There’s a lot of talk these days about “interconnected” and “flawless” and “seamless” when it comes to a shopper’s experience. And frankly, we think that the people who are using terms like that are purposefully obfuscating the issue. Meaning: people try to make things really complex. And we do not believe it has to be that complex. Here we are going to talk about what makes a customers shopping experience seamless.
So, what is this all-important seamless shopping experience?
Let’s start with the definition of Customer Experience. Because that is what we need to anchor all this stuff to. Customer Experience is the sum of all interactions a person has with your brand over their lifetime. It is how your customers actually experience your products, your services – your company. It is the ups and downs of their time dealing with your business. It is about meeting the needs of your customers.
A good customer experience can give you a loyal customer, a great review, and free advertisement. And we all know that it is way cheaper to keep a customer than to get a new one.
Think about the shopping experience in the context of that definition. It is huge. There are a ton of places where a person can interact with your brand – in and outside of the channels that they control. What we recommend is focusing on the actual shopping part.
How can a company create the best shopping experience?
There are three big things that you must nail to create the best shopping experience possible. We all know that life (and companies) is messy – so we will never tell you that if you do these three things that you will be creating a seamless experience, just a much better one. And we know that if you focus on these three things and nail them each and every time, you will be offering a pretty fabulous customer experience.
Number 1: Keep your pricing consistent.
We have all experienced it. You find something. You want to buy it. You want to see it first. You go into a store and it has a different price on it. Or you save something to your cart, and it is 19.99 – not a sale price, then you go back the next day and now it is 23.99. Pricing consistency is so simple to achieve – and so many retailers just avoid it.
There is a difference between sales and clearances and simply just changing prices on a whim. At least from a consumer’s perspective there is. So, do us all a favor and just make your prices consistent.
Number 2: Remember me.
We are not talking about the uber creepy reminder every time I walk into your store or log onto your site about EVERY.SINGLE.THING. you know about me. I do not need to be reminded about the year I spent eating Ben and Jerry’s when I have turned a corner and now only consume celery juice. ?
But I do want you to remember me. Do not make me start from scratch but do not hold me captive to decisions I’ve made in the past. My tastes in cars, clothes – even foods have changed over the years, so if you are only paying attention to what you know, vs. what I actually do, you’ll miss out on the important stuff.
Number 3: Set my expectations and deliver.
People love Costco. They love lining up to get massive carts, to weave their way through towering shelves to buy 1000 rolls of toilet paper and then to stand in line for an hour to pay for all their super-sized goodies. And they even pay for the privilege of doing all those things.
People also love Louis Vuitton. They love going into the stores, seeing all the gorgeous pieces, and being treated like kings and queens.
I personally know people who love both places. They are stark raving mad about them. And do you know why? Because both Costco and LV have been very clear about what you will experience when you shop with them. And they deliver on it every time. Online and in person.
Final Words
Follow the steps that I have mentioned above, and you can design a shopping strategy that is uniquely yours that will improve the customers shopping experience for your company. And if you need help, reach out to us at Chief Customer. We would love to assist!