Key takeaways from their conversation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Mobile commerce enables brands to provide excellent customer experiences, which are further supported by advances in mobile technology like 5G.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Far from being impersonal, contactless transactions offer a huge opportunity for personalization that bridges the gap between physical and digital commerce \u2014 and increases the need for treating customer data with care.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Don\u2019t sit still \u2014 there are endless opportunities to enter the rapidly changing world of mobile commerce, no matter where your brand is starting from.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Apply efficiencies to improve the customer experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The pandemic brought on a significant reshuffling of priorities in the retail and hospitality industries, according to Cathy. Where merchants were once focused on the discovery aspect of customer interactions, their attention rapidly shifted to the mechanics of the transaction process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat COVID did was reshuffle the deck and make people rethink \u2014 How easy is the shopping experience? How seamless is that connection from online to offline?<\/em>\u201d Cathy said. \u201cThat\u2019s where mobile really shined.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re able to move more customers onto a mobile platform, it opens up capabilities to build orders and fulfillment around the customer\u2019s needs \u2014 such as having a meal hot and ready to hand off at the precise moment the customer arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These excellent customer experiences \u2014 which include everything from seamless mobile ordering to frictionless pickup \u2014 are the key to growing repeat customers and brand loyalty.<\/strong> And while this technology was seen as a luxury before the pandemic, it\u2019s now solidly in the category of business priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a mobility standpoint, the introduction of 5G into many U.S. markets is also making a big impact on those customer experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c5G is really changing the game when it comes to speed in terms of retail and QSR,\u201d said John, who reported QSRs, convenience stores, and tier-1 retailers as the verticals adopting these technologies fastest in early 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond mobility, Samsung\u2019s real-time displays have contributed to the increase in speed and efficiency that consumers expect at curbside pickup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith the technologies that we came out with \u2014 the mobile side, the display side \u2014 we were fortunate to have that solution to put the pieces of the puzzle together so we can sell the entire solution to the customer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/div>Make Data-Driven Decisions with a Transaction Management Platform<\/h3>A digital transaction management<\/a> platform streamlines business operations for hospitality businesses, saving money and time.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n
Use technology to bridge the physical and digital worlds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnprecedented\u201d may well have been the buzzword of 2020, and it certainly applies to the pace of change in digital commerce over the past couple of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom a Microsoft perspective, we\u2019re defining mobile commerce more broadly \u2014 it\u2019s \u2018anywhere commerce,\u2019 bridging the digital and physical world,\u201d Vanessa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She pointed to research from Mastercard that indicates 82% of consumers view contactless payment as the cleaner, faster way to pay<\/u><\/a>, whether they\u2019re inside stores or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the face of this rapid change, every retail business must excel in a number of core areas to keep pace,\u201d she said. \u201cFoundational from our perspective to each of these new requirements is the ability to leverage data-rich intelligence and ensure that these insights are distributed across all levels of the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zack\u2019s company, Ovation, is working to capture actionable insights in the hospitality industry by collecting guest feedback and making it easy for the merchant to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mobile has changed the game for both consumers and merchants, he said. The resurgence of QR codes allows merchants to direct guests right to the feedback portal without having to download, login, or create an account. And with a mobile app, the merchant can send a personalized text message to the guest with three clicks of a button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the feedback space, it’s all about making it easy for the consumer, making it simple for the merchant, and actually bridging that gap between the digital and the physical,\u201d Zack said. \u201cBecause humans are craving that human engagement, and you can’t take the person out of the hospitality. You use technology to enable that.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Customer information is a precious resource \u2014 gather and protect it well<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It takes three elements to start creating great customer experiences on mobile, said Zach. The foundation of a world-class mobile customer experience requires:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- The customer\u2019s name (to make it personal)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The customer\u2019s contact information (to text or email them)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The customer\u2019s permission (explain why you want it)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t take a lot of effort for the consumer to give those things,\u201d he said. \u201cYou just need to give them the reason and make it easy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, the shift to mobile commerce has been a huge data-gathering event for brands and providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marcy noticed a huge opportunity in the supermarket space early in the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe saw a number of restaurant-booking companies then become appointment-booking companies to shop in a supermarket, or we saw last-mile providers offering their app to order groceries,\u201d she said. \u201cThat is a massive loss of data for the [supermarket] brand, and these other service providers are getting years’ worth of data in a matter of days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The data that has been gathered over the past couple of years \u2014 paired with the contextual experience of mobile commerce \u2014 enables new levels of personalization. <\/strong>But with that opportunity comes security risks. It\u2019s more important than ever for brands to protect customers\u2019 information and ensure the mobile commerce environment is private and secure.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/div>Engage Your Guest Using Omnichannel Integration and Personalization<\/h3>Restaurant guests expect a personalized digital experience<\/a>. Innovating brands must connect with guests to introduce changes that drive both sales and profit.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n
It\u2019s not too late to get started with mobile commerce<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
No matter where your brand is on its mobile commerce journey, it\u2019s not too late to take the next step<\/a>. And while your company may not be positioned to invest heavily into new technology providers and dozens of real-time displays, there are plenty of actions that can help create a strong foundation for mobile commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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