The retail store environment plays a unique role in today’s technology-driven world. Customers develop relationships with companies using a variety of devices and channels, but the brick-and-mortar store adds the element of in-person interaction, where your associates represent the face and voice of your company. The article below by ForeSee looks at ways in which you can better use customer data.
Using surveys to gather voice of customer insights about the retail consumer experience is a great way to understand how your associates—and your company—are performing in the eyes of the consumer, but making customer-focused improvements requires buy-in at every level of the organization. However, getting everyone on board requires quantifiable data that’s both actionable and predictive of future success.
If you’re currently measuring the retail store experience for customers or looking to start, here are five ways you can get more value from your voice of customer data:
1.) Measure the Impact of Tactical Behaviors
In retail stores, small interactions with customers can go a long way—for the customer and for the organization. ForeSee’s proven approach to customer experience measurement measures satisfaction with individual elements of an in-store experience and then quantifies their impact on future customer behaviors (e.g.,likelihood to recommend, return, and purchase from you again). Adding tactical behavioral questions and quantifying their impact on a customer’s satisfaction helps you identify specific associate behaviors that, if improved, will serve to build stronger customer relationships. Asking customers if they were greeted, assisted, recommended related items, were able to purchase everything the intended, or similar tactical questions and quantifying their impact on future customer behaviors helps you identify small, simple changes that can go a long way with your customers.
2.) Tie Customer Satisfaction to the Bottom Line
Looking at behavioral data alongside transactional data helps you understand how key behaviors impact revenue. For example, is there a correlation between customers who were greeted by an associate and higher cart values? Do customers who received personal assistance from an associate spend more than those who did not? When you can identify the impact certain key associate behaviors have on sales, you’ll be in a better position to explain why the company should invest in areas like associate training. You can also show the financial impact these behavioral changes have over time.
3.) Get Everyone Involved
Making customer-focused improvements in the retail store requires buy-in at every level of the organization. When you can prove the value of a satisfied customer at the executive level, they’re more likely to champion the importance of improving the customer experience at the district and individual store level. When corporate believes something is important or recognizes individual associates or locations, it helps employees understand their role in the company’s success and motivates them to keep up the good work.
4.) Track and Socialize Progress
Track the results of your progress in a way that’s easily digestible for every part of the organization. At the executive level, send regular reports showing the impact of small improvements or designate an executive champion to socialize results from the top down. At the regional/district level, share success stories from other districts so the entire organization can benefit. At the individual store level, post open-ended feedback related to outstanding associate performance in the break room.
5.) Celebrate Victories
An integral part of the retail consumer experience is the associate: to the customer, associates are the face and voice of the company. When your associates feel recognized and appreciated for their positive actions, they’ll also be more receptive to constructive criticism. In addition, they’re more likely to be satisfied with their employer and engaged in their work. Our research shows employee engagement has a direct, positive effect on customer satisfaction. So if your associates are satisfied and engaged, they are more likely to enthusiastically participate in company-wide initiatives to improve the customers' visit, thus increasing shopper satisfaction and customer likelihood to engage in desired future behaviors such as returning to your stores, purchasing from you in another channel and recommending your brand.
Improving the customer experience in any channel is an ongoing effort, but it becomes much easier when you measure the right things. ForeSee cxMeasure for Stores continuously measures how your shoppers view your retail store experience, using our proven approach to customer experience measurement so you can confidently understand how your customers feel about your stores today and predict how improving the experiences you provide will affect their future choices. Traditional store metrics are backward-looking and reactive, but cxMeasure for Stores gives you the predictive power you need to take actions that will improve your in-store customer experience to keep your customers coming back. Download the ForeSee cxMeasure for Stores Product Solution Sheet to learn more.
Have questions about the benefits of customer analytics? Reach out today to see how we can help you implement this within your stores!