Survey: Omnichannel consumers favor consistency

Retailers operating across multiple channels need to ensure customer experience does not vary by touchpoint.



According to a new survey of 1,000 consumers by customer experience management technology provider Sitecore and King Brown Partners, 80% of respondents agreed that offering consistent shopping experiences strongly impacts a retailer’s brand perception. Ninety percent of consumers would switch brands if the brand promises one thing and delivers another.



In addition, 86% of respondents say faster service strongly impacts their brand perception and 91% of consumers would switch brands if another offers better customer service. Eighty-nine percent of consumers would switch brands if they received poor customer service.



The survey also contrasted opinions of millennials and baby boomers. Millennials are 70% more likely than boomers to strongly believe that "brands are not using the most relevant technology to interact with me," and 30% are more likely to strongly believe that "brands that use the right technology … are doing better than those that don't."



When it comes to personalized offers, 66% of millennials find it highly aggravating when personalized advertising is off-target. Nine times as many millennials picked different ways to purchase as the most impactful strategy in improving brand favorability, while boomers were much more likely to select consistent experience in shopping as the number one driver of brand perception.



Looking at boomers, the survey found these consumers are 80% more likely to believe brick-and-mortar retailers treat their customers the best, and are much less likely than millennials to switch brands because another brand makes it easier to interact with them using various technology platforms.



Boomers are also 73% more likely than millennials to prefer interaction with a brand via direct mail, while millennials are much more likely to prefer social media and mobile apps.