Jeweller - August Issue 2018

BUSINESS
CONSUMERS STILL VALUE PERSONAL TOUCHES
‘showroomers’, the shoppers who look
around their stores and ask staff for expert
advice only to go home and order the
product online. This fear is justified: a study
has shown that 46 per cent of Americans
have been known to ‘showroom’; however,
the same study also revealed that ‘reverse
showrooming’ is an even bigger trend – 69
per cent of consumers research products
online and then visit an offline store to
order the product of their choice.
In the SSI/No Problem! study mentioned
earlier, one of the aspects under
investigation was how consumer
expectations are changing with regard to
the offline (bricks-and-mortar) shopping
experience. The results were clear:
consumers expected the online and offline
worlds to integrate in the near future. In
many cases, that’s exactly
what is happening.
The study showed that consumers expect
an increasing level of interaction and
digitisation in the offline sales outlets, 63
per cent expect stores to install interactive
screens enabling consumers to look up
details on specific products during their
visit and 64 per cent want the option of
ordering a product online right away if it’s
not on stock.
The latter figure illustrates the evolution
of offline toward online and back again.
What’s more, 73 per cent of consumers
feel it’s a plus when an online store also
has an offline sales outlet. Flexible pickup
and delivery options will also become an
increasingly crucial part of any retailer’s
online strategy.
KNOW THE CUSTOMERS
Consumers exhibit a growing aversion to
repeating themselves so the key issue for
consumers is to be recognised as a customer
across all channels. Currently one in three
people expect sales personnel to know that
they searched online and browsed a product
prior to their visit; they want to hear the right
answers right away without having to tell
the same story over and over.
Strikingly enough, this phenomenon is
roughly the same across the world.
DATA BENEFITS ALL
A large portion of the public is still clueless
as to how companies can use their data.
The SSI/No Problem! report showed very
little opposition to the possible use of
consumer data for specific purposes but,
at the moment, only a limited number of
consumers are in favour of such practices
– most consumers are indifferent and have
adopted a ‘wait and see’ attitude.
If consumers had their way, retailers would
primarily use their data to send them
personalised information, something that
46 per cent of respondents would welcome.
It’s striking to note that the Dutch, who
are traditionally frontrunners in the field
of digitisation, are the most sceptical of
corporate use of personal data – just 30
per cent of Dutch consumers are okay with
companies using their data.
Countries such as Belgium, Spain, Italy
and also Singapore are much more open
to such strategies, and over 50 per cent of
consumers in those nations expect better
service through the use of consumer data.
THE PERSONAL DIGITAL WORLD
Several years ago, Peter Hinssen wrote
The New Normal, where he argued that
businesses would address a society without
digital limits, where they are increasingly
faced with customers and consumers who
no longer tolerate limitations in terms of
pricing, timing, patience, depth, privacy,
convenience and intelligence.
This is now a reality. Still, it would be
premature to write-off everything situated
in the human and offline realm just because
the digital society has become the norm.
On the contrary, consumers all over the
NEVER
UNDERESTIMATE
THE IMPACT OF
REAL PEOPLE.
HUMAN CONTACT
IS CRUCIAL IN
MOST CUSTOMER
RELATIONSHIPS,
EVEN IN THE
DIGITAL WORLD
world share the same basic concern for
wanting to build a digital relationship
without losing the interpersonal, human
contact of face-to-face relationships.
Only a handful of companies can do without
but, as always, there are exceptions to the
rule – companies like Amazon and Booking.
com are hugely successful despite minimum
human interventions. Google is another case
in point, but how many companies can do
what these leading companies are doing?
The answer lies in their exceptional DNA
and also their excellent track record when
it comes to customer interaction. Consider
these and it’s easy to see why they are
the exceptions.
A company like Dutch e-commerce business
Coolblue has made a conscious choice to
cultivate human contact. When an online
player opens offline stores and records
videos of employees recommending their
services, it is a well-considered and very
intelligent strategy.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH IS KEY
Never underestimate the impact of real
people. Human contact is crucial in most
customer relationships, even in the digital
world. Seventy-three per cent of consumers
like to have the option of talking to a fleshand-blood
person from time to time even
when the digital channels are working
perfectly. The simple fact that this possibility
exists creates peace of mind that many
people still value.
The personal touch is in the little things
– one in two consumers like it when a
business addresses them by name, for
example. Retailers must get to know their
customers so they can personalise the
customer experience.
Of course, the great thing about all this is
that jewellery retailing is one business that
still thrives on human contact, excellent
advice and emotional purchasing. i
STEVEN VAN BELLEGHEM
provides coaching, workshops
and advice about social media
and conversation management.
stevenvanbelleghem.com
52 Jeweller August 2018