Retail technology offers merchants many opportunities to enhance the customer experience and improve their marketing strategies. However, the popularity of mobile devices and social media is also shaping consumer expectations and transforming the way they respond to less-than-satisfactory service. For example, an unhappy shopper might take to Twitter to vent his frustration, potentially spurring a PR problem. Merchants need to leverage their own technological resources to mend relationships with unhappy customers and improve their service.

Forbes magazine described how Wal-Mart improved its approach to online criticism by shifting from a no-action policy to a rapid-action response. In other words, rather than let negative comments sit out in the Internet universe, the retailer quickly responded to comments on Twitter and similar platforms. The source emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive, respectful attitude.

"People are not looking for perfection online," Shama Kabani, CEO of The Marketing Zen Group, told Forbes. "What they're really looking for is humanity and a genuine response, so a negative review can be a great opportunity to respond in a positive and transparent manner."

Additionally, merchants can use data analytics to identify their shortcomings, suggested Business 2 Community contributor Christy Uher Ferguson, Teradata's applications community strategy leader. Using insights from retail reports, store managers can improve their operations to address shoppers' concerns.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 10:17 am .