The retail store isn’t going away so quickly. But the job it does is changing fast and communication service providers (CSP) that win the next five years will be the ones who figure out how to deliver an experience to customers rather than a sales pitch. The success of this concept, however, depends on standardization of customer engagement in the store.
CSP Retail Redefined
Customers still want to visit retail stores, despite the fact that they don’t need to often. In fact, 70 percent of telecom customers say they want retail involved at some point in their service journey, especially when something goes wrong. What’s changing is their motivations for going into a store.
Transactions like plan upgrades and purchasing accessories have largely migrated to digital channels or over the phone. Customers are coming into the store for the physical experience, often around their mobile device, seeking help for device troubleshooting, looking at new devices for upgrades and inquiring about accessories or other products. With mobile the focus, the CSP retail store becomes a service-first and experience hub, not just a transactional forum. That shift reshapes staffing, training and what “good” looks like on a busy day. When executed well, these kinds of services in stores boost NPS by up to 19 points.
Your Service Is Only as Good as Today’s Rep
Two customers walking into the same store on the same day can have completely different experiences. One customer interacts with a seasoned rep who runs diagnostics on the device, spots a weakening battery and notices the customer’s plan ends in two months, so the rep recommends a trade-in as the new iPhone has just arrived. The other customer interacts with a fairly new rep two weeks on the job who processes a SIM swap and forgets to mention insurance.
That inconsistency has a real cost. General retail employee turnover in telecom runs varies, but can be high depending on the type of store and incentives, with average U.S. retail turnover at around 60 percent. This often means a sizable share of a store’s floor staff is relatively inexperienced or quietly building confidence. Upsell opportunities, such as accessories, protection, add-a-line, plan upgrades, etc., get missed, and not for a lack of effort, but because they’re only human. Their ability to engage and provide human care is what makes them valuable to the retail experience, but their inconsistency is the challenge.
And customers notice. CSAT can swing several points depending on the quality of service they receive, making brand experience a coin flip. For example, when customers get smart, contextual alternatives for their problem, including an upsell, their NPS increases by six points. When they don’t get options to solve their problem, NPS drops by nine points.
AI Is the Great Equalizer on the Retail Floor
Where not all reps are created equal, AI earns its place in the store, closing the gap between your best rep and your newest, most inexperienced rep. AI becomes the virtual assistant to the retail rep in any given service scenario that provides suggestions in real-time to maximize the potential of service.
With customers coming into the store for device-related matters, the data on their mobile device becomes the source of customer truth in any service interaction. When coupled with CRM and billing information, it creates holistic, valuable insights to guide rep decision-making. The outcome is a ten-year veteran and a two-week hire deliver the same level of service.
A mobile device troubleshooting event doesn’t stay just that; it can become either a rep recommendation for settings adjustments, an upgrade/trade-in offer or a VAS upsell the rep might otherwise not have accounted for.
MCE: Turning Device Data and AI into Superior Reps
With over 20 years in the telecom industry and starting with retail products, MCE is the expert in using technology to improve store productivity and customer experience. Our device intelligence solution captures mobile data and our Common Data Layer connects it between channels of service (digital, retail, call center) to provide an always-on composite of the customer’s situation and actionable insights. Explore how our solutions can help improve your retail customer experience and rep efficiency.
