Am I Really Omnichannel?

(Learning Together Series Season 1: Omnichannel Episode 1)

People are very excited about this world called ‘omnichannel’. And it is undoubtedly something to be excited about. With what I do, I come across many people and one of them excited me in particular; Gaurav (names changed for security purposes) asked me, “Sir, I sell on Amazon and Flipkart. How can I make my omnichannel customer experience further?” For once, it came as a shock to me but soon I realized the term ‘Omnichannel’ is actually very confusing.

For Gaurav and all others; let’s first ask ourselves ‘Am I really Omnichannel and if not, wherein the spectrum do I stand?’ And this is how we kickstart episode 1 of the learning omnichannel together series. I have devised a small quiz for you to understand where you exactly stand. Rules are very simple, answer the questions honestly, sum up the number of points marked in square brackets, and in the end, you will get the answer.

1. Do I forget about my customer the moment they leave my store?

• Yes, completely[0]
• Somewhat. I do remember them when they come back. [5]
• No, I keep a track of what they are looking for even after they leave. [10]

2. Am I available on several online channels?

• No [0]
• Yes, Some very famous ones. [5]
• Yes, too many to say [10]

3. Do all the channels I have clear communication between them?

• No, I am not sure what that is. [5]
• Some are while others are not. [10]
• Yes and I love how they communicate with each other clearly. [15]

4. Did you know the customer who came to you in the store yesterday, bought the product online today?

• No. Is it even possible? [5]
• Yeah! I love this quiz too. [15]

Sum up your score. How much is it?

0: Do not worry everything is possible but you are just a retail store as of now.

1-20: You are one step forward and can be successfully called multichannel.

21-49: Wow! You lie in the range of being cross-channel.

50: You are an inspiration! A perfect score indicates you are omnichannel retail already. How did you do it?

Let’s Understand these results

Retail Store: Greg McKeown, an author, public speaker, leadership, and business strategist, says, “If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.” Retails provide an endless number of choices and the important thing is being able to choose your focus. If you wish to make not just your choices but also the possibilities endless, take one step. If you wish to embark on an amazing journey of becoming omnichannel retail, you need to first start with becoming multichannel retail.

Multichannel: Let your customers not feel bad about shopping from the workplace; it is a place where they make money, aren’t they allowed to spend too? If you are available on some of the online stores, you are providing an amazing way for them to buy wherever, whatever, and whenever they wish. Your store is not closed at any point in time and your customers love it. But take, one step further to try to become cross-channel and explore the world of possibilities.

Cross-channel: “Happiness is being company-centric or customer-centric as per the needs.” Cross-channel is a way to learn something about your buyers. Here, some channels are interconnected and work in unison. Ask your customers to stay home and shop online. They are too pretty to look for a parking spot.

Omni-Channel: If you wish to know the heaven of retail exists? Try omnichannel. Preserve your offline presence and find a way to master online retailing. Learn more about your customers and become customer-centric. Omnichannel is the best way to take your business to a next level and never let your customer go.

I Want To Be Omnichannel Too:

There are so many thoughts to share but you will have to be a bit patient with me because omnichannel does not happen with just a finger snap.

P.S. Please help this post to reach Gaurav. Just like him, are you ready to become an Omnichannel retailer too?

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