Transforming the Modern Shopping Experience: A Guide for CX Leaders

Shoppers have changed how they purchase their favourite products. With over five billion internet users worldwide – a number that continues to grow – digitisation has revolutionised shopping experiences, offering access to our favourite products with the touch of a button. And online shopping isn’t going anywhere. Fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, retail e-commerce sales have shown steady growth year over year, with expectations to surpass eight trillion dollars by 2027.

The rise of digitisation has changed consumers’ expectations for support, too. They want quick, frictionless experiences with a personal touch. At the same time, retailers are facing the challenge of managing both in-store and digital experiences, while navigating the emergence of new market players.

Forward-thinking companies are reacting to these changes by putting the customer experience at the forefront. Implementing omnichannel CX solutions and building connected experiences have become key strategies for creating loyal customer relationships. This matters, in fact, as one in three customers would walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience, according to PWC.

At Puzzel, we recognise the critical role that superior customer service plays in the retail sector. While the industry faces significant challenges, these challenges also present a unique opportunity to redefine and elevate the shopping experience.

In this eBook, we explore the evolving landscape of the retail industry and present actionable strategies for your organisation to exceed the expectations of modern shoppers. You’ll gain valuable insights and practical guidance on how to leverage future-ready CX solutions to enhance your customer service strategy, ensuring happy, loyal customers and thriving business success.

The role of CX in the changing retail landscape

The retail industry, like many others, has undergone substantial changes driven by the internet and ongoing digitisation. The convenience of technology allows customers to access their favourite stores and products at the touch of a button. In fact, at the start of 2024, smartphones accounted for nearly 80% of all retail website visits worldwide.

More than ever, we are witnessing a move from traditional in-store shopping to digital platforms, underscoring the imperative for retailers to master the art of delivering hybrid shopping experiences.

This shift has not only redefined shopping habits but also heightened consumer expectations. It’s no longer sufficient for businesses to offer affordable prices alone to win loyal customers. Factors like product availability, affordable shipping and convenience all influence consumers’ buying decisions and their loyalty to a brand.

Above all, consumers seek highly personalised experiences. In fact, a study by Epsilon and GBH Insights found that 80% of respondents expressed a preference for tailored shopping experiences, such as recommendations based on past purchases or browsing behaviour. Moreover, they expect connected experiences, with a striking 73% of consumers demanding a seamless omnichannel experience.

These statistics convey a clear message: companies that prioritise CX are best positioned to thrive in the competitive retail and ecommerce landscape.

Winning customer loyalty through connected experiences

Whether shopping online or in-store, people want as smooth experiences as possible. And when help is needed, having a clear way of connecting with customer support is always appreciated.

The challenge, however, is for organisations to break down internal silos where disconnected systems lead to longer wait times and frustrated customers.

The key lies in adopting an omnichannel approach where all customer interactions are unified in a single solution. Ensuring consistency and coherence across all channels is essential for delivering exceptional service and creating great shopping experiences.

Omnichannel CX platforms can help organisations to:

• Enhance convenience and accessibility

  By supporting multiple communication channels, omnichannel platforms give shoppers the convenience to interact with brands through their favourite channels. This is vital in the retail industry, where accessibility is key to meeting diverse customer needs.

• Offer consistent customer experience

  With 73% of consumers expecting a seamless transition between channels, offering consistent service is crucial. Whether reaching out to customer support via web chat, phone or social media, the quality and tone of service should remain uniform. Omnichannel support ensures that information is synchronised across all platforms, providing a coherent and reliable customer experience.

• Improve issue resolution

  A significant benefit of omnichannel support is the ability to resolve issues more efficiently. When customer data and interaction history are accessible across all channels, service agents can quickly understand the context of an enquiry and provide timely, accurate assistance. This reduces the need for customers to repeat information and speeds up problem resolution, enhancing overall satisfaction.

Ensuring happy shoppers through personalised experiences

With 80% of consumers saying they are more likely to make a purchase from a brand that provides a personalised experience, it’s clear that this should be a key priority for organisations. But creating these tailored interactions can be challenging. The key to success lies in adopting a modern CX platform that integrates with the organisation’s CRM system. By understanding consumer preferences, behaviours, and past interactions, service providers can tailor their responses and offers to meet individual needs.

Five tips for creating more personal shopping experiences:

• Utilise customer data: Gather and analyse data from various touchpoints, including purchase history, browsing behaviour, and social media interactions. This data provides valuable insights that can be used to tailor recommendations, offers, and communications to each customer’s unique preferences.

• Offer personalised recommendations: Create personalised email campaigns, social media interactions, and other communications based on customer data. Suggest relevant products and develop exclusive offers and promotions based on individual customer preferences and purchasing history.

• Collect and act on customer feedback: Regularly collect feedback from customers to understand their needs and preferences better. Use this feedback to improve and personalise the shopping experience continuously.

• Enhance customer support: Equip customer service teams with detailed customer profiles so they can provide more personalised support and solutions.

• Virtual assistants for tailored support: Empower agents with AI-enhanced virtual assistants that provide automated customer sentiment analysis and response recommendations. This enables them to deliver personalised support more efficiently and effectively.

Automating transactional interactions and prioritising complex ones

Shoppers want fast and easy support at all times. By implementing self-service solutions to handle common queries such as returns, order status, or product availability, businesses can ensure faster resolutions and improved customer experiences. And this is a win-win: consumers gain quick and easy access to information and services without the need to wait for human assistance, and agents are freed up to handle more complex tasks.

Here are some self-service solutions to empower the shopping experience:

• Chatbots for common queries

  Implement chatbots to handle frequently asked questions, such as order status, product availability, and return policies, ensuring immediate responses and reducing wait times.

• Automated order tracking

  Offer automated order tracking services, allowing customers to easily check the status of their orders in real-time without needing to contact support.

• Self-service portals

  Develop self-service portals where customers can manage their accounts, initiate returns, and exchange products, streamlining the process and enhancing satisfaction.

• Voicebots

  Deploy voicebots to address simple questions or efficiently route customers to the relevant department and connect them with the best-suited agents to address their questions and queries.

• Knowledge Hubs

  Create comprehensive online knowledge hubs where customers can find detailed information about products, services, and common issues, empowering them to resolve queries independently.

   

Case Study - Lifeplus

Lifeplus is on a mission to be the world leader in holistic well-being by helping millions of people unlock the wellness within them. They manufacture and distribute high-quality nutritional supplements directly to their customers all over the world.

• 200 - Contact Centre Agents

• 4.9 - Trustpilot Rating

• 94.8% - CSAT Score

By transitioning from a basic phone system to Puzzel’s cloud-based contact centre technology, Lifeplus empowers their team to operate from several office locations, as well as remote locations, promoting flexibility and productivity. With Puzzel, Lifeplus now includes a comprehensive suite of customer service channels and a deep commitment to empathetic, authentic interactions, which has yielded remarkable results. This approach has not only significantly boosted sales but also solidified its position as a customer-first organisation, with a CSAT score of 94.8%. The majority of their sales now originate from their contact centre, highlighting the tangible impact of making customers feel valued and heard.

“Since using Puzzel, our CSAT scores have kept improving, and most of our sales come through our contact centre; need I say more? It wouldn’t be possible without the tools we have with Puzzel”

- Pam Bowell, Director Customer Care – Transformation

Enhancing visitors’ digital journeys and encouraging them to click buy

Online shopping is here to stay. To gain a competitive advantage, organisations need to optimise their online presence and ensure mobile-friendly interfaces. Visitors should be able to easily find price information, request support, and complete purchases without frustration. By improving the digital customer journey and offering proactive support when needed, organisations can significantly boost customer satisfaction. Additionally, enhancing
the online experience can drastically reduce card abandonment, which is currently at a shocking 70% according to Forbes.

Investing in a user-friendly and intuitive website is the first step in ensuring seamless navigation for visitors. And with the advancements in modern technologies, organisations can take this a step further. Implementing a digital engagement solution, such as Puzzel’s Intent Engine, enables ecommerce shops to optimise digital journeys effectively.

For example, by leveraging the Intent Engine, organisations can anticipate customer needs by tracking, monitoring, and analysing customer behaviour, clicks, and website navigation. With this insight, organisations can create triggers to offer proactive support in real-time. If a visitor is about to abandon the cart, the system can offer a personal discount to secure the sale. Similarly, if a customer is stuck at an FAQ page, a chatbot can guide them to the right page.

And when needed, the solution will seamlessly escalate to a live agent. By enriching both self-service and human interactions with relevant context, it enhances the overall customer experience, improves conversion rates and increases self-service rates.

Conclusion

The current landscape of CX in retail and ecommerce may be complex, but it presents huge opportunities, too. Organisations that proactively adapt to this landscape and focus on delivering exceptional experiences will stand out from the competition. By utilising the right tools and technology for CX, organisations can drive meaningful change and elevate every shopping experience.

At Puzzel, we empower retail and ecommerce organisations to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring they can meet and exceed customer expectations. Whether it’s through enhanced digital journeys or providing instant, personalised support, Puzzel equips you with the tools needed for success.