Customer expectations have hit an all-time high, with shoppers wanting personalized experiences and support on their terms. Roughly 80% of customers now say the experience a company provides is as necessary as its product (Salesforce, 2023). They expect on-demand access to expertise and intuitive self-service channels around the clock.
In this environment, simply reacting to inquiries or issues will not suffice. Retailers must aggregate data from sales, inventory, and customer interactions and leverage data analytics to anticipate needs and reach out with help or offers before customers even ask. Proactive digital engagement solutions can help retailers achieve that, as well as eliminate friction throughout the shopping journey that today’s forward-thinking customers expect.
Let’s explore what you can expect from a modern customer loyalty solution and how a cutting-edge omnichannel platform like Veras Reach meets these demands.
Anticipating Customer Needs with Proactive Outreach
Proactive outreach means engaging customers before issues arise or needs become explicit, using data and digital channels to touch base at the right time. For example, if analytics flags a delayed shipment or recurring question, the system can automatically notify the customers with helpful information or offer assistance.
How does it do so, you ask? Well, this anticipatory approach relies on having a unified view of the customer. Purchase history, interaction records, and preferences, all into one accessible profile. In practice, a retailer might review recent buying patterns and offer complementary product suggestions. Or they can alert shoppers to store events relevant to their best interests and offer coupons before they even realize they need them.
Proactively contacting a shopper makes them more likely to trust your brand and engage openly. Moreover, anticipating customer needs ensures their shopping journey remains uninterrupted. And over time, those positive proactive experiences create a strong foundation of loyalty and trust!
Why Proactive Digital Engagement Solutions Drive Loyalty and Confidence
- Increased Customer Confidence: When you reach out first, customers see that your brand is attentive and cares about their satisfaction. Indeed, surveys by Gartner show that receiving proactive support can measurably boost customer value.
- Fostered Loyalty: 91% of consumers say they are likelier to shop with brands that recognize them and offer relevant recommendations (Accenture, 2018). Proactive outreach, whether a personalized sale alert or a curated product suggestion, makes shoppers feel part of an exclusive community. It reinforces the brand-customer relationship.
- Issue Resolution Before Escalation: Cutting-edge proactive digital engagement solutions can flag issues, such as a payment problem or a failed delivery, and automatically address them before the customer complains. Thereby, it mitigates customer frustration from boiling over and saves on costly support interventions later.
- Enhanced Overall CX: Customers notice when a brand anticipates their needs, like reminding them of a wedding anniversary gift opportunity or offering a discount on refillable items. These little gestures increase the likelihood that shoppers will come back and even introduce the brand to others.
Retailers that consistently exceed expectations by providing timely value stand out and gain market share. By positioning your retail solution as one that goes the extra mile with customers, you attract and retain shoppers who have plenty of other choices.
And they also spread positive word-of-mouth!
