Customers Now Expect to Receive an Omni-Channel Experience - Can you Deliver One?

New research by eBay Enterprise and CFI Group has found that the multi-channel contact environment is not as consistent as shoppers want it to be.

A vast majority of 96 per cent of consumers use a combination of visiting brick-and-mortar stores and reaching out to brands via online channels, yet new research by eBay Enterprise and CFI Group has found that the alignment of the different channels, such as the provision of product information, is not yet that of a consistent omni-channel experience.

SEE ALSO: The Business Value of Integrating the Contact Centre Within Your Omni-Channel Strategy

The eBay Enterprise Technology Update suggests that given the significant proportion of shoppers reaching out through multiple channels when shopping, the importance for retailers to communicate online promotions to store employees and customer service agents and align store policies and product information across all channels cannot be understated.

According to the report just 19 per cent of consumers who contact customer services say the information received is always consistent with the information given online or in store. Additionally, 78 per cent of consumers say they have encountered in-store associates unaware of current online promotions.

So if you're tackling that omni-channel challenge within your company, what are the key points to focus on? This is what shoppers are looking for online:

• 56 per cent are comparing prices against other retailers
• 51 per cent are comparing prices against the same store's online price
• 51 per cent are browsing reviews and recommendations

Sheri Petras, CEO of CFI Group, said that shoppers today are empowered. "As more of them take advantage of the mechanisms available, retailers need to stay competitive by providing consistent information across all channels."