Thought Leader: The Human Touch

by Peter Gullick, Marketing Director at Retail Marketing Group

The world we live in is increasingly being lived through a screen. Shopping, working, reading, gaming, and many other facets of our daily lives are done online, and this growth has only been exacerbated by the pandemic lockdowns. Moving online may have negative connotations – particularly in an environment where conversations about the metaverse are warning of a bleak, corporate virtual world. However, most people and businesses know that the digital landscape is a tool to enhance the real world, not eradicate it.

What cannot be forgotten, however, is the human touch. Great, personalised customer service provides a distinct advantage in an increasingly competitive landscape where it can be easier to automate customer-facing processes. But, how can businesses ensure the customer experience is made a priority and is implemented at every stage throughout an organisation?

The human touch in retail starts at the top

Customer centricity always starts at the top of an organisation, with a clear purpose and direction that is translated into the right structure, product and services. Only then can customer centricity be properly reflected in the tools and technologies that customers come into contact with.

Business leaders and owners must develop their customer-centric vision and aspiration, translating this into a roadmap to clearly outline how retail staff’s human touch will be implemented. From there, the mid-management level can design solutions and deliver impact through new services and business models. Finally, retail staff on the ground can enable the transformation, adjusting their mindsets and utilising these new approaches and tools in order to deliver a service that keeps customers at the heart of everything on a day-to-day basis.

It is crucial for retail leaders to remember that the human touch is driven only by a true cultural change. Tools can be easily bought, new business models can be implemented, but having customer-centric culture throughout the business is what gives retailers a competitive advantage.

An agile and flexible approach

Whilst certain processes and business structures are necessary for retailers to operate effectively, those companies who are too rigid in following exact processes can often fall behind with customer service. This is because the employee is not prioritised; leaders are too heavily focused on the transactional side of the business.

Successful customer-centric companies inspire employees and allow them to put the customer first, stepping outside of processes when necessary to deliver what the customer needs. Having open lines of communication from employee to leader is absolutely necessary to provide the human touch in retail. Employees must be given space and opportunity to think differently and creatively, rather than hindering good customer service by being confined to a certain framework.

Delivering the human touch

Many retail managers and leaders who have worked in the industry for years may think that delivering the human touch is a case of continuing what they are already doing, only better. However, in a hugely competitive COVID-19 environment, companies need to step up their game and deliver a tailored, excellent customer experience every time.

Data and analytics are more accessible than ever before; indeed, many describe data as the new currency. Utilising data can enable retailers to understand and know their customers before staff even come into contact with them, allowing them to preemptively solve issues and approach situations prepared with information. Elsewhere, utilising technology to provide a seamless customer experience across their omnichannel journey ensures that staff can also be ready to support customers. Having a full view of the customer’s journey also allows staff to preemptively solve issues.

Every sale starts with an emotional connection

Ultimately, the human touch is about bringing customers and retail staff closer together to deliver highly personalised, excellent customer service. Over the past two years, e-commerce has often been prioritised due to a necessity to continue trading during lockdown but for many retailers, this has come at the expense of having a relationship with their customers. Many solutions were implemented overnight at the beginning of lockdown and this has resulted in practices that weren’t designed for the long term.

Now, retailers must reevaluate their approach to the customer experience in order to remain competitive. With lockdowns and further restrictions still uncertain, ensuring a successful omnichannel strategy is in place is key to being flexible in any circumstance, whilst also allowing staff to continue delivering the human touch in every customer interaction.