Ecommerce gained a lot of ground during the pandemic, but physical retail is making a comeback. Customers want the personal service that only associates can provide. We’re here to make that happen.
There’s no substitute for face to face service
If you work in retail, you’ll know that ecommerce has dominated the landscape since 2020. The pandemic forced millions of customers to shop online for the first time, and many have chosen to make this permanent:
- US ecommerce sales grew by 43% in 2020, and by a further 14% in 2021
- A third of online shoppers find ecommerce more convenient, while a quarter find it less stressful than shopping in stores
- 65% of consumers plan to shop online more after the pandemic
This is a worrying trend, but it’s only part of the story. Customers may love the speed and convenience of ecommerce, but they miss the personal touch that comes with shopping in stores. Our recent customer survey found that the desire for face to face service is alive and well:
- 56% of customers think that associates improve their shopping experience
- 52% say that their appreciation for associates has increased
- 80% of shoppers want their experience to include at least some interaction with associates
Putting communication first
This is encouraging news, but there’s still work to be done. Shoppers want to return to stores, but they are being put off by negative experiences:
- Over a quarter of shoppers regularly have to wait more than three minutes to have a query answered
- 19% say that being unable to find associates is their top frustration
- 12% are frustrated by a lack of knowledge among associates, and 82% sometimes feel that they know more than the associate serving them
All of these complaints are variations of the same problem: associates are struggling to communicate with customers. Once you solve this, everything else will fall into place.
Our headsets are designed to remove the barriers between associates and customers. No matter how big your store, associates can find information and answer questions in a matter of seconds:
- Associates can find information for customers without leaving their side
- Headsets allow associates to check on orders without walking to the stockroom
- Our telephony integration feature lets you take external calls from the shop floor without stopping your work
- Call points let customers contact an associate without having to search for them
Headsets are lightweight and portable, making it easy to wear them all day long. This means that all associates are linked at all times. When a customer asks a question, they’re not just asking one associate. At the press of a button, that associate has access to the knowledge and experience of the entire team.
This has a significant effect on customer satisfaction. We like to interview customers after VoCoVo has been installed, and the results are always impressive. Here’s just one example, from British hardware chain B&Q:
- Customers were more than twice as likely to ask an associate for help
- Customers were 62% more satisfied with how long it took for their queries to be answered
- Ten times as many customers felt that help was available when they needed it
With these levels of customer satisfaction, you have nothing to fear from ecommerce. Talk to our team today to find out more.