Tag Archives: eCommerce

The Luxury MBA – Is this really a thing?

19 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Brand, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Fashion, Luxury Sales Training

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MortarboardBack in October I posted a blog entry titled: “Should Sales Training Differ for Luxury Brands?” The post generated quite a bit of discussion around whether the luxury customer’s higher expectations for service required a different level of training for sales associates. Now it seems educational institutions are beginning to recognize the luxury sector as an industry that demands a specialized curriculum. Continue reading →

Luxury Institute’s Seven Trends Shaping Luxury in 2015

16 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by in Brand, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Luxury Sales Training

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Following is a link to the seven trLuxuryInstitute_Logo_taglnends the Luxury Institute forecasts for 2015:

Click here to view the Luxury Institute’s Seven Trends Shaping Luxury in 2015.

After reading through the list, some of my key takeaways are:

  • There is over saturation in the luxury sector. Brands will need to do an even better job of differentiating their products and services. Customer service, relationship building and social outreach are critical.
  • Leaders must strive to inspire, empower, measure and reinforce best practices.
  • It’s all about developing relationships, particularly across channels. (See my previous post What the Luxury Sales Associate Needs to Know in an Omni-Channel World).

Also, and very importantly, look for luxury brands to empower store sales associates who have multi-channel clients to reach out and build human relationships after the client purchases in any channel.

 

 

 

What the Luxury Sales Associate Needs to Know in an Omni-Channel World

04 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Brand, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Luxury Sales Training

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omnichannelMore and more luxury and fashion brands are using omni-channel retailing to maximize their brand exposure and increase purchasing opportunities for their customers. For omni-channel to work successfully, the brand message needs to be consistent across all consumer touch points, including in-store, online, mobile apps, social networking, etc. In order to deliver a seamless customer experience, sales associates will need a new level of training in technology, product and processes. Continue reading →

Do You Expect the Same Level of Service Shopping a Luxury Brand Online as You Do in the Store?

09 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by in Brand, Customer Service, Fashion

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BalenciaBagIn an article originally written for Retail Week, Martin Newman complains that he does not receive the same level of luxury service when purchasing an expensive Balenciaga handbag online as he would in the store. To be clear, Mr. Newman purchased the bag through fashion etailer Matches Fashion, which guaranteed him next-day delivery within a three-hour window. Mr. Newman wanted the handbag to be delivered within a one-hour window and felt he should be accommodated considering the price he was paying for the handbag. (I’m not sure who quickly he’d have received the bag if he’d purchased it at www.balenciaga.com directly.)

What are your thoughts? Do you feel you receive better service from a luxury brand when you visit the physical store than when you buy online? Please add your comments below.

Make sure your online customers are happy before you try to wow them.

16 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Brand, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Fashion

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online_shoppingIn Michiel Gasterlaand’s article “The Secret to Winning the Customer Service Battle in eCommerce” in Entrepeneur, he states that only 1% of web store customers feel their expectations are being met. Web stores are missing the opportunity to differentiate themselves through customer service. Gasterlaand writes:

Whether they realize it or not, web stores now are competing primarily on customer service. Apart from offering a great product for a great price, customer service clearly is the new battleground.

Continue reading →