3 Keys to a Frictionless Customer Messaging Strategy

Consumer’s expectations for speed and convenience are always on the rise, and the pandemic has sharply shifted the focus from excellent in-person experiences to even better digital ones. With 86% of consumers saying they expect businesses to be even more convenient after the Covid-19 restrictions lift, now is the time for businesses to implement and perfect a messaging strategy that meets the increased demand for effective online communication with customers.

In this NRF Conference webinar, Doug Regner (VP of Retail at Podium) and Katie Osberg (Global Retail Partnerships Lead at Google) discuss how communication behaviour and expectations have changed within the last two years and how businesses can appropriately respond to the shift by improving how they approach messaging. 

1. Focus on 1:1 Messaging 

The most successful way for businesses to limit friction in messaging is to centre their efforts on one-to-one communication with their customers. Users value individually connecting with retailers on their own terms and at their convenience. In fact, the .>However, many shoppers have experienced frustration with automation. Regner encouraged businesses to invest in new ways to reduce friction and improve the automation experience, suggesting retailers think through the type of experience they would like to experience and use those insights to redefine what needs a real person versus what can effectively be done with AI for their business. 

In another example, Doug highlighted Mathis Furniture, a furniture retailer in Oklahoma and California. Mathis found an opportunity to utilise messaging, leverage automation, and introduce a contactless payment solution to keep their customers and staff safer in 2020. Customers received a payment link on their phone and could use Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a credit card to complete their transaction. And Mathis Furniture saw amazing results—the automated payment link over messages generated nearly $10 million in payments collected over text and improved the time-to-payment to an average of five minutes.>89% of their customers. 

Gucci, a globally recognised brand, well-known for their highly personalised, high attention shopping experience, also experienced store closures during the global pandemic. In order to pivot and continue offering a great Gucci experience to their customers, they implemented messaging. Customers made appointments via text and then chatted with a personal shopper over video, all from the comfort of their mobile device. 

When these three elements are actively implemented into a messaging strategy, a business creates a competitive and a frictionless customer service experience. 

To see examples of each key point and to learn more, watch the entire webinar here.