CX experts share last-minute holiday shopping reminders
At Church Hill Classics, the secret to optimizing customer experiences during the holiday rush is not so much what the company does as what it doesn’t do.
When customers aren’t satisfied with the shadow boxes or custom frames they ordered, for example, there’s no 25 per cent restocking free or other charge for an exchange. Although the official returns policy is 120 days, the company will do what it takes to make things right. And when customers call in, they aren’t subjected to a bot, kept on hold or have to navigate a complex routing system.
“They can call us toll-free and speak to a live customer service representative. Customers are relieved to have their call answered immediately—no buttons to press, no waiting on hold or for a callback,” Church Hill Classics digital content and engagement specialist Marcy Kellman told 360 Magazine. “Their concerns or questions are addressed in real time by courteous framing experts with more than 10 years of experience on the job. Sometimes it’s the simplest solutions that can make all the difference in the world during the busiest, most stressful time of the year for customers.”
With many consumers having already started their holiday shopping by now, it may be too late for most brands to make substantial changes to the customer experience (CX) they’re providing. In fact, keeping things simple and making sure common sense best practices don’t fall through the cracks may be the best way to stand out.
“Hire additional staff and equip your support team with the necessary tools for the holiday season. Make sure your support team is consistent and accessible through different channels even at the peak times,” said Michael Podolsky, co-founder and CEO at online review site PissedConsumer.com. “For online retailers, it’s also essential to optimize the delivery processes, which may require them to include alternative shipping methods and have different suppliers at hand in case of delays or cancellations.”
With mobile devices accounting for the majority of holiday shopping, meanwhile, optimizing the mobile experience is crucial, said Mike Ford, CEO of audience targeting and insights provider Skydeo.
“Your mobile site or app should be fast, intuitive, and provide a frictionless checkout. In-store, brands should consider integrating mobile features like contactless payments or personalized offers via apps,” he said.
Ford pointed to Lululemon as an example of mobile CX done right with app features like product recommendations based on past purchases, virtual appointments, and fitness class schedules. “After the holiday rush, Lululemon continues to engage customers by offering exclusive access to fitness content, personalized workout suggestions, and gear recommendations,” he said. This means “the customer experience extends well beyond a single sale.”
Of course, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) have dominated conversations about CX over the past few years, but research from SmartCommerce found 48 per cent of consumers are rejecting it.
“You can’t spell ‘holiday’ without AI, but respondents do NOT plan to turn to AI or use it for anything,” SmartCommerce CEO Jennifer Silverberg said. “Respondents were almost visceral in their responses. The bots are not gonna take over the holidays this season.”
AI adoption might take time, as might other sophisticated CX solutions to improve holiday shopping experiences. With that in mind, Andy Keenan, executive vice president and general manager at Advantage Solutions, suggested CX leaders develop more of a long-term, always-on holiday shopping mindset.
This year the back-to-school season began sharing space with what Keenan called “Summerween, where TikTokers showcased their parties with watermelon-carved jack-o’-lanterns, coffin-shaped ice cream sandwiches and skeletons propped up on pool floats. Starbucks jumped on the trend too, releasing its oh-so-popular pumpkin spice latte, earlier than ever before, he said.
“We’ve seen ‘holiday creep’ for a long time – but it’s really exaggerated now so much so that it’s rare not to be in some sort of extended holiday season,” he said. “It’s rendering the traditional retail calendar irrelevant.”
