What sets high-performing retailers apart?
Retail industry leaders are driving changes to enhance the customer experience across their channels. According to a recent survey, this strategy is a wise one, since providing excellent service has a positive impact on the bottom line. The J.D. Power 2014 Customer Champions recognized how high-performing companies are prioritizing customer relationships to drive their business success.
"Not only does satisfaction encourage customer loyalty, but happy customers also become advocates of the brand to others. Particularly given the ability of today's consumers to easily communicate their experiences far and wide through social media and online reviews, customer advocacy can be critical to a company's bottom line," said Finbarr O'Neill, president of J.D. Power.
Innovations in retail technology offer merchants additional resources to empower their employees to better assist patrons. For example, mobile POS systems allow clerks to be more present to customers in the store and offer them convenient check-out options. The key to the success of these initiatives is to engage employees and make sure they're on board with programs and processes, such as by providing better training to ensure they're comfortable with the technology. Other organizations have found success in creating fun engagement strategies that put customer service at the center of the company culture, CIO Magazine explained. For example, FreshDesk introduced a game-like point system to motivate its workers to provide better service.
