The blog post explores the digital revolution's impact on the shopping centre industry, highlighting the rise of digital customer service as a game-changer. Traditional guest service setups are inefficient and costly, while digital platforms like Arii offer an omnichannel, self-serve model that optimizes human resources, increases leasing revenue, and builds a loyal customer base. The ROI of digital customer service includes cost reduction, improved customer loyalty, and enhanced revenue potential. To stay competitive and future-proof, shopping centres must adopt digital solutions to meet evolving customer expectations. Platforms like Arii offer the perfect fit for the industry's unique needs.
In the last decade, the digital revolution has swept across every industry imaginable. Unsurprisingly, the shopping centre industry hasn't been left untouched. As consumers grow increasingly tech-savvy, the demand for digital solutions continues to skyrocket. One such change agent is digital customer service—a transformative evolution in our shopping experiences. If implemented right, it promises a substantial Return on Investment (ROI). Today, we take a closer look at the ROI of digital customer service in shopping centres.
Traditionally, shopping has always been a tactile and personal experience. You'd walk into a shopping centre, browse through various stores, and when you needed assistance, you'd have to search for the elusive guest services desk. Often, this desk is a hub of activity, bustling with shoppers seeking information, which means your wait time could stretch beyond what is reasonable for your quick question. Likely you end up walking away rather than getting the answers you needed to make your shopping experience as productive as possible.
This approach to customer service is full of inefficiencies. For starters, guest services teams are typically scheduled based on assumptions about footfall patterns, leading to understaffing during peak times and overstaffing during quieter periods. Secondly, with teams spread out and decentralized, there's often a duplication of resources across different properties, breeding inefficiency. Lastly, the physical footprint of a guest services kiosk is considerable, often commandeering prime space that could otherwise be leased out to exciting new tenants.
Arii, as a leading player in the digital realm, has been paving the way toward transforming the shopping centre landscape. We offer a cutting-edge, self-serve model that can be expanded into a complete omnichannel experience for those that are looking for more of a concierge/personal stylist solution. This approach allows customers to connect with guest services teams via their preferred digital channel—phone, SMS, email, Messenger, WhatsApp, live chat, live audio, and even live video. The transition towards digital doesn't just provide flexibility to customers, but also a new level of convenience to shopping centres themselves.
One of the significant advantages of embracing a digital approach is the subsequent efficiency boost in human resource management. By centralizing the guest services team, resources can be shared across properties, leading to appreciable cost savings.
Space is at a premium in shopping centres, and every square foot counts. By transitioning to a digital customer service platform, you can shrink the footprint of your guest services kiosk. A single, sleek digital kiosk can replace a traditional guest service booth, freeing up valuable real estate.
With the help of digital customer service platforms, shopping centres can offer unparalleled customer service, effectively building a loyal customer base.
Consider the profound impact of strategically placed QR codes throughout the mall. A shopper can scan a code and instantly get access to real-time assistance without having to find a guest services desk. They can gather information about store locations, current promotions, book reservations at one of your property's restaurants, and more, thereby enhancing their shopping experience. It's no surprise that customers who have positive experiences are more likely to return, contributing to sustainable long-term revenue.
While implementing a digital customer service platform requires a small initial investment, the long-term savings can be substantial. Reduced staffing costs, increased efficiency, and additional revenue from leasing extra space all contribute to a healthier bottom line. A typical client with just four shopping centres using a digital customer service platform like Arii would see as much as a 40% reduction in costs and a half-million-dollar positive swing to the bottom line per year.
Living in the digital age comes with its own set of customer expectations. Today's customers desire instant responses, personalized experiences, and the convenience of accessing services at their fingertips. Adopting a digital customer service platform is not merely a trend; it's a critical step towards future-proofing your shopping centre.
Platforms like Arii, with their comprehensive digital service suite, allow shopping centres to keep pace with evolving customer expectations and brace for future trends.
The ROI of digital customer service in shopping centres is apparent: cost savings, improved customer loyalty, and heightened revenue potential. As the world continues to lean into digital solutions, shopping centres must strive to keep pace.
So, are you ready to embrace the digital revolution and reap the myriad benefits? If so, start your journey towards a more profitable, efficient, and customer-friendly shopping centre. Explore your digital customer service options today, and consider platforms like Arii, perfectly crafted for the unique needs of the industry. Let's redefine the shopping experience together. visit www.HELLOARII.com for more information.