Workforce Management Featured Article
Why Even Restaurants Need an Omnichannel Approach
As consumers, we’ve come to expect that we live in a world of convenience. We carry everything that matters to us around on a device no bigger than the typical wallet. We want instant access to information, transactions and entertainment, and we don’t want to have to look harder than the next browser tab for what we want to know about a company with which we do business.
Case in point, on a trip to my daughter’s favorite Chinese restaurant, we left with paper menus, thinking this would be handy the next time we want to call in an order. At home, however, the menu became part of a growing pile of papers that demanded attention. When it was time to clean out the pile and eliminate the items no longer needed, the menu went into the trash. Had there been a digital version, I could have kept the contents and would have been more likely to do something with it.
This is a case of this particular restaurant using just one channel to service its customers: the traditional telephone. The restaurant owners, in this case very acclimated to the American culture, have done well on a single-channel approach to customer interactions. But in an era where the next generation won’t accept anything solely traditional, a lack of digital integration and omnichannel experiences are limiting the restaurant’s potential.
Such limitations are not happening in the restaurant industry alone; even in the customer care space, companies are failing to invest properly in the omnichannel experience simply because they lack the necessary workforce management to ensure proper operation. A recent Convince and Convert article hit on this topic and how restaurants can improve the omnichannel experience to set themselves apart from the competition.
In both the customer service and restaurant environments, it’s important to consider the power of complaints. Why? We no longer live in a world where people will talk to the manager about a problem and seek an agreeable solution. Now, unhappy customers not only tell their friends, but they also take to social media and sites like Yelp (News - Alert) to share their displeasure. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it.
One of the great things about workforce management is the ability to easily interact with a variety of individuals on a wide array of channels. Those who call in to the business can receive the same level of interaction as those who take to social media or send an email. It’s an opportunity for the business to embrace complaints, immediately respond and turn them into success stories. Of course, this does require a proven strategy executed by all of those who interact with customers, but it is very doable.
The point is, not everyone who ever does business with you is going to think you’re wonderful. Have a plan in place to respond to those who have had a less than stellar experience to ensure they not only come back, but also publically share your response with their friends.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi