{"id":12917,"date":"2020-10-21T13:59:52","date_gmt":"2020-10-21T12:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=12917"},"modified":"2023-01-17T10:49:29","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T10:49:29","slug":"shopper-retail-employee-communications-roundup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/shopper-retail-employee-communications-roundup\/","title":{"rendered":"Shopper and Retail Employee Communications Roundup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many industries are in the midst of a massive transformation, driven by the shift to cloud, the evolution of the workplace, and a pandemic that changed the way we connect on a global scale. The RingCentral Connected Shopper and Employee Communication<\/a> report delivers some fascinating updates into how the landscape is changing.<\/p>\n

The research examines survey results across four generations of consumers: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers. Results from over 2,500 shoppers and 1,000 retail employees indicated some interesting findings on the preferences people have for communicating with retailers during the consumer journey.<\/p>\n

The report offers insights into the perceptions that shoppers have regarding the ability of retailers to meet expectations and retail employee perceptions on consumer challenges. We also covered the preferences that retail employees have for collaboration and communication.<\/p>\n

Retail communications are evolving<\/h2>\n

Consumers in 2020 are still experiencing frustrations. We\u2019re facing a range of difficulties in interactions with retailers, and employees in retail companies are sensing the discomfort. Around 89% of retail employees say their customers face problems when trying to communicate with the organisation.<\/p>\n

Clients are dealing with long wait times (58%), frustrating conversations (41%) and feelings of anger (21%), all of which detract from the customer experience<\/a>. Another major problem is the significant gap between how employees perceive customer angst, and the depth of the frustration that clients feel. Around 45% of employees believe that customers are facing longer wait times, though 58% of clients report having to consistently wait, as evidenced in our eBook Long hold times are killing your CX<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The significant gaps between employee understanding of consumer problems, and the issues that customer’s face indicates a need for better-connected contact centres. Retailers need to connect proactively with customers to keep them feeling understood, appreciated, and satisfied with their service.<\/p>\n

Omnichannel communication is essential<\/h2>\n

Aside from issues with companies underplaying customer concerns, the retail environment is also seeing a rise in demand for omnichannel communications. 89% of consumers say their purchasing decisions hang on whether retailers can offer their preferred methods of communication. Around 72% say they would switch retailers if they didn\u2019t have access to their preferred channel.<\/p>\n

We found that 96% of customers<\/a> want to ensure their issue is solved quickly on the channel that\u2019s suitable for them. Around half of the employees we surveyed also said it takes longer to resolve customer issues when teams can\u2019t use the tools consumers want.<\/p>\n

Omnichannel operations are an essential part of preserving your customer base; as Forbes notes, it costs much less to retain an existing customer<\/a> than to find a new one.<\/p>\n

The research proves that consumers still prefer direct methods of communication. 95% of frontline workers and 66% of shoppers prefer in-person communication to other methods. The significant gap between the two solutions highlights the extent to which clients engage with their retailers in the digital world. Online engagement will continue to accelerate as younger generations increase their presence in the marketplace.<\/p>\n\t\t