In today’s fast-paced world, customers demand an “always on” experience that spans multiple channels including digital. Retailers that want to stay at the top of the game have to deliver a sophisticated omnichannel strategy that bridges the gap between the physical and online store experience, enabling customers to travel seamlessly between channels.
Whether you are a business progressing its omnichannel journey or are keen to solidify your omnichannel presence, understanding your customers is key for optimising this journey. Creating value-driven omnichannel capabilities requires solutions that hone customers’ interactions with your brand through touchpoints online and in-store. A scheduling system for your business is one simple solution that creates and sustains customer value at scale without compromising capital spend.
It allows for a personalised experience across channels that makes all the difference while creating an omnichannel strategy that delivers results. Most reputable brands are now offering bookable appointments, but there are some critical elements that make or break the customer’s experience when it starts with a booking.
Here are our top tips for implementing a scheduling system to enhance your omnichannel strategy, and drive curated customer interaction:
1. Choose software that optimises your omnichannel customer journey
Understanding your company’s omnichannel approach is key when adding new software to the stack. As more businesses are focused on short-term operational efficiency and quick revenue wins, in today’s climate of uncertainty, it has never been more important to analyze your current technologies and how they are supporting, or hindering, growth.
Countless businesses have adopted the latest trends like AI (Artificial Intelligence) or ML (Machine Learning) without fully harnessing their potential or implementing it incorrectly. Reactivity to trends without fitting them into your future roadmap doesn’t bode well if your company is aiming to be customer-centric. According to McKinsey, organisations can plan customer journeys and group them according to “propensity to use multiple channels” and “the journey’s importance to customers.” Once organisations identify where the propensity intersects with the journey’s importance, they can prioritise building functionalities that support the customer’s preferred channels, and put the customer needs at the centre of those functionalities.
Working with a third-party consultant who understands retail applications is key to integrating multiple channels seamlessly and at scale. Understand your high-level initiatives and digital strategy with an expert to get started. Then, let them help you choose software that can be integrated across all channels.
This seems obvious, but also implementing a system that supports bookings across channels is imperative. Think Instagram, Facebook, and any chatbot solutions your company may use. Make it easy for your customer to schedule appointments by being consistent. Set and maintain customer expectations across all touchpoints, and you’ll boost conversions.
2. Make the customer journey unique
As customers nowadays use their best customer experience as a baseline for other journeys, the competition is fierce, and the expectation to deliver a standout service persists. Seamlessly integrating all channels is a requirement, and personalising an experience to support customer needs has never been more pertinent for your business’s digital transformation journey.
According to Adobe’s Digital Trends Report, only 7% of practitioners consider their organisation’s digital CX to be exceptional and able to surprise and delight customers. By personalising the multi-channel journey, brands can understand how to best connect with their customer. When implementing an online booking solution, tailor the scheduling process to each channel and service offered to capture more revenue. With Appointedd’s solution, a client increased their in-store appointment numbers by 390% when they added a “book an appointment” button to their individual product pages! On social media, use conversational language and emojis to draw users to your intended customer journey. On your website, make the scheduling process easy to find and use, with clear instructions and well-placed calls to action.
3. Invest in Virtual
Think video consultations, virtual tours, and masterclasses! This not only expands the reach of your business but also offers customers the convenience of scheduling appointments and getting your brand experience from the comfort of their own homes. In one quarter, one of Appointedd’s furniture retailers measured £2.3 million in sales directly from booked appointments. This is an average spend of £1,700 per appointment. Implementing a virtual experience allows space for consumer discovery. It requires committing to the customer’s preferences and needs and catering to them in new and exciting ways. Investing in technologies that support virtual experiences is a dynamic opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and offer consumers a new way to experience your brand.
Conclusion:
In today’s digital landscape, delivering an exceptional omnichannel experience is essential for retailers to meet the demands of their customers. By implementing a scheduling system that integrates across all channels and personalising the customer journey, businesses can solidify their omni-channel presence and create value at scale. These strategies not only enhance customer satisfaction but also contribute to long-term growth and revenue generation. By staying customer-centric and employing the right technologies with an expert advisor, retailers can stay ahead of the competition, and deliver a seamless and personalised omnichannel experience that delights customers.
If you’re ready to elevate your omnichannel strategy and enhance your customer experience, discover how Absolute Labs has helped leading luxury brands select the right technologies to scale their omnichannel customer journeys. Find out more about how Absolute Labs and Appointedd work together to enhance omnichannel customer experience.
Contact Absolutelabs and Appointedd today to take the next step towards achieving your omnichannel success.