Put the focus on convenient, customer-centric engagements.

Even though 96% of customers say they’ll return to in-person shopping, 58% predict they’ll do more online shopping, too. And CSPs are capturing their fair share of consumer spending. In fact, sales of smartphones and subscription services are surging because of pent-up demand, sustained remote work, improved consumer outlook, and strong growth globally. CSPs already recognize the value of ecommerce: 54% of CSP leaders say they’re increasing investments in digital versus in-store experiences.

With today’s consumers turning to an average of eight channels to browse inventory, seek advice, and make purchases, CSPs have an opportunity to improve shopping experiences to meet evolving customer preferences. Here’s how:

Streamline the subscriber journey

Seventy-nine percent of customers expect consistent interactions across departments. With Salesforce Customer 360 embedded in your customer relationship management (CRM) platform, you can deliver connected customer experiences by linking sales, service, and marketing. Composable commerce services and APIs embed unique digital experiences across the customer journey to meet subscribers where they are. Digital quoting makes buying new products and services faster and easier.

Analyze consumer sentiment

Use listening tools to gather insights, analyze behaviors, and identify trends on feedback channels like social media. Create content for audience segments based on demographics, purchase history, and channel preferences. Use A/B testing to test and scale special offers and creative assets.

Connect with customers using virtual consultations

Customers want to test out devices before making a commitment. Virtual consultations featuring augmented reality can fill the gap for people who prefer shopping from home, and they provide a great way for associates to demo phones, explain features, and talk through options in an immersive way. With Live Shopping, customers can tune in to social channels, interact with in-store associates as they demo products, and complete the purchase right then and there.

Enable in-store appointment scheduling

Give customers who prefer physical interactions the option to book an in-store appointment with a clear purpose — to deal with an account issue, upgrade a phone, or add a new line. Tools like Salesforce Scheduler allow associates to prepare for each customer and streamline visits.

Create order and fulfillment flexibility

Flexibility and convenience have never been more important to shoppers. In fact, 83% of customers expect flexible shipping and fulfillment options, such as buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS). An order management system (OMS) automates fulfillment on any channel, whether digital or in store, and enables CSPs to turn retail stores into distribution centers so they can ship products from stores to customers.

With an OMS, you can let customers know when it’s time for pickup, share store location details, and include instructions on what identification they’ll need (for example, a government-issued photo ID). An OMS also empowers customers to initiate exchanges and returns or track orders without having to call a customer service rep.

Enable frictionless (and contactless) payments

Prevent frustrating checkout experiences by welcoming new payment types and streamlining processes. Apple Pay and tap-and-go technology enable fast, contactless payments. Statement billing simplifies omni-channel processes. In-store, if a customer needs to sign terms/conditions, have them do it from their device.

Offer self-service options

Sixty-one percent of customers prefer self-service for simple issues. Create landing pages with content like frequently asked questions and knowledge articles that cover common how-to topics. Add a customer portal with automated capabilities so processes like initiating a return are fast and intuitive.

Re-create one-on-one subscriber experiences

Personalize selling experiences with conversational commerce. Interact with customers on social channels to answer product and service questions or help them complete their orders using the “Order on Behalf Of” feature. Use digital to bring customers into the store to finish transactions and provide consistent and connected experiences, regardless of where they choose to shop.

Also consider:

• Installing lockers at your store for customers to grab their orders and go
• Designating some stores for inventory overflow and pickup-only (“dark stores”) and stocking those stores with popular SKUs for that specific geography
• Encouraging additional browsing, even at curbside, with product vending machines or digital screens with more merchandise
• Transferring products between stores using a local delivery service
• Activating delivery options from local stores with fast delivery providers

Reward your best customers — and partners

Loyalty programs, rebate management, and channel incentive management are powerful tools that improve the customer experience and differentiate your brand. In order to identify and reward your highest-value customers, combine your loyalty data with your customer profiles. This will help you personalize offers, like a custom product bundle or priority service. It will also give you a competitive advantage — one in five customers said bundled service would make them consider changing their home internet provider.

Use digital tools to enhance in-store shopping experiences.

In 2023, shoppers say they made 49% of their transactions in physical stores. With customers splitting their purchases near equally between physical and online spaces, connecting the dots is critical. To do this, CSPs should empower frontline and back-office employees to deliver excellent customer experiences with the right digital tools.

Give employees the visibility they need

Provide instant visibility into customer preferences, devices, usage, and interaction history so that store associates can personalize recommendations and complete a sale. A CRM platform gives them a complete view of the customer’s profile and purchase history. From a single, agile, cloud-based IT platform, they can also:

• Access service contract terms
• Set service appointments
• View inventory and move products between stores
• Arrange for home delivery
• Recommend related products — such as wireless headphones or a protective case

Empower managers with customizable mobile apps

Enable store managers to streamline processes and share critical news and updates with intuitive mobile apps. Managers can assign tasks to store associates and track them to completion. Real-time data and automated reporting ensure they make smarter decisions faster.

Cross-train associates on multiple functions

Help retail and customer service associates build their skill sets. Digital learning tools like myTrailhead teach customer service skills or upsell and cross-sell techniques, anytime, anywhere. No matter their function, emphasize the importance of customer service basics like communication style, listening skills, and empathy.

Evolve cross-channel compensation

While making purchases through digital channels is easy for many customers, others may need more assistance. Put a system in place that credits associates with the sale when they help a customer complete a digital transaction.

Create intelligent and intuitive shopping experiences.

Customers want personalized experiences. In fact, 65% of customers expect companies to adapt to their changing needs and preferences. CSPs can apply AI to customer data to create opportunities to customize offers based on preferences, behaviors, and actions. It also gives teams across the company visibility into the experiences that affect customer loyalty — for example, when customers interact with support, sales, or billing.

Here’s how AI gives CSPs the insights they need to connect online and in-store experiences.

Make search-and-sort intelligent

Surface the most relevant site search results based on the customer profile. Create a customized sort result list based on customer behaviors and personal data.

Showcase the right products

Display the right products — and increase conversion rates — when shoppers engage with AI-driven recommendations. You can also use commerce insights to create product bundles and increase units per transaction.

Complete the set for shoppers

Deliver personalized product recommendations online and win with bigger cart sizes. For example, adding “complete the set” recommendations — like a protective case and wireless headphones on a mobile phone landing page — grows revenue and improves the customer experience.

Create opportunities for future engagements

Don’t let the final sale be the end of your relationship. Deploy targeted email and social media marketing assets post-purchase to build a connection and drive loyalty.

Bring new products and offers to market quickly

Launch tailored offers quickly based on customer buying preferences, existing services, and billing and usage patterns. Accelerate time to market and seamlessly manage orders with the modular digital BSS stack provided by Salesforce Communications Cloud. Create cross-selling opportunities by bundling products with service offerings such as wireless, broadband, and smartphone.

Say hello to digital disruption

CSPs already recognized that the consumer shopping journey was changing, but the impact of the pandemic accelerated plans to reimagine the physical and digital customer experience. CSPs need to build on their successes by becoming even more customer-centric. To do so, leading CSPs are going digital-first faster. They’re rising to meet evolving consumer expectations and disrupting the traditional buying journey by enabling omni-channel commerce, empowering store associates to serve customers better, and using AI to capitalize on actionable opportunities.