on a customer-centric strategy. We will talk about PDX here/!!!
What works in omnichannel crm
Let’s try to tangibilize some practices that work in the omnichannel.
Amaro understood very well what an omnichannel strategy is. Because it is a company in the fashion industry, and the materialization of the product is still something fundamental to the consumer experience, brought to the Brazilian market the concept of Guide Shops, in which the corridor can be infinite and the experience in physical store points to a service with consultant.
In this way, the consultant positions the customer to make the purchase. The product, in the desired color and size, is delivered at home, and the consumer who bought online can exchange in the physical store, without any burden.
Vivo, a company in the telecommunications sector, also embarked on the concept of a store without stock, and is able to carry out the sale of appliances, without necessarily having the product in stock in some stores in Brazil.
Apple has full integration across all its channels. It is not for nothing that when visiting a store for a product problem, nor does it matter much where you made the purchase. After all, your experience is frustrated and needs to be resolved as soon as possible, regardless of the sales channel, respecting, of course, the legislation and regulation of each country.
What the consumer does not need to know
These examples bring something very relevant in an omnichannel strategy. The customer does not know that digital and offline goals can be (and most of the time are) different. Nor that products are bought and allocated according to a strategy that reflects the organization chart of the company.
Often, due to internal conflicts of goals and results, the final consumer ends up being harmed by the lack of visibility of its demand. I warn you: for an omnichannel strategy, the company board needs to deeply understand that the customer should be at the center of the business! The company should avoid silos and be one.
Any company over 30 years old will rarely have a technology park that meets the current demands. This requires a thorough review of the delivery method (Waterfall, Agile or any other), review of the IT architecture, focused more on microservices and APIs with little or no direct activation of legacy systems, a review of the composition of business teams, bringing people with Skill of projects and more accurate technology and, finally, a clarification that the customer experience requires omnipresence of the brand - and not apology every time the journey is interrupted by inefficiency of the company that is providing the product/ service.
So we said, Yes! CX and Omnichannel should walk together, if possible be one thing. How to do that?
5 practical attitudes to enable this strategy
1.Map services and products by channel;
2.When you notice something that is not available, understand the impact of this gap;
3.Empower your employees in physical environments. Personal treatment is still irreplaceable. Having a point of experience instead of a point of sale changes everything! If your team assimilates and uses that kind of "power," your goal will be more easily achieved;
4.If your business involves recurrence, it is worth understanding the complaint/ pain of a customer who was frustrated by lack of fluidity between channels. Do not ignore someone who wanted to buy or be served by social networks, or disdain a gentleman who is making his first purchase online. This is the audience that will tell your positive or negative experience in the process of buying and using your brand. How about a special chat when the registration points 55+ of age?
5.Follow the customer journey. You will find that often the process developed does not follow his desire. The simple design of journeys can bring many inputs on customer behavior and thus improve products and services by channels.
I hope I helped! Be sure to share your questions, criticism and other comments. There is no absolute truth, and experiences change as fast as this post.
Only then do we learn together, concretely, how to transform business and deliver the best experiences.
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