The Contact Center Blog

Online Marketing Strategy

When planning to optimize a website, common practices and processes include SEO, web analytics, user persona testing, etc. Generally, people do whatever they can to make the "user experience" the best it can be (which is only one of the main goals).

Analyzing and testing provides the information needed to make site adjustments. These seem to be some of the typical areas for website strategy. One area that I think should be highlighted in this, referring to strategies and constantly improving user experience - is customer service. Yes - many already do this, but some do it only through providing the most accurate information and links to FAQ's. I'm speaking more about servicing specific inquiries and requests. Things that take too much time and effort to locate. It's the convenience to get direct assistance.

In my opinion, this is where contact centers provide value in working with online retailers or general information websites. The obvious advantage that all contact centers talk about is a given: increased sales conversions, customer satisfaction, etc.

The idea of customer service as part of an online marketing strategy toolbox is what I'm trying to get at. As a contact center, this is an angle we can really take advantage of when illustrating our value and importance. As an online retailer or website creator, this is something to consider and implement.

Lord & Taylor Merger Closes Gap in Canadian Retail Market

Big news for Canada's older retailer The Hudsons Bay Company (HBC) emerged this week.

NRDC Equity Partners and True North Retail Investment acquired HBC and consolidated its ownership of Lord & Taylor, Fortunoff, and Creative Design Studios (CDS) under a holding company called the Hudson’s Bay Trading Company (HBTC).

Combined, these companies comprise more than US$8 billion in retail sales, 75,000 employees, and 55 million square feet of stores in the United States and Canada. In future months, 10-15 Bay's will be converted to L&T stores to help fill a gap between lower end and very high end (Holt Renfrew) department store options in Canada.

Yahoo.com reports, "The acquisition of Hudson's Bay comes just three months after the death of Jerry Zucker, the South Carolina businessman who acquired the company in early 2006 for 1.1 billion dollars and took it private."

I believe this merger is inevitable as Canada's economy continues to flourish and consumer spending is on the rise. It creates a lot of potential in the Canadian retail marketplace.

Retailer Closes Doors - Steve & Barry's

RIS annouces tight credit marketings and a tough economy are the cause of closing down Steve and Barry's - 22 year fashion retailer. Yet they are not alone with other retailers closing thier doors such as Kmart and Walgreens. The trend continues for the retail sector. It is no wonder budgets are shifting to online channels to help reduce costs and compete in this tough US economy.

Read the story below; Christina Zarrello reports:

Cheap prices, trendy fashions and celebrity endorsements are a winning formula for apparel retail success. However, it wasn't enough for 22-year-old Steve and Barry's, which announced last week it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Four other retail chains announced closings, cutbacks and a bankruptcy.

Steve & Barry's built runaway success on selling $10 fashions and kept costs low by using minimal advertising, manufacturing its own clothes, and selling in large volume. In a December 2007 RIS cover story, Steve and Barry's executives described their growth curve as looking like, "a hockey stick." On the surface, the low-price fashion formula should have thrived in the current economic environment as shoppers trade down to less expensive products in tough economic times.

What went wrong? Read Full Story on RIS website...

Virtual Customer Service

I recently  visited an online virtual tradeshow hosted by eTailXpo. This was the first time I attended such an event, and although there were some glitches I needed to get over, I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of the concept Second Life uses, which is an online virtual world you can explore and network in.

The virtual tradeshow resembled an actual venue, with customized vendor booths. Each vendor had representatives available via chat or email, and when stepping into a virtual booth you can communicate to any one of them. I visited the Google booth to test it out, and communicated with a rep using live chat.

Overall, I thought it was responsive and a great idea. I'm not sure how popular and successful a format like this can become, but just thinking about it brings up ideas of virtual contact centers and the possibility of adding something to the customer experience. Just a thought ...

- JU