The customer service employee, key in omnichannel management

Facing customer expectations

Omnichannel management is an area of study with growing interest given the proliferation of digital channels and their coexistence with more traditional channels. This corporate strategy requires the necessary involvement of the organization in various areas, but with special relevance to in-store employees, as they are key players in the new omnichannel processes and the use of technology to carry them out. As this is a transformational strategy in many companies, the success of its implementation is closely related to the involvement and training of the agents who are pillars in its achievement.

The customer, the end consumer, is increasingly informed and interacts with organizations through various channels during the same process: search, purchase, complaint, or return. These changes in consumer habits and the increase in customer expectations require companies to adopt new technologies and processes to improve the provision of their services. This change is more pronounced in all the touchpoints that companies have for their relationship with customers: physical store, online store, sales agents, or telephone support, among others."

Impact on the organization

Omnichannel management becomes more complex as more channels and processes are implemented in the company. Which department or organizational team in a company that is part of omnichannel processes is most affected after the implementation of omnichannel management? The most accepted hypothesis is that the most affected area will always be the one with the most customer interaction, as this is where the omnichannel process has the greatest impact. However, it is not the only one. For example, the logistics department is affected by adding new picking and distribution processes with the adoption of omnichannel management. Similarly, the marketing team faces a significant challenge in terms of attribution modeling, as they have to orchestrate product information or campaigns, among others, for all channels and the consumer's response in each of them. Additionally, the technical team is clearly affected by the need to incorporate new corporate solutions and tools.

For a retailer with multiple channels and omnichannel processes, the personnel directly interacting with the consumer are the most affected by omnichannel management. Several studies emphasize the importance of the sales associate when it comes to making a potential sale to the buyer in-store. This also highlights the need for training sales associates in new technologies, as well as reinforcing incentive policies. To ensure success in omnichannel management, four areas of work are suggested: engagement, training, incentives, and commitment monitoring.

Beyond the omnichannel context, the guidelines that typically govern the efficiency of in-store service for sales associates are determined by three components: job satisfaction, employee capability, and productivity. MIT professor Zeynep Ton referred to the example of companies that prioritize care for their employees in an interesting article in the Harvard Business Review [1]. By taking care of employees, organizations achieve economic benefits. The study mentions retailers such as QuikTrip, Mercadona, Trader Joe’s, and Costco, which "create a virtuous circle of employee investment." These companies make work more efficient and satisfying for employees, improve customer service, and increase sales and profits through four practices: simplifying operations by offering fewer products and promotions, training employees to perform multiple tasks, eliminating waste in everything but staffing, and letting employees make some decisions.

In-store processes related to the variety of technologies that are part of a possible digital transformation, especially those related to omnichannel management, are associated with an easy "frictionless" shopping experience. Thus, stores are equipped with new technology that reduces human errors and inefficiency, simplifying operations through appropriate training. The following classification identifies the omnichannel processes in physical stores (Table 1).

Table 1. Omnichannel processes in-store from the employee's perspective."

*Note: Processes prior to the customer's visit to the store, either on the e-commerce portal or in a mobile device application.

Recap and conclusions

For omnichannel implementation, it is essential to reinforce process improvement for employees. These use cases are addressed through the alliance between SAP and SEIDOR, ensuring an end-to-end solution based on the leading SAP Commerce market solution. For example, there are retail clients who have implemented all the omnichannel processes outlined in Table 1, based on SAP Commerce and integrating various market POS systems.

By Javier Alonso, Marketing & Commerce Senior Advisor

Summary based on the chapter "Omnichannel Management as a Key Strategy for Organizational Well-being" included in the book "Corporate Social Marketing Strategy: Challenges in Communication and Branding in Competitive Environments. Sindéresis Editorial. ISBN: 9788418206634," recently published, where Javier Alonso has been a co-author along with the professors from the University of Alcalá, Estela Núñez-Barriopedro, and Federico Pablo-Martí.