If you’ve read any business blogs, you’ve probably come across advice like, “Know your customers and give them what they want.” And for a good reason — it’s sterling advice.
It’s imperative you have a firm understanding of what customers expect from you. Period. In light of that, we’ve listed three surefire customer behaviours you can anticipate so you can meet your consumers’ needs better.
1. Customers Crave Smooth Shopping Experiences
This may sound obvious, but you’d be astounded at how many business owners don’t make a smooth shopping experience a priority. This is where choosing the right call centre software comes into its own.
There are solutions that collect, store and analyse your customers’ data, like their age, gender, location, etc. With this data, you can then tailor your shopping experience to meet the needs of your target demographic.
Unsurprisingly, the rise of online shopping has massively influenced customer expectations. These days, customers frequently use online stores to research their products before they make a purchase. Consumers want to peruse reviews and read through the product details before committing their hard-earned cash. This is especially true for purchasing high-ticket items.
Consequently, we’ve seen more and more customers demand a similar quality of service from physical stores and over-the-phone customer support agents.
As such, the pressure is on for entrepreneurs to up their game. This means upgrading their tech, providing staff with the correct training and of course, going mobile. Integrating all these sales channels is a must, and the easiest way of doing that is by using a Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) solution.
2. Personalisation Is Key
The stats are in; the modern consumer demands a personalised shopping experience:
- 54 percent of shoppers expect to receive a personalised offer within 24 hours of introducing themselves to the brand.
- 71 percent feel frustrated when they receive an “impersonal” shopping experience.
- 63 percent of consumers want and prefer personalised product recommendations, according to Retail Dive.
- This same 63 percent are also happy to boost brand awareness in exchange for perks like exclusive deals and discount coupons.
So, if you’re not providing consumers with customized experiences, it’s time that changed.
If you’re looking for inspiration, take a leaf out of Netflix’s book. Netflix is renown for providing recommendations based on the content you’ve already consumed. Think about how you could apply similar principles to your business.
3. Shoppers Are Going Multi-Channel
There’s a good chance your customers enjoy shopping across several sales channels. These days, it’s increasingly common for customers to look up a product online and then check it out in-person in a brick-and-mortar store. In light of this, consistency is vital. In fact, eMarketer found that 65 percent of shoppers expect their customer experience to flow immaculately between digital and physical stores.
Look at your brand. Are you offering customers more than one sales channel? If you are, what are you doing to integrate these channels? Are you offering a smooth experience for multi-channel shoppers? Use the answers to fuel any improvements that need making. This is the best way to ensure you meet the increasing demands of the contemporary consumer.
Final Thoughts
Although customer behaviour fluctuates, you can be sure that they will always want a smooth shopping experience, crave personalisation and want access to a variety of communication channels.
As you can see, there’s an increasing need to have the infrastructure in place to monitor and manage the demands of your customers. If you haven’t already, take a look at CCaaS-style call centre software to see how that could help.
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