This blog continues our Customer Touchpoint series. In Blog One, we introduced a four-part universal model of the Customer Journey. In the second blog, we contrasted how industry leaders think about the value of customer data integration in comparison to traditional retailers. We then identified four major use cases where retailers can leverage enterprise information while shoppers gain awareness of their wants and needs.
In this blog, we’ll cover the second quadrant of use cases in the customer journey, when shoppers are aware of their needs and wants and explore possibilities for fulfilling them.
Please note the graphic below:
CUSTOMER USE CASES
We see 18 customer interactions, each of which can become more productive when they consume data from enterprise tables. At the heart of each interaction is a question that gives context to the shopper’s state of mind. As you read through this list of customer touchpoints, you’ll want to assess which touchpoints are most likely to occur in your organization.
WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME?
• Wish list
Shopper has identified items and/or product categories that define the shopping mission. You interact with information blended from the product, pricing, inventory, and customer tables to make thoughtful and practical recommendations.
• Recommendation
Shopper has informed you of an interest or need through prior shopping behavior. You leverage enterprise tables to make a thoughtful and tasteful recommendation. Amazon has been doing this for decades and it accounts for substantial sales uplift.
• Endless aisle
Shopper is physically or virtually inside a store and has a specific SKU in mind. Your local inventory is depleted, but you leverage enterprise tables to find where inventory is available. Many retailers have this capability but are not well-integrated with the transaction flow.
• Click stream
Shopper digital history on your site suggests strong interest in a brand, product, or service. You leverage enterprise tables appropriate to the click stream. This could take the form of an offer or recommendation.
• Cart abandon
Shopper’s digital history indicates that they had gone through the purchasing process but stopped short of ordering. As a service or enticement, you leverage enterprise tables to respond with a trial transaction and an appropriate reminder.
• Gift suggestions
Shopper indicates they are looking for a gift in a certain category. In your response, you leverage enterprise tables housing information about customers (wish list), inventory, price, and product.
• Third party coupons
Shopper’s digital and physical shopping history, as contained in your enterprise tables, clearly shows brand, location, and/or product affinity. You respond with a third party coupon from your supplier or mall operator to increase shopper motivation.
DO YOU LOVE ME?
• Loyalty query
Shopper’s loyalty status is contained in enterprise tables along with purchase history. You respond with a reminder or enticement.
• Promo offers
Shopper’s shopping history indicates the product need, brand preferences, and receptivity to promotion. You respond with an appropriate offer in real time whenever customer activity triggers it.
CAN YOU HELP FULFILL MY NEED?
• Expert appointment
Shopper’s activity suggests the requirement for expertise, coaching, or training. This could be from a customer query, call center referral, or sales floor initiative. You respond with information from enterprise tables such as product, customer, associate, location, inventory, and price.
• Associate training
Shopper demand and/or product launch suggests the need for more associate training on a product or line. You respond with information from your enterprise tables on product and price. The associates on the floor need to be able to tell the story.
• Event
Shopper attends an event conducted in a physical or online store. You respond with information from enterprise table about product, price, associate, location, and customer.
• Presentation and info request
Shopper requests detailed information about a product. You respond with information in the form of a presentation, spec sheet, or product description.
• Comparative shop
Shopper indicates they are comparison shopping against competing alternatives. You respond with a feature-by-feature comparison served by enterprise product and pricing tables.
• Reviews
Shopper indicates they would like to see customer reviews of the product by other customers, influencers, or media. You respond with information served from your enterprise tables.
WHERE ARE YOU?
• Product location
Shopper wants to know where the merchandise resides within a physical or online store. You respond with directions leveraging information on enterprise tables.
• Presence
Shopper signals they are in one of your stores or in your physical vicinity. Unless the shopper has not opted in, you respond with an invitation to engage using enterprise tables.
• App
Shopper activates app. You respond in one of the ways listed above, all served in some way from enterprise tables.
As you provide more and more digital connectivity with your shoppers, you’ll capture details of the intervention to measure effectiveness and to search for ways to elevate their shopper loyalty. This data becomes the foundation for “database marketing” in the digital age.
TAKEAWAY
There are many potential touchpoints in the parts of your customer’s journey where your digital interaction can enhance the experience, close the sale, and build loyalty. In every instance, information from enterprise tables plays a pivotal role.
