“Black Friday is a chance for consumers to trial new brands, products and find new ways to shop. The brands that understand this, have a far greater chance of keeping current customers happy, whilst winning over new ones. At a time when competition is tough and the economy is sinking, what business can’t afford to seize the long-term growth opportunity that Black Friday can offer,” says Schooling.
A retailer that Schooling believes is getting this right is Takealot. Last year, the e-commerce store’s well-planned and executed Blue Dot Sale for Black Friday saw them taking over R196 million - representing year on year growth of 125% and a 127% increase in orders.
Takealot attributed their success to focusing on their mobile e-commerce platform, as 68% of their Black Friday customers used their mobile phones to take advantage of deals. “This proves that Takealot considered the customer experience first and foremost and took all measures necessary to deliver on their promises. Given their results, they will likely enjoy a repeat performance this year.”
Research has shown that if a customer has a bad experience with a business, they usually won’t return, and Schooling reminds retailers that the same rules still apply on Black Friday.
“I would urge brands to not make the mistake of focusing only on offering the best and cheapest deals, but to think about the customer's experience holistically. With the potential for great success, comes the potential for a deal to go sour if the follow-through hits wide off the mark,” she says.
Leaving customers with the sense that they got a great deal from a business long after the Black Friday ‘rush’ wears off will depend on their customer experience. Brands should make it a good one and use the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
Here is Schooling's quick fundamental guide for retailers to make sure they deliver on CX this Black Friday.
The high pressure “buy now or miss out for good!” aspect of Black Friday coupled with our busy, mobile modern existence means that deals need to be instantly accessible. Your customers want to take advantage of Black Friday, but they have work, childcare, and other commitments that can’t be put on hold.
You must be prepared to deliver on all your Black Friday promises. Deals applied for but not honoured will live on in social media and consumer review sites like Trustpilot. The internet has a very long memory and the negative effects of not following through on your promise can haunt your brand.
Make a database of new customers that shop with you. Collect data about their experience and learn from it. This is an opportunity to gather valuable insights about your customers' buying behaviour and attitudes towards your products or services.
Take on temporary staff, prepare your workforce, ensure your servers can handle the extra traffic, make sure your payment systems are robust and have a Plan B for as many eventualities as you can think of. You want your customers to be elated, not frustrated.
It’s a vulnerable time for consumer safety, both in-store and online. With identity theft on the rise in South Africa, making customers feel safe can go a long way. Brick and mortar retailers should increase in-store safety with visible security staff presence. They can also have a controlled front-of-house entry point or invest in in-store camera systems.
Online retailers could add additional layers of authentication and offer payment methods whereby the consumer has recourse, like iPay, PayPal and Payfast.
