How can personalization improve your retail chat and messaging?

When segmenting, it's crucial to avoid natural bias, which can arise if you narrow your focus to a single trait. For instance, if you choose location as your segmentation criterion, you risk excluding individuals of different races, income levels, and ethnic backgrounds. In many scenarios, it's advisable to utilize alternative criteria for segmentation. In healthcare, for instance, you might explore disease type as a more appropriate basis. Similarly, in Finance and Banking, you could consider segmenting based on the type of accounts or assets individuals possess.

You gotta read the room, know who’s in the crowd, and then drop the tracks that get people vibing. You can’t be playing trap music for a crowd that’s into jazz. The same goes with your brand. When you’re hip to who’s who in your customer base, you can tailor that messaging so it hits like a perfectly curated playlist. Here’s where the sauce gets spicy. Tools like CRM, analytics, and chatbots, those are your turntables and mixers. They give you the data you need to know what track to play next. You find out your customer’s favorite brands, what they’re clicking on, even how long they’re staying on a page. It’s like knowing they’re really into Jay-Z, so you slide in some Nas to test the waters.

"Hyper personalization" is currently trending, but it's vital to consider that personalization should avoid uncomfortable or unwanted outcomes. As my teenager would say, "Don't make it cringy, Dad." While data access is critical for enhancing the customer experience, saying "Thank you for your service" to a soldier is appropriate, but asking a patient about their foot infection may cross the line of personalization. It's wise to seek input from peers to identify potential "good ideas gone wrong" early in the process.

Dynamic content is your mood ring; it changes based on how the customer’s feeling or where they’re at. So if someone’s browsing high-end fashion in Atlanta, you’re not gonna hit them with snow gear promotions, nah. You gotta slide in with what’s relevant. Personalization tokens, though? That’s like calling someone by their nickname. The second you drop a “Hey [Customer’s Name], check out this [Product Name] you’ll love,” you’re no longer a store; you’re a friend giving advice. And let’s not sleep on A/B testing. That’s your scrimmage before the big game. You put two versions of your message out there, and you see which one scores more points with the crowd.

Workflows are where you elevate this whole game. They’re your automated wingman. A new subscriber hops on? Hit them with a warm welcome and a special offer. Cart abandoned? A workflow can slide in there like, “Hey, you left something behind. Need more info to make your choice?” A repeat buyer? That’s your MVP! A personalized thank you and maybe even a loyalty reward can go out automatically, keeping that customer relationship fresh. This ain’t just customer service; it’s customer nurturing. It’s the difference between a one-night stand and building a meaningful relationship. Remember, the goal isn’t just to make a sale; it’s to make a customer for life.

Conversational AI empowers technologists to create highly effective automations, a significant advancement from the era of primitive chatbots and voicebots. Siri and Alexa have already familiarized many people with conversing naturally with automated entities. The key is to design a positive user experience, integrate automations with CRM and backend systems, and implement workflows for optimal results.

Consider the significance of seemingly negative statistics like basket abandonment, drop-out, and throughput rates – they too reveal valuable insights. It's worth noting that many of our clients have observed a significantly higher engagement level with SMS surveys compared to surveys delivered via voice or email channels.

Personalization is a pivotal driver of positive outcomes across all sectors. It's essential to understand that "messaging" doesn't always require customer initiation. Proactive approaches are key. Send in-app or SMS notifications when order statuses change or events in their customer lifecycle occur. Being proactive in this manner decreases calls to contact centers and store staff. Given the average "cost per call" ranges from $6 to $15, reducing inbound interactions can yield substantial cost savings, while also enhancing customer loyalty to your brand.