From AI to Automation:
A Contact Centre Buyer's Guide for Retailers
With your contact centre and website acting as your store front, it is key to choose the customer experience (CX) package that will help your retail business innovate and grow.
Challenges
From AI to automation:
A contact centre buyer’s guide for retailers
History is littered with the names of companies that failed to move with the times. And today, traditional retailers face an existential threat as their customers move online. Already, 55% of purchase-related research happens online with 61% of shoppers comparing options using digital platforms before they make buying decisions.
Furthermore, 28% of those shoppers will complete online, too1. One of the biggest challenges facing retailers is linking those online and in-store shopping journeys – creating that clear line of sight to maximise opportunities for improving customer engagement, satisfaction, loyalty and, ultimately, revenue.
While many new generation CX platforms claim to help retailers join-up those physical and digital dots, the reality is not so black and white.
Aimed at UK retailers of all sizes, this buyer’s guide examines the top challenges your CX platform must address, along with ‘must-have’ considerations when choosing an innovation partner to ensure best value for your business in the long run.
Online shopping trends and behaviours were cemented by the pandemic. Shop closures spiked and the UK cost-of-living crisis hit. Since then, industry growth has barely kept pace with inflation. So, while retail has not really grown, competition and costs have2. Furthermore, three key mega-trends3 have emerged:
Many UK retailers are engaging in digital transformation, but integrating existing systems remains a challenge – creating cybersecurity issues and concerns over how to implement technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Lingering supply chain issues threaten product shortages and price hikes. Meanwhile, consumers are incorporating factors such as sustainability into their buying decisions.
Facing economic pressures, shoppers are becoming smarter about purchases and are placing more emphasis on online research to get value for money. Research shows 89% of shoppers spend more of their time with retailers that provide online help and resources4.
If that wasn’t enough, retailers are still expected to maintain exceptional customer service during seasonal changes in demand. These trends are resulting in a set of challenges that any retail organisation should bear in mind when selecting a CX platform.
