Celebrating customers!

A few decades earlier the retail sector was rather simply organised, with a dukaandaar (shopkeeper) and his few grahaks (customers), and happy grahaks ensured the success of the business. .  And, with the emergence of modern retail post 2000, the dukaan was transformed into a chainstore, and the bazaar to a mall, and the distance between a grahak and dukaandaar grew considerably.  No doubt, this sector grew and also slowly matured, but retailers are still scratching the surface with regard to the customer service experience. Retailer recently organised a panel discussion on ‘Delivering Excellence in Customer Service’, and leaders in customer loyalty and customer experience shared their thoughts on a creating a differentiated experience, given that excellence is a default requirement. This was followed by an awards presentation. The key themes at this event:

Connecting effectively like ‘kirana’ stores 

The domestic retail industry has traditionally been dominated by ‘kirana’ shopkeepers and they understood their consumer well, and services were also appropriately geared. No doubt, over the past decade there has been a proliferation in malls across the country, but consumers are still loyal to their neighbourhood ‘dukaandar’.

Modern trade has utilised the latest in IT and allied technologies, but there are lessons from the traditional retail sector which are relevant to the organised sector, highlighted panellists, in terms of establishing a close rapport with consumers and responding appropriately to his evolving needs. The panellists also highlighted that technology alone cannot be a differentiating factor for organised trade, and each retailer needs to evaluate how he can establish a much closer relationship with his customer base.

Creating the ‘wow’ effect

The panellists highlighted that customer service must create a lasting impression in the minds, and a truly world class organisation would surprise the customer, in terms of the frontline and allied staff’s response to his needs.

Amar Agrawal of SPA Group highlighted that there is no simple formula that can be utilised nor one size fit all. Each organisation, Agrawal pointed out, needs to find its own solution, but he stressed the importance of well trained front office staff who are in direct contact with the final consumer. Apart from that, Agarwal also highlighted that ‘common sense’ is often overlooked when front-end staff deal with consumers.  And, once again it was attributed to over dependence on technology for understanding and solving consumer centric issues. Striking a similar note, Sanjeev Kumar Sharma of DLF Malls, highlighted that customer service levels should be uniform across divisions, regions and the broader group. “The customer experience should be world class and this spirit has to be imbibed by the broader organisation,” said Sharma. 

Effective listening

The broad consensus was that merely ‘hearing’ a customer was not sufficient and there is an urgent need to effectively respond to consumer feedback. In addition, it was also stressed that the feedback received from consumers can play an important role while developing new products and services, and effectively help an organisation remain ahead of rivals.

“Infuse the voice of the client in your services and products, and a majority of customer related issues can be handled rather quickly,” said Santosh Srivastava of Gitanjali Jewellery.

Empowering front-end staff

The panellists highlighted that while the front-end staff who deal directly with the consumer are often not recognised in an organisation hierarchy, coupled with lack of suitable rewards for achieving and exceeding performance targets. And, the need for ongoing training for these staff members is also viewed as key, although it requires substantial investment. “A happy customer will share his experience with three friends, but an unhappy one will share it with 3,000!” said Ranjeet Laungani of Nielsen.

 

Stay on top – Get the daily news from Indian Retailer in your inbox