May 2, 2022
Retail Traffic Trends #75: Customer Experience takes the cake
The customer experience has become so important to customers that most consumers would rather sit in a traffic jam than have a bad customer experience.
Although most people will tell you they would rather talk to a human than a robot, there is a time and place for everything.
This week we dive deep into all things related to customer experience and the current state of the industry.
THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS
Q1 Benchmark Report: Click HERE to download the report.
- Doorcounts webinar: Join us at 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST to see how to make the most out of quick entry.
- Retail traffic jam: Shoppers explain their perfect in-store experience.
Customer experience hacks: Simple hacks that will save you and your customers time.
FOOT TRAFFIC INDEX
Here’s a look at last week’s foot traffic compared to the same time last year.
FOOT TRAFFIC TRENDS
Industry insights so you can convert your foot traffic into more sales.
Traffic jams vs. bad customer experience
One of the few benefits of the increasing gas prices has been the lack of traffic on the roads the past few weeks.
As it turns out, people have very strong feelings about traffic jams. Although most people hate traffic jams more than most things, 60%, of consumers would rather sit in a traffic jam than have a poor customer experience, according to a Telus International survey.
The survey also found that nearly 48% of consumers believe that customer experiences should get significantly faster, followed by 43% saying interactions should become more personalized and 36% saying there should be more self-serve or automated options,” Maria Pardee, chief commercial officer at Telus International, said in the release.
Customer Experience by the Facts
Although most people will tell you they would rather talk to a human than a robot, there is a time and place for everything.
With more commerce moving to the digital space, customers are looking to interact with brands on a personal level now more than ever. Most customers are looking for a conversation and personalized experience, now more than ever.
In 2020, brand interactions during the Black Friday, Cyber Monday season skyrocketed 345% over 2019. In 2021, those numbers continued to rise by 16%.
Despite the increased need for human interaction throughout the customer experience, certain conversations can be time-consuming and unnecessary for a human to do. In 2021, WISMO (where is my order?) accounted for 36% of interactions, up from 31% in 2020.
WISMO conversations are the perfect use-case for an Ai-system that can instantly give the customer an update on their order.
Retail Snippets
Digital fraud: Mastercard partners with Microsoft to tackle digital fraud.
BYP: Amazon launches ‘Buy With Prime,’ allowing other retail sites to use services — Here’s How to Get Started.
UK: UK retail sales slump as soaring energy prices hit households
RANDOM IRRELEVANCE
Black Moon: Rare Black Moon solar eclipse takes a bite out of the sun over South America.
Vintage meal: Illinois family finds preserved McDonald’s food from over half a century ago in home’s wall
Oil shortage: Supermarkets are limiting the amount of cooking oil people can buy as the Ukraine war leads to shortages and surging prices