Providing the Ultimate Cross-Channel Customer Experience

A Conversation with Lauren Freedman, President, The E-Tailing Group

In June, online retailers from both sides of the Atlantic will gather for two of the industry’s premier events: The Internet Retailer 2007 Conference and E-Tail UK. Both conferences will bring together leading technology vendors and retailers tasked with creating personalized, multi-channel experiences for shoppers. Recently, eStara spoke with Lauren Freedman, founder of The E-Tailing Group, one of the top minds in online retail to get her views on providing the ultimate cross-channel customer service experience. Ms. Freedman has worked with several Fortune 500 retailers to improve customer-centricity and performance.

eStara: In a recent Mystery Shopping Study you looked at online customer service and said it’s “imperative that self service should not replace customer service to fully maximize the capabilities of the Web as a sales channel.” Are retailers relying too heavily on self-service tools? Do you have any suggestions on when they should offer customers self-service tools, as opposed to engaging them with live assistance?

LF: I don't believe it is necessarily that they are relying on too many but that traditional tools must also be in place. As an example, self service is ideal for order taking while product questions are best handled on a case by case basis. On the other hand, when merchants continually route shoppers through voice activated systems where there is no exit strategy or no ability to ask a question that can become maddening for the consumer.

From a site perspective, FAQ's should also be continually monitored as they often are the last to be updated. Another important consideration should also be product detail pages which must be as comprehensive as possible to answer the majority of consumer questions.

eStara: There seems to be more talk these days about retailers becoming “channel agnostic.” How realistic is this? And, how are companies handling transitioning customers from online to offline (either in-store or call center) channels?

LF: Anything is possible and this is certainly a lofty goal, It is important to remember that while this is possible, there is a cost to it. Merchants need to put in place organizational structures and foster cultures where taking care of the customer comes first. Customer expectations are high and merchants will have to respond. As technology increasingly will play a greater role within the retail store, associates should be trained to assist shoppers.

When onsite search is the basis for handling product queries, CSR's need to be trained to understand shopper behavior in order to fully assist the customer. At Famous Footwear the Web serves as a shelf extender for sizes that may not be available at local stores so associates must suggest this option and be prepared to assist with any technical challenges.

One interesting opportunity includes the ability to make appointments at retail as is the case with several bra fitting retailers. In-store pickup is another offshoot where here merchants must have systems in place and personnel trained with packages ready to pick up, where Web-related issues can be accommodated. It's all about the education!

eStara: We know that a bad online experience threatens the entire brand. What are some of the most common mistakes made by online retailers?

LF: There are so many possibilities but here are a few that stick out in my mind:

• Customers do not receive a response to a query in a timely manner (less than 48 hours)
• Merchants are not available late hours and weekends to service a 24x7 culture
• Merchants ship the product later than promised and outside a 7 day window
• Merchants ship the wrong product
• Associates do not know anything about the products they sell and are merely order takers
• Customers can't get their order processed for one reason or another after already being profiled by a merchant and having purchased in the past
• Merchants forget that in most instances the customer is right and should be treated with respect or they won't be back as the next merchant is a mouse click away