UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

In the luxurious Aloft hotel in Cupertino, a surprising visitor roams the hallways of the hotel floors. A small, Pixar-esque looking robot named “Botlr” (a creative spin-off for “butler”) cheerfully approaches various rooms, delivering items such as toothbrushes, extra towels, and shampoo.

Starwood, the hotel corporation behind Aloft and the Botlr “butlers,” is one of the leading hotel industry experts to add this new facet to their customer experience.

Technology trends have led companies to evaluate their success not based (or solely based) on how many sales they accomplish, but based on how excellent the whole customer experience is from start to finish (and beyond).

So what are the key elements that the best rated businesses in “customer experience” are implementing? What core beliefs should a company hold to in order to stay ahead in the customer service race?

Here’s the skinny.

A CUSTOMER’S IN-STORE, DELIVERY, OR IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE MUST NOT SIMPLY BE AS GOOD AS AN ONLINE EXPERIENCE…IT MUST BEBETTER.

Customers in today’s day and age are disillusioned with the in-store shopping experience. This fact is apparent from the success of many companies who are experiencing wild success through online ordering and delivery. From groceries to custom fit jeans, you can have literally anything delivered to you.

The reality gives companies all the more reason to figure out how to make the in-store experience–which still is a major driver of sales–match the quality and technological capacity of the online experience.

What if instead of simply notifying shoppers that they carry a certain skirt in a certain size, a clothing store was alerted by an app to pull the item, put it in a dressing room at a certain location and time, and then the shopper was guided with a customized map to the store and dressing room in question?

There are many ways businesses can integrate technology with in-person and in-store interactions to allow for a streamlined customer experience–one that rivals (or beats) the online experience itself.

For example, Burberry, a high-end clothier, recently introduced their Scarf Bar, which is a technology integrated experience that allows shoppers to design their own scarf online or in-store.

The same can be said about the delivery or any other business-to-person experience. How can a business make a transaction more than just “Deliver product to customer X”?

Businesses such as Stitch Fix, a custom-curated clothing styling and delivery service, deliver out-of-the-box (literally) service to their customers, personalizing the experience and making sure every customer ends up happy and has just what they want.

BUSINESSES MUST LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO STREAMLINE AND ENHANCE THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE.

Facilitated by in-person artificial intelligence (AI), smart software and the Internet of Things (IOT), businesses are able to utilize technology to create an in-store experience that not only wows customers, but helps them have a fast, successful shopping experience.

For instance, Lowe’s home improvement store introduced their customers to LoweBot, an interactive robot that helps shoppers with simple tasks, inventory information, and other questions, so that human customer service reps can be freed up to help with other, more complicated matters.

And then there’s RobotLab, a company that is developing retail robots who will advise shoppers on current styles, fits, and provide other helpful tips.

The sky is the limit in regards to just how helpful technology can be in making the customer service experience an incredible one.

PROVIDING A CUSTOMER WITH AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE GOES BEYOND SIMPLY SUPPLYING THEM WITH A PRODUCT THEY WANT.

With the proper understanding of customer needs and a commitment to innovation, businesses will continue to impress customers and have them coming back for more.