The Problems Retailers Face Trying To Gather Their Consumers Personal Data

by | Apr 11, 2017 | Customer Experience

In customer experience or CX design, personalisation is now a given. Countless companies collect customers’ personal data so they can deliver a more personalised, meaningful customer experience. Customers don’t want to be treated like one of a homogenous mass: They want individual attention, according to their preferences and interests. Yet one element can get in the way of this: Trust.

Why Is Consumer Trust Important For Personalisation?

Unless customers trust your company, it can be tricky to get customers’ personal details so you can personalise in-app or on-site offers. Less than half of consumers are happy to give their personal details in return for loyalty discounts and other perks.

Many customers balk at sharing personal information such as product likes and dislikes. Other information people are hesitant to share include details such as their sex, age or income. Yet details such as these help online stores to target email campaigns and on-site offers, personalising each customer’s experience with precision.

Other Means To Personalise CX

There are, of course, other ways to personalise the customer experience. Online retail giants such as Amazon collect shoppers’ purchase histories. These as well as complex algorithms help online sellers understand (and capitalise on) purchase patterns.

Other means for gathering information to personalise the customer experience include tracking clicks, page views, wish lists and abandoned shopping carts. Thus it isn’t essential that the customer hands over personal details. On-site tracking provides other ways to gather crucial information for refining the customer’s journey.

Do All Customers Feel Similarly About Giving Data For Personalisation?

Customer trust might make some types of data collection difficult, but not all customers feel the same. Studies have found that women tend to be more reluctant to share personal details with online stores and services than men. Men and women also differ, it’s said, on what they’re willing to give personal information in exchange for.

Men tend to be happy sharing personal information for game-like loyalty rewards schemes involving earning points. Women, on the other hand, are more comfortable giving personal information in exchange for immediate discounts and deals.

There are also generational differences. Whereas many older online shoppers are weary of giving personal information, younger shoppers are more comfortable. This is because younger people (so-called millennials and ‘Generation Z’) have grown up on the Internet and social media. They’re simply more used to having more of their life shared online.

If you want to deliver a personalised customer experience that builds trust, contact Interact RDT today to help you get started.

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