In partnership with IQMetrix
With the holiday season almost here, consumers will be seeing more than just holiday decor hitting shelves. Carriers, retailers and brands will be on their A-game to try and entice consumers to hand over their hard earned dollars. However, inflation challenges, news of an impending recession and even increased competition between traditional wireline and wireless providers may affect consumers’ decision whether to upgrade, switch or stay put. So if you’re looking for ways to maximize the potential that the holidays bring, then read on.
Prevent long wait times to make best use of customer and associate time
Holiday shopping can be stressful for consumers. Not only are they trying to sort out the best gift for themselves or their loved-ones, they’re usually forced to wade through masses of shoppers all trying to accomplish the same goal.
Though holiday deals may be what initially draws them in into your store, or sets your company apart from your competitors, customers who decide to carve out their personal time to venture out won’t want to spend that precious time waiting at the store to be helped. Additionally, your front-line teams may be unable to handle the surge of walk-ins through their doors. Revenue opportunities can be easily missed when stores are overcrowded.
Scheduling appointments with customers offers an easy way to manage the holiday influx. Once scheduled, the ability to follow up and confirm the appointment also helps to prevent unnecessary wait times on both the customer and the associate, minimizing the chances of missed connections.
Reduce high-effort experiences for both the customer and the associate
Ever felt like something is too cumbersome to do? That’s called a high-effort experience. It’s when an activity is perceived as being difficult or inconvenient to do, even if it must be done. An example is being sent forms by email to complete but needing to print the forms first in order to fill them in. And it makes a difference.
According to iQmetrix’s recent 2022 Telecom Industry Insights, 96% of consumers with “high-effort” experiences report being disloyal to that dealer, while 49% of buyers make impulse purchases when the experience is easy and personalized.
Creating low-effort experiences can be as simple as reminding customers what they’d need to bring with them to take advantage of a promotion. Or it could be advising customers they can text the store (instead of call) if any questions come up after their purchase. Or it could be providing the store associate with full context about the customer and the ability to text or call them directly, all in one application. Strategic technology partnerships do wonders to help minimize swivel-chairing!
Engage customers one-to-one, even if they’re not in the store
In the current economy, as much as 75% of shoppers may delay purchases due to inflation but that doesn’t mean they will never buy. Maintaining brand awareness and supporting customer relationships is critical when buying decisions may be delayed.
Connecting with customers has become much more complex than sending emails or text messages en masse. Today, creating meaningful connections with customers has taken precedence. This is not only a strategic business move but one that fosters great relationships with customers and in turn, boosts sales.
One to one business texting between front-line teams and customers is a convenient and easy method to engage with customers and maintain your brand awareness. Consumers are craving more personalized outreach from the businesses they interact with. In fact, 72% of consumers say they only engage with personalized messaging and 91% say they are more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers.
Business text messaging offers customers and front line staff with the ability to engage with a real person, in real time and in a personalized manner right from the beginning of the conversation. The overall customer experience, including onboarding, sales, and customer support services, can be improved with the convenience of business texting.
TLDR:
- Prevent long wait times to make best use of customer and associate time, especially while in store
- Reduce high-effort experiences for both the customer and the associate
- Engage customers one-to-one, even if they’re not in the store
To learn of more ways to engage and delight customers, talk to your iQ Client Manager and book a Statflo demo today! Happy Holidays!
