Customer Service

Lowe's Expands Partnership With Porch.com
April 30, 2014

Lowe's and Porch.com have expanded their strategic partnership to the more than 1,700 Lowe's home improvement stores across the U.S. Every Lowe's store in the country now features Porch as the in-store resource to help homeowners find the right home improvement professionals for nearly any project outside of Lowe's current installation services. In addition, home improvement service professionals can sign up for a free Porch profile to help increase the exposure of their business to homeowners in need of their specific services.

Lacoste Powers Up With Omnichannel Customer Service
April 29, 2014

To help orchestrate omnichannel retail operations and enable growth, clothing retailer Lacoste will roll out Manhattan Associates' Enterprise Order Management solution. With this solution in place, Lacoste will be able to deliver a consistent brand and unified shopping experience to its customers. The technology will provide Lacoste customer service representatives with a single view of customer transactions and networkwide inventory, while also giving shoppers control of when, where and how they receive goods.

Zappos, Sephora Leverage Selfies for Customer Engagement, Sales
April 17, 2014

Over 1 million "selfies" are taken each day, and savvy retailers are finding ways to take advantage of a phenomenon that appears to be here to stay. The power of the selfie shouldn't be underestimated as data released this year shows that 71 percent of consumers are likely to make a purchase based upon social media referrals. From finding ways to encourage selfie taking to using selfies as a way to spark consumer conversations, several fashion retailers are looking to convert selfies and user-generated content into engagement and sales.

Uniqlo CMO on Why Consumer Culture is ‘Generic’
April 2, 2014

In their paper, "The Law, Culture and Economics of Fashion," law professors Scott Hemphill and Jeannie Suk define fashion as being simultaneously characterised by 'differentiation' and 'flocking.' On the one hand, consumers wish to belong to a group, but on the other, they desire to assert their individuality and dress differently from others. As fashion continues to be reshaped by digital media, 'differentiation' would seem to have the

Gearing Up for Second-Wave CRM: 3 Principles for Building the Right Foundation
April 2, 2014

Customer relationship management (CRM) technology may be booming in terms of sales and its "shiny" new capabilities, but its business impact is less definitive. According to a late 2013 report by Econsultancy, only 28 percent of companies are satisfied with their conversion rates. What can we glean from this? For one thing, before organizations set their sights on second-wave CRM developments such as using data from mobile and social channels to improve their customer view, they first must master the CRM basics. If companies are still finding their balance with existing CRM functionality, they may struggle to realize the full benefits of new data streams and technology.

Effy Jewelry Uses Predictive Marketing to Retain Customers
April 1, 2014

Effy Jewelry is an omnichannel retailer that has a strong brick-and-mortar presence in the Caribbean and Alaska, catering to consumers on cruise ships. The problem was that customers would get off the ship, make a purchase in one of Effy's retail stores and the brand would never hear from them again. The retailer didn't have a system in place for effectively collecting customer data in-store, making future communication a challenge.

Customer Service Best Practices for 2014
March 7, 2014

In an age of "all on" commerce, customer service needs to be exceptional 24/7. Consumer expectations are high, and they should be. With the evolution of mobile, tablets and social media over the last decade, retailers have many channels to reach their customers. In a lively Retail Online Integration webinar from this past Wednesday, Jeannie…

The Secret to Satisfied Customers: Techs and Technology
February 19, 2014

As retailers expand services to support a variety of products, they must find ways to build relationships through computers and mobile devices, as well as turn negative events (e.g., product failures) into opportunities. As demands grow, retailers look to field techs, often the only touchpoint post-sale, to improve customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty.