Surely you have heard that phrase, but perhaps it has never been as pertinent as it is now. Retail technology took center stage at NRF 2018 Retail’s Big Show in New York a couple weeks ago. An article published by Forbes reports that the products and services on display are designed to help retailers improve service, awareness, shopper consideration, engagement, and the post-purchase experience.
How you sell is much more important than what you sell. More than ever, you need to focus on the shopping experience for each specific customer. The buying journey is becoming an increasingly shared experience for many future buyers. However, the opposite effect is that, due to social networks, a negative experience can destroy a business.
The consulting firm McKinsey released a study strongly recommending that companies reinvent customer journeys using digital technologies. Customers who have always been familiar with the personalization and comfort of dealing with digital environments expect the same kind of experience from established businesses. Research shows that 25 percent of customers will abandon a service provider after just one bad experience. Customer-experience leaders can become even better by digitizing the processes behind the most important customer journeys.
An important part of this process is the arrival of artificial intelligence, especially when integrated with data analysis that can promote a more personalized and user-oriented experience. Supplied with data and advanced analytics, the customer-experience leaders can gain rapid insights to build customer loyalty, make employees happier, achieve revenue gains of 5 to 10 percent, and reduce costs by 15 to 25 percent within two or three years (McKinsey). The way humans and machines interact is completely different today than it was a few years ago. Today, it is not strange to “talk” to robots and have them play important roles in the shopping experience. Together, humans and machines are complementary—and this alliance results in more personalized, efficient, fast and engaging shopping experiences.
Stefanini and the Future of User Experience
In alignment with this trend, Stefanini took a decisive step in the beginning of 2018 by acquiring one of the largest user-experience and performance consultancies in Latin America: Gauge. With this announcement, the company extends its operations in digital media, user experience and data, delivering results through the understanding of user information and people’s behavior. Learn more about Stefanini’s latest acquisition here.
The goal of Stefanini, which has been investing significantly in digital transformation, is to continue investing in innovation to connect the entire user experience through digital tools—increasing results and improving experiences with products and processes.
It will be a pleasure to discuss with you how we can help you to achieve your goals!
Spencer Gracias, CEO North America/APAC
