Omnichannel Customer experience
The service industry is rapidly growing and becoming a competitive battlefield. Customers are not only more demanding but they also have a significant influence on the company’s image nowadays. The easy access to social media platforms and reviewing your company is made a lot easier at present. Customers can get in contact with the products or services in many different ways such as: social media, videos, apps, company websites and physical store. It is very beneficial for companies to create an omnichannel customer experience. It is proven that customers who come in contact frequently with the company’s channels tend to spend more.
An omnichannel customer experience consists of touchpoints in which customers come in contact with the company or product from different channels that connect coherently. This means once the customer came in contact with the company the first touchpoint has been made. This will be a continual experience since the customers will have other touch points within different channels.
Implementing omnichannel customer experience is an effective way to enhance each channel by adapting to the customer’s needs.
Companies that offer omnichannel experience to customers give in fact the customers an opportunity to create and personalize their own experience. Whenever and wherever customers are they can choose when to approach the product, service or company.
When company’s make it feasible for customers to use channels concurrently, they are more likely to do business or stay in business. Not only is this more user friendly to customers, it also decreases costs for company’s by not having to seek new customers. Customers appreciate it that they can decide through which channel they want to approach the company. As mentioned in the previous article Should companies invest in omnichannel? Generation Z are more likely to do everything online while baby boomers probably prefer to go to the physical store. As discussed before if a company provides good customer experience it will be rewarded. According to Forbes consumers are willing to spend up to 16% more on products and services with companies that offer a better experience.
By providing different channels not only is this desirable for customers it also gives the company the opportunity to reach different clientele. Ikea is one of the companies that really implements omnichannel customer experience. They found out that the most used channel was the mobile phone. They optimised their mobile application and is now frequently used by shoppers to find the storage place of the product to their liking. Other companies which are performing well in omnichannel customer experience are Sephora, Nike and Disney.
Omnichannel is of vital importance nowadays. Customers are the one who are in charge, expressing their needs to businesses instead of the other way around. Customers can personalize their customer experience to their liking. As soon as customers are satisfied, they will share this with friends, family, social media or write reviews. This will encourage others to have a look at your company.
