How would you define omnichannel? What is it in practice? We explore in depth the basis of an omnichannel customer experience through 6 examples of omnichannel customer experiences.
In a previous post on this blog we explained the differences between a multichannel customer experience and an omnichannel experience.
In short, multichannel customer experiences focus on leveraging a brand's multiple communication channels to attract and build customer loyalty, as well as to nudge the customer along the conversion funnel. However, this approach views touch points as separate entities and applies separate customer strategies for each communication channel
The omnichannel approach focuses on the integration of all channels and touch points of a brand to build a global, frictionless and customer-centric customer experience. Basically, omnichannel aims to make the customer journey a seamless path that encompasses all touch points and eliminates potential customer interruptions and dissatisfaction.
In practice, the difference between multichannel and omnichannel is difficult to distinguish, because in reality, they are not opposing strategies. Rather, multichannel has evolved into omnichannel as companies have begun to adopt a customer-centric perspective and as communication channels and devices have multiplied.
The foundations of an omnichannel customer experience
- Multichannel: An omnichannel customer experience integrates multiple communication channels or touch points. That is, in their customer journey, the consumer comes into contact with the company through multiple spaces, devices or communication channels.
- Cohesion: The basis of omnichannel is that all touchpoints are cohesive and part of a whole. To build an omnichannel customer experience, all touchpoints must follow the same strategy and be treated as elements that are part of an overall journey.
- Customer-centric: Omnichannel customer experiences must be customer-centric. That is, the experience must be centered on the customer's needs and all decisions and actions taken must be made with the customer and their goals in mind, rather than the company's goals.
- Frictionless: Omnichannel customer experiences must be frictionless. The term 'frictionless' is one of the foundations of any omnichannel customer experience. The customer cannot encounter interruptions or friction in their experience, even if it involves multiple touch points.
Top 6 examples of omnichannel customer experiences
The best way to understand omnichannel is through companies that have successfully built omnichannel customer experiences that we can learn from.
1. Disney
Disney is one of the best examples of omnichannel even in the smallest details.
The company offers a completely customer-centric omnichannel customer experience. If you go to the brand's website you will see that you can even adapt the user interface design to your taste and priorities. You can do the same on any device you use and the customer-centric usability extends to their other websites and social networks as well.
One of Disney's strengths is its website created for consumers to plan their trips. Unlike other websites of this type, Disney's is really useful and makes trip planning easy and enjoyable. Through 'My Disney Experience', you can plan every detail of your trip, including booking the restaurants where you will dine.
And the trip doesn't end with planning. Disney has leveraged all channels and devices to build an incredible customer experience at all key moments of the customer journey. Once at Disneyland, guests can use the Disney app to view a map of all the attractions, get directions and see the wait time to enter each attraction.
Disney completes the perfect ride with its Magic Band program, which not only works as a key to the hotel room, but also can be used to save photos of the trip, to order food or to avoid the line at the attractions.
Undoubtedly, Disney has managed to create a customer experience from which we can all learn something.
2. Starbucks
The world's most famous U.S. coffee and beverage-to-go company has one of the highest-rated customer experiences and many claim it is the best omnichannel experience in the world.
The secret is in its mobile app, Starbucks Rewards. Just by creating your Starbucks user, you are already part of the company's loyalty program, through which you get points for each purchase that translate into discounts applicable in any Starbucks store. The strong point of the Starbucks app is that, unlike many other customer loyalty programs, Starbucks allows you to recharge and use the customer card both on the website and from your mobile phone, in any physical store or in the app.
With all these elements, Starbucks has managed to leverage digital channels to reinforce its offline customer experience and create a frictionless omnichannel customer experience.
3. Amazon
Amazon is one of the world's leading e-commerce companies and, in part, its success is due to its omnichannel customer experience and the quality of its customer service.
If you've ever shopped at Amazon, you'll know that it allows you to view your purchases from any device, maintaining consistency in content, design and usability across all platforms. In addition, making purchases and returns is very easy from any channel and consumers are always informed of the shipping status of the items they have purchased.
One of the great advantages of Amazon is the ease of returns and the omnichannel customer experience. No matter from which channel or device you make your purchases, Amazon offers you a pleasant customer experience in all channels.
All this is because Amazon has committed to put customer satisfaction above anything else.
4. Beeztees
Beeztees is a B2B company based in the Netherlands dedicated to supplying animal related products to other companies.
Beezteez's e-commerce platform proves that a B2B company can also build an omnichannel customer experience. The great advantage of this platform, in addition to providing product, inventory, pricing and ordering information on multiple devices, is that it offers the ability to check and view inventory in real time thanks to its integration with SAP.
In addition, Beeztees adapts to user preferences, offering customers the possibility to choose whether their order is delivered to the store or to the buyer's home.
Beeztees' website integrates a tracking system for all shipments so retailers know where their order is at all times.
The usability and convenience of Beeztees' online customer experience, along with a flexible and personalized pricing policy, makes of Beeztees one of the best examples of a B2B omnichannel experience.
5. Decathlon
Decathlon is a company that sells sporting goods to a very wide public, and they sell all kinds of items. Whatever your sport or physical activity, you are sure to find what you are looking for at Decathlon.
This is reflected in its customer experience, designed for all types of users, both in physical stores and in its online channels. In addition to the physical stores, you can buy items directly from the Decathlon website or from your smartphone through the app. The usability and user experience are enjoyable across all channels and offer unique advantages. For example, if you shop online, Decathlon guarantees that your order will be in the store in less than two hours. Recently, Decathlon stores have included the quick checkout service so that customers can pay for items directly without the intervention of an attendant, although we also have the old-school option. In addition, the Decathlon website includes a chat service.
6. Correos Mobile
Correos is one of the services that has been able to update itself to the new times and to the new consumer purchasing methods.
While it is true that to send packages or make returns you still have to go to a physical point, you no longer have to print labels thanks to Correos Mobile.
Correos has understood the e-commerce boom and the decline of home printers. To make life easier for consumers, with Correos Mobile, we no longer have to go through thousands of steps to ship or return an item purchased online.
In addition, Correos includes tracking options for your packages and shipments that usually happen quite faithfully.
Do you want to improve the experience you offer to your customers?
