Join Netcracker for further insights at Digital Transformation World next month.Mobile operators’ in-store experiences are not immune to the effects of digitalization. On the contrary, digital-first experiences can play a critical role in improving the in-store customer experience from cost, revenue and customer relationship perspectives. Retail in general has undergone a period of great shock as a result of disruption from e-commerce and mobile commerce in particular. Yet mobile operators have tended to lag when it comes to transforming the experience they offer through their owned shops, reseller shops and store-in-store or partner channel kiosk set ups. Here’s a look at three common problems mobile operators face with their in-store experiences, which can be prioritized for improvement as part of ongoing digitalization efforts.
1. Lack of Self-Serve in Store
One of the worst aspects of visiting a mobile shop is waiting in a queue, powerless to take action toward one’s reason for visiting. Whether it’s to sign up for service, upgrade a device or plan, get support or a repair, or resolve a problem, the process is too often lengthy, time consuming, dull and requires one to stare at the back of a PC monitor while a staff member navigates screens the customer can’t see.
This is an area where an omni-channel, digital, mobile-first customer experience plays a critical role. Customers should be able to begin attending to their own problems or needs on store-provided tablets as soon as they walk in the door. The interface that greets them should resemble that which they’d find in the operator’s mobile app on their own device or via the website. Furthermore, if a process was kicked off from home or from a personal device, a true omni-channel experience will bookmark against the customer’s ID so that customers, staff members, or both can continue the process rather than starting from scratch.
The benefits of this approach include less frustrated customers as well as faster revenue-generating processes like sign ups, device sales and upgrades. It should also reduce the cost of fulfilment or resolution by providing a digital-first, self-serve option at every touchpoint. Coupled with intelligent customer journey management, this may also lead to customers gaining greater awareness of what’s available to them and spending more per visit than they would standing around wondering what might happen next.
2. Confusing Physical Marketing
Many mobile retail stores, store-in-store set ups and kiosks are plastered with physical marketing that is overwhelming even to the mobile marketing expert. Conflicting branding, rate plan offers, special promotions, device lease pricing, trade-in values and other information is printed on placards and can be impossible for the customer to compute. This approach violates every rule of e-commerce by creating too much confusion and putting too many hurdles between the customer and a “buy” decision.
Building on the in-store self-serve solution, a digital experience should turn that mass marketing confusion into a simple decision tree. Personalized offers should give a customer a few, relevant, digestible options; offer simple data on which to make an empowered decision; and make the purchasing process a few screen taps at most without any complex navigation.
As counter-intuitive as it might seem to bring this digital-first model into a physical retail setting, it is highly effective for complex, configured products like mobile services. The differences between buying a toaster in a retail store and buying a mobile device is that the toaster doesn’t need a monthly plan; there are no trade-in offers for old toasters; and no customer is worried about how many network signal bars the toaster will get in one’s home. The mobile buying experience incorporates all of these complexities and they are best solved with a streamlined, digital shopping experience that presents relevant choices based on customer personalization.
3. Staff Incentives Create Conflict of Interest
Ask anyone who has ever worked in a mobile retail setting what aspect of the employee handbook they know best and the answer will always be “the compensation plan.” In many cases, in-store staff is paid on commission. Activations, device sales and upgrades all put money in staff members’ pockets, and they know exactly how to maximize their pay. This set of incentives can stand in stark contrast to operators’ goals, like improving Net Promoter Score.
Picture the customer who enters a store looking to purchase a new, lower cost device and a simple plan to stay in touch with a caregiver. The customer is intercepted at the point of sale by a staff member with an agenda. The staff member pitches the promotion on an expensive device and more complex plan that the customer wants because he or she will earn an extra bonus for hitting a quota. The customer is frustrated, doesn’t get what she needs and isn’t interested in what the staff member has to say. Is this customer more or less likely to recommend the operator’s products to friends and family members? (Answer: Less likely – hence, negative NPS)
In a digital-first setting, the customer should be more empowered to make choices, hence lessening the need for a staff-driven sales process. In-store staff incentives can shift to metrics related to positive social media activity or overall store productivity; whatever aligns with corporate-level goals and measures for customer experience excellence.
Ultimately, making the in-store experience efficient, compelling and productive will help reduce costs, increase sales and improve loyalty. Making that part of a digital-first, omni-channel customer experience plan should be a priority for any mobile operator and will be a very visible way to demonstrate the company’s commitment to investing in both innovation and customer relationships.
Ed Finegold
