“This is a race. It’s a race to be relevant. The big difference between today and yesterday is speed. You need to be much faster on the execution.” Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis told the Financial Times in June 2017.
Today’s available Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not HAL-like, but instead is a way to take data and churn it so that when you ask your AI a question and it returns your answer correctly at lightning speeds. See how quickly Alexa or Siri can tell you the longitude of Timbuktu. How can AI be used in your business? Your questions can cover all facets of your business and help you effectively peek into the future. However, to achieve this goal, your data must be clean, consistent and well-integrated. Remember the phrase, “garbage in and garbage out”? That has not changed.
Many luxury DPH showrooms take the time to inspect each received product. Each piece is carefully removed from its shipping container and painstakingly inspected then returned to its box to wait for the customer to arrive. This attention to detail separates your showroom from the competition and makes your clients happy.
Do you take the same care when you collect your customer data? Do you check the information to make sure it is correct and siloed in the correct slot in your computer program? Do you enter notes on each visit, carefully recording the points discussed and any information that might help you and your team better know each customer’s unique style and needs?
If you are thinking it takes too much time, think again. If you have time to meticulously inspect each order to delight good customers, why not work to get to know those same customers better and exceed their expectations. Your data is a prime foundation of your business and, as the world slowly adopts Artificial Intelligence, good data will become your key to delivering great customer service.
Vendors, your data is also key to the growth of market reach. You, too, take the time to design and handcraft each beautiful product. Then your team inspects every item and carefully packages them so all arrive in perfect shape. Yet your data systems are not in line with today’s customer’s demands. Delivery changes, before and during the manufacturing process, are hidden from view. When a product misses its acknowledged delivery date, no one knows until the date passes and the reactive “I am sorry call” begins to upset good vendor and showroom customers. When vendors leverage their good data proactively, they will make life less painful for all involved.
This journey starts with your teams. Quality, comprehensive data entry must become part of your company’s culture. If you can educate your team members on how recording data accurately and consistently will save them time and strengthen their customer relationships, then it will allow them more time to do what they do best...Sell!
I believe that AI will be a part of successful showrooms in the next five years and foundational in no more than 10. How smart will your AI be?
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