What is a retail contact center?

One of the most challenging aspects of any retail business is the balancing act of taking care of in-store customers and those calling in. Plus, the digital world provides so many opportunities for engagement, research and insight for future marketing campaigns that traditional call centers are hemorrhaging essential data. Every retail business can benefit from the streamlined communications offered by an omnichannel contact center solution.

Retailers need to know what people are buying, how frequently specific customers purchase goods and which marketing campaigns have the best ROIs, among other vital KPIs. 8x8 can help you bring your retail contact center up to date or implement one if you've been operating without one.

Call Center vs. Omnichannel Contact Center

In the past, operators in the retail industry used a traditional call center or relied upon social media or email alone. If you fall into the latter camp, now is the time to implement an omnichannel contact center solution.

Customer experience is the most important buzzword in business right now, and consumers are savvier than ever. Video and voice calls are the next-best-thing compared to in-person communication when it comes to building long-term relationships and inspiring loyalty. Text, email and social media complement calls by providing agents additional insight and giving customers the impression of a customer service team whose doors are always open.

Streamline communications

A cloud-based contact center means you can communicate with customers using video, voice, text, email, chat and social media. The more avenues for communication that are available to your customers, the likelier it is they'll get in touch with an issue before complaining online in the form of a review.

Offer consistent communication across all channels

What if your customer employee team could gather all communications with a customer across all channels in an instant? With a cloud-based retail contact center, you can drastically decrease the number of times a caller has to repeat themselves to tell you who they are and what they want.

Never miss a scrap of useful data

A major issue for traditional retail call center services is their over-reliance on agents' memories. Even the most brilliant-minded contact center agent can't keep track of all the data a digital contact center solution offers.

Decision-makers can use reporting functions and big data analysis to identify trends and plan future campaigns.

Make the most of mobile

People are busier than ever, and it's rare that most people spend their hard-earned leisure time resolving a retail issue. In most cases, they'll use spare time when they're on the move to resolve customer service problems. As such, mobile channels for communication are more important than ever.

In fact, people are using mobile devices more than desktop nowadays, so mobile, integrated text-based communication options are essential.

Use APIs to stand out

With 8x8's contact center for retail, you can personalize the API interface so it's unique to your brand. This looks professional and makes your company more memorable.

Create a unique brand experience for your retail business

As the retail market becomes increasingly saturated, your company must find creative and cost-effective ways to stand out ahead of competitors. With customer experience playing such a crucial role in a business' success, improving retail account call center operations is one of the best ways to level up. Check out 8x8's contact center solutions for retailers today.