HfS Blueprint Report: Retail Customer Engagement Services

WHAT THIS BLUEPRINT REPORT COVERS

There may not be another industry in as much tumult as retail right now. As retailers of all shapes and sizes work to carve out their unique value proposition, the focus on creating engaging customer experiences is at all time high. This report includes a competitive analysis of selected service providers on customer engagement focused services (including marketing, customer support and sales).

WHAT YOU’LL KNOW AFTER READING

• The strengths and challenges of customer engagement service providers in the retail space
• How providers are differentiating themselves in a competitive marketplace
• Key trends shaping the retail industry, and how service providers are tailoring services to better support customer experience
• Recommendations for service providers and service buyers on how to better collaborate to meet the future needs of retail consumers

KEY MARKET DYNAMICS

• The bifurcation of the retail industry has created a shift in requirements for service providers. Retailers are either digital natives that have disrupted the industry, looking to stay on top, or they are brick and mortar retailers aiming to build out their digital, ecommerce strategy while cutting costs-service providers are taking a targeted approach to these different sides of the industry.
• The requirements for service providers are greater than ever, with a much greater focus on more complex engagements.
• Automation and self-service are presenting design opportunities for retailers to partner with service providers on. Retailers are increasingly using bots to improve self-service within messaging apps and on ecommerce platforms, relying in part on service providers to help design the customer engagement strategy.
• Greater flexibility and agility are key requirements of retail buyers to support the fluctuating interaction volumes and seasonal pushes inherent in the retail space.
• Dealing with the volume of content and customer data presents a big challenge for retailers. Overwhelmed with data from disparate structured and unstructured sources, plus the challenge of managing and maintaining content of millions of SKUs across various online platforms and environments presents one of the biggest opportunities for service providers and retailers to partner on analyzing and designing customer experiences.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS REPORT

Retail executive leaders and business unit leaders, technology leaders, advisors and outsourcing managers, customer experience leaders in all sectors.

SERVICE PROVIDERS WE DISCUSS

Accenture, HGS, Infosys, Sitel, SYKES, TCS, Teleperformance, Wipro, WNS