Digital store front
May 12, 2022 • 3 minute read

Creating A digital storefront through customer service

Customer experience comes down to creating the easiest path possible for customers to complete their tasks. Whether enrolling in an insurance policy, returning a dress, or booking a flight, the principles of good customer service remain the same whether online, over the phone, or face-to-face.

In this way, you can think of digital customer experience (defined as any interaction with a brand that is not in person), as a digital storefront. It serves to welcome customers into your space and creates an important touchpoint with the brand. 

Imagine entering a clothing store. The way you’re greeted as you walk in the door, the ease of browsing the options and going to the fitting room, the helpfulness of the staff, and the efficiency of the checkout all play a part in your experience. Stores that focus on customer experience are designed to facilitate this flow. 

In a digital world, it’s a little less concrete, but the same principles apply. Approaching digital channels as a storefront can help a brand create effortless, productive experiences that eliminate frustration.

Here’s four ways that you can apply best practices from physical stores to help your digital storefront:

First impressions matter

Customers should be greeted, not forced to make a choice, when they arrive at your store. Imagine walking into a store and immediately being asked if you’re looking to return something. That’s what it’s like when a customer service interaction starts off with a menu tree– “For returns, press 1”.  Instead, open the conversation with “Hi, how can I help you?”. Customers then can lead the conversation and feel less restricted and confused by the abrupt options.

Minimize wait times

Wait times are the ultimate detractor from an experience. There’s been so many times in a physical store that I’ve immediately walked out if I saw a long line. Digital experiences are no different. Reducing reliance on human agents by incorporating Conversational AI technology can eliminate wait times, so more customers can be served in less time. 

Clean up the clutter

If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you wouldn’t design a maze in order to reach the checkout. So why do we clutter digital experiences with menu trees, forced options, and complicated authentication protocols? It’s usually done under the guise of directing the customer. But for a truly efficient customer experience, the customer should be leading the interaction, not the technology.

Make relevant offers

Have you ever walked through a department store and had a swarm of employees offering you perfume samples? It’s annoying. This is what it feels like when customers receive irrelevant upsells and cross-sales. Instead, technologies such as Conversational AI allows brands to use data to actually offer customers things they may want. It’s more like having a personal shopper suggesting others styles that you may like rather than a generic sample thrown in your face. 

When brands view digital channels as integral parts of their brand experience and prioritize them, customers notice. This leads to more revenue through customer loyalty, decreased operational costs through less reliance on human agents, and differentiates the brand among competitors. 

Learn more about creating a successful digital experience in this ebook.

Want to learn more? Let’s talk.