Some of you may own a store or a small business, and you may be wondering whether you can apply these concepts.

Here’s how:

Build a mobile app with the following features:

It should greet the customer by name, be configured to meet each customer’s requirements, and aim to gratify them as quickly as possible.

It should be easy to navigate and discover the merchandise on the app.

It should be easy to place orders.

It should incorporate the facility of tracking orders.

Payments should be easy to make and secure. It could incorporate I-Click ordering.

Occasionally, offer deals.

Make recommendations based on past purchases of each of your customers.

Announce a reward/loyalty program.

Do not charge separately for delivery.

Adapt to your customer’s pace. For example, let the customers set up the time for delivery and abide by it.

Educate customers about your products.

Offer as wide a range as possible.

Offer a ‘wish list feature. Once a customer puts an item on the wish list, go the extra mile to source and deliver it at no extra cost.

Offer unconditional guarantees and ease of return. This will de-risk buying decisions and customers are likely to buy liberally, assured by the fact that if they need to return it will not be a challenge.

Let your customer know that you are grateful to them for giving you their business.

Act like sales consultants. The job is not to sell but to advise customers on what is best for them and in their interests.

Is the Future Omnichannel?

Will the dominance of omnichannel retailing continue in the near term? According to Jack Ma, a new format—New Retail—will make its presence felt: ‘The boundary between offline and online commerce disappears as we focus on fulfilling the personalized needs of every customer . . . this will be made possible through the integration of online, offline, logistics and data across a single value chain.

To give you a preview of what New Retail will look like, permit me to introduce Alibaba’s Hema supermarket chain. Hema carries curated items ranging from fresh food to grocery sourced from across the world and—hold your breath—has fine dining located inside the store.

In the store, a shopper needs only a smartphone to navigate: every product in the store has a product tag that can be scanned to get a comprehensive idea about it. Shoppers can scan barcodes, make payments via the Hema app, and set up a delivery time for the merchandise to be delivered at home.

Shoppers can also order online via the Hema mobile app and get things delivered at home for free, in merely thirty minutes provided the delivery address is within a three-mile radius.

Through the app, Hema is able to record an individual shopper’s behavior and, based on that, offer personalized recommendations and promotional offers. Shoppers can also order food that is freshly cooked and served in food booths located inside Hema.

Amazon is not far behind: it has launched the Amazon Go retail store with the objective of creating a shopping experience with no lines and no checkouts.

What Should Be Your Strategic Response?

You will have to accept the fact that buyer behavior is changing. Omnichannel retailing is here to stay, and it offers a new angle for gaining a competitive advantage. So board this train—before it is too late. 

Omni-channel customer service is the solution for forward-thinking businesses.

However, don’t forget the human touch that ties it all together.  And the well-trained staff that can address customer concerns and delivers a positive image of your brand is the key ingredient to providing top-notch customer service.

We have always emphasized the importance of having a good website for your company because it can act as your best tool for marketing and sales. A poorly designed website can repulse people from your business and can cause you to lose customers before you even have them. Get in touch with HyperEffects to work on creating, enhancing, and making the website of your company more user-friendly.