Author: Olga Kamylevich

How to Combat Higher Education Summer Melt

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

Student or Summer Melt

“The phenomenon of prospective college students’ motivation to attend college melting away during the summer between the end of high school and beginning of college.” (Wikipedia)

Does this sound familiar? Your Admissions department has done the monumental job of organizing campus visits, managing new student applications, and making sure accepted students had all the necessary application paperwork. The student registry is confirmed so now the next stage begins. Problem is on the first day of classes, the number of students that showed up for the start of school is much less than the intake number reported by Admissions. This is known as the summer melt.

As many as 20% of high school students that have been accepted to college do not show up for their classes at the start of the fall term. The reasons why such a dropoff occurs are varied. In the period between acceptance and start of the Fall term is a tenuous time of transition. Students have to sort their way through a small mountain of paperwork for things like financing and housing. Then there’s orientation, and class registrations to complete as well. Often all these activities are done without assistance and can be overwhelming.

A multitude of paperwork alone can cripple an accepted student’s follow-through to actually show up for classes. Then there’s the nerves of a new environment or the new challenge of independence. Assimilation into a new way of life can be daunting. The few months between acceptance and day one is the critical timeframe for propelling a student towards success.

Cooling The Melt

No matter if your institution is a community college, traditional university or business school, the end goal is getting those student to matriculation. Institutions must matriculate students as quickly as possible. However, mired in paper-based processes, all too often Admissions and Registrar offices struggle to keep up with the demand for assistance. Utilizing technology can help to improve the process for both the students and staff managing, student and recruitment.

A higher education institution may not be able to affect the volume of paperwork that needs to be completed by incoming or returning students, but there are other opportunities to improve summer melt. Providing digital channels for both prospective and enrolled students to communicate with advisors, admissions and the registrar’s office can improve not only attendance but also enrollment.

Multi-Channel Communication

A common complaint amongst administration staff is the difficulty of getting in touch with students. They are not always responsive to phone calls or emails. Millennials generally prefer to talk over text versus a voice conversation. In fact, 75% of Millennials think text is a helpful way to receive an appointment, delivery and payment reminders, as well as surveys an promotions.

Millennials are more interested in texting over other forms of communication because it’s less invasive, more personal, and makes them feel valued. (OpenMarket)

Incorporating text messaging as one of your institution’s communication channels can improve student response rates. Phone calls and emails can be supported by the addition of text messaging.

Self-Scheduling Convenience

Early retention and engagement actually starts from the date of acceptance. Emailing updates, answers to FAQs and links to resources can go a long way to making a good impression for your institution and can improve the probability of admitted students graduating and becoming valued alumni.

A couple of the areas an effective onboarding program will address are:

  • Student retention
  • Integration into the school culture or program
  • Easing adjustment to new surroundings or program

The onboarding process is not limited to a single day of orientation but recognizes that students enroll at different times, at different locations if your institution has more than one campus or even online. Online appointment automation can give campuses the flexibility to educate students at a time and manner that is most efficient as well as effective for both your department and your students.

51% of Millennials receive general appointment reminders via text messaging. (OpenMarket)

An effective online appointment scheduling solution provides the convenience of self-scheduling which is useful for important meetings with advisors, admissions or even the financial aid office. It will also not only offer appointment reminders across the two communication channels most commonly used by schools, email and phone, but also text. The student experience is improved and the reminders help curb no-shows.

Attract and Retain Through Engagement

Reducing the number of forms required to apply or even graduate from a higher education institution would befenit all parties involved. However, it would be a change that would be slow to come so it is best to focus on areas that can immediately be affected for improved student interaction.

Adding text messaging and online scheduling are two ways to help students to connect with your institution without too much effort, leaving them with a positive view of their experience.

13 Reasons Your Organization Should Focus on Customer Experience

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

Research shows that customers will pay more, buy more and be loyal to a company that delivers an excellent customer experience. Customer experience should not be confused with customer delight. When a company delights a customer, they are usually going above and beyond the customer’s expectations for a specific moment.

Customer Delight vs Customer Experience

Zappo’s customer service reps, who are called genies, are famous for their examples of customer delight. One of Zappo’s genies, Steve, is famous for having spent over 10 hours on the phone with a single customer. This act was going above and beyond that customer’s expectations and thoroughly delighting them.

Customer experience is the customer’s summary impression of a brand after several interactions. Sample interactions include a company’s website or social media posts. From these first touchpoints, the customer may go to a brick-and-mortar location to view the item in person. If the customer sees a product or offer online, then visits a store and finds the sales staff is unaware of the item or the item is not in stock, the customer is given a negative experience. Every interaction should make it easy for the customer to do business with your company. The customer experience does not end with a purchase either. Interactions with a company’s service or support departments need to still maintain focus on the customer, the brand promise and be obstacle-free.

Digital solutions play a significant role in the customer experience. They are instrumental in a modern customer experience strategy. Companies investing in these types of technologies that are made to cater to customer expectations will easily surpass their competitors.

Examples of removing obstacles for customers and delivering a seamless experience with digital solutions like AI, CRMs and online scheduling include offering services like reserving an item online and pick up in-store, sales and service knowing a customer’s purchase history and preferences, and allowing customers to schedule an appointment or join a virtual queue via mobile phone, website, or an on-site kiosk.

Delighting a customer is isolated to moments with a single customer. Customer experience is the consistency at every touchpoint along every customer’s journey with your entire organization.

The Numbers

This data is merely a sample of statistics spanning the past 5 years proving that customer experience is too valuable to get it wrong. Companies that are focused on a customer experience strategy and embracing digital solutions as a part of their strategy to meet customer expectations will easily surpass their competition.

When asking consumers what impacts their level of trust with a company, offering excellent customer service is ranked number one. (Zendesk) 2013

52% of consumers say they have made an additional purchase from a company after a positive customer service experience. (Zendesk) 2013

Gartner predicts that 89% of businesses are expected to compete mainly on customer experience. (Gartner) 2014

Increasing customer retention rates by 5% increase in profits by 25% to 95%. (Harvard Business School) 2014

26% of companies leading financially use CX technologies, compared to 7% of laggards. (Bain) 2015

A customer experience promoter has a lifetime value to a company that’s 600 to 1,400% that of a detractor. (Bain) 2015

75% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from a company that knows their name and purchase history and recommends products based on their preferences. (Accenture) 2016

54% of customers have higher expectations for customer service today compared to one year ago. This percentage jumps to 66% for consumers aged from 18 to 34 years old. (Microsoft) 2017

70% of consumers say they have already made a choice to support a company that delivers great customer service. (American Express) 2017

84% of organizations working to improve CX report an increase in revenue. (Dimension Data) 2017

47% of consumers have made the choice to switch to a different brand due to bad customer service within the last year. (Microsoft) 2017

33% of customers who abandoned a business relationship last year did so because personalization was lacking. (Accenture) 2018

Forty-two percent of consumers said they would pay more for a friendly, welcoming experience, and 52% would pay more for a speedy and efficient customer experience. Of course, price and quality are still the top considerations when consumers make a purchase decision. (CMO) 2018

Online Appointment Scheduling for Academic Success

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

iLimitedIn Tyton Partners’ first annual survey on academic advising and planning in higher education, the focus was on how U.S. colleges and universities are using advising and planning technologies in pursuit of improved student guidance and retention rates. They reviewed the rate of adoption of these technologies in degree planning, analytics, and reporting and at-risk early alerts by surveying 1,400 administrators, advisors and faculty.

Change is Hard

The report revealed there is a disconnect between intent and action. A majority of institutions have the interest to utilize new technologies in their overall strategic plans however, it seems to be the adoption and execution of technologies is another matter.

Beyond battling with changing budgets and staff to student body ratios, advising departments must also battle for the attention of their student body.

The conclusion from the survey, released in 2016, was that technology would play an even bigger role in the drive for higher education institutions to retain students. Fast forward a few years and the data has changed dramatically. The 2019 survey results support the conclusion that technology would be a turning point for academic advising and planning in higher education.

Technology is Breaking Through

The adoption of technology has increased significantly from the initial survey to the current one. In 2015, the percentage of institutions that believe in the effectiveness of technology in advising efforts was only 32%. Four years later that percentage has almost doubled at 62% of those surveyed.

Student engagement has always stood out as a constant issue for academic advising offices. The 2015 survey reported that an overwhelming 88% of administrators surveyed saw student engagement as a barrier to better outcomes. From 2015 to 2017 the number reduced by over half to 40% and decreased incrementally to 32% in 2019.

Technology’s ability to affect student engagement with higher education staff is undeniable based on these figures. An institution’s ability to effectively support its student body is much better supported by integrating technologies into the process. Change can be hard and budgets can be tight but this data shows the long term payoff is there.

10 Statistics on Why an Omnichannel Strategy Works

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

Customers are shopping online, in-store or both at the same time. Their expectations of brands have become more demanding in terms of the shopping experience they encounter. There is a wealth of touchpoints for a customer to connect with a brand and the customer expects their interactions to transition smoothly from one channel to the next no matter where they begin their journey – online or offline, on an app or with a customer service rep.

Omnichannel marketing allows traditional consumer companies to more effectively compete with their online-only counterparts. The value and returns created from an omnichannel strategy are greater than the initial investment in building out a seamless experience across multiple channels.

The following statistics deliver a compelling argument for any consumer-facing company, from retail to financial services, to invest in an omnichannel strategy.

Be Everywhere Your Customers Are

Omnichannel customers spend 4% more in-store and 10% more online than single-channel customers. For every additional channel they use, customers spend more money. (Harvard Business Review, 2017)

48% visit brand websites to research products. Younger consumers (37% of teens and 27% of Millennials) use video channels to research. (CMO, 2018)

73 percent of customers shop across multiple channels (Harvard Business Review, 2017)

49% of consumers buy from their favorite omnichannel brands at least once per week (Marketing Land, 2016)

Give Your Customers What They Want

9 out of 10 consumers want an omnichannel experience with seamless service between communication methods. (UC Today, 2019)

71% of consumers want a consistent experience across all channels, but only 29% say they actually get it. (Gladly, 2018)

Nine out of 10 consumers say they expect a seamless transition when moving from one communication method to another. (NICE inContact, 2018)

Omnichannel Investment Pays Off

Personalization at scale can drive between 5 and 15% revenue growth for companies in the retail, travel, entertainment, telecom, and financial services sectors. (McKinsey, 2017)

49% of consumers buy from their favorite omnichannel brands at least once per week (Marketing Land, 2016)

Businesses that adopt omnichannel strategies achieve 91% greater year-over-year customer retention rates compared to businesses that don’t. (Aspect Software, 2014)

Omnichannel shoppers have a 30% higher lifetime value than those who shop using only one channel. (Google, 2014)

It’s Not Too Late

And here’s one more bonus statistic: According to Rakuten, 26% of companies have yet to take any action regarding an omnichannel strategy.

It generally costs a brand more to win a new customer than retain an existing one. With an omnichannel marketing strategy in place, brands can not only have an edge on their competition for new customers, but they can also build long-term loyalty amongst their existing customer base.

The Retail Customer Paradigm is Shifting

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

Omnichannel services continue to change the offers that retailers provide and the ways that consumers buy. The demands on retailers are changing in lockstep. Even as eCommerce sales grow, retailers must adjust to shrinking margins and customers’ cherry-picking the best deals. Mobile’s growing influence also affects consumer web and in-store sales, even when buyers are physically browsing the aisles of retailers.

Forester

The beginning of change for consumer-facing industries started in 1991 when the internet was opened to commercial use and eCommerce became mainstream. The next step in the transformation of retail came with the development of multichannel retailing.

Multichannel retailing evolved from the growth of e-commerce and the need to reach a wider audience anywhere and everywhere from a coffee shop to their sofas. We are now in the third phase of retailing with omnichannel retailing.

Omnichannel retailing is the next evolution of retailing. Fast becoming the standard retail strategy for major retailers, omnichannel retailing takes the method of customer engagement and selling a step further. It is the future of retail commerce.

Omnichannel shoppers have a 30% higher lifetime value than those who shop using only one channel. (Google)

Omnichannel vs. Multichannel

A retail brand operating with a multichannel strategy will have a multitude of selling and engagement channels including a website, chat app, brick and mortar locations, a mobile app, digital advertising, and social media. The multichannel retailer uses each of these channels in different ways to push out the company objectives rather than serve their customer’s interests. This channel-centric manner of thinking may still get sales but this a short-term strategy compared to focusing on their customer’s interests and needs and winning long-term loyalty.

Enter omnichannel retailing. An omnichannel strategy may have the same set of channels but connects all these various touchpoints together for a more unified customer experience. The customer does not care about the tactics assigned to a retailer’s various channels. The lines between online and offline shopping are no longer distinct.

87% of customers think brands need to put more effort into providing a seamless experience. (Zendesk)

The Center of the Retail Paradigm Shift

A retail customer wants a retailer that offers a well-connected customer experience across every department and every channel it owns. Customers enjoy shopping in brick and mortar stores when they receive a consistent brand experience before the purchase and long after the purchase is complete. Brick and mortar success lies in delivering this holistic experience.

Companies with extremely strong omnichannel customer engagement retain on average 89% of their customers, compared to 33% for companies with weak omnichannel customer engagement. (Aberdeen Group)

The multichannel retail model is built around delivering a product. The omnichannel retail model building every resource at its disposal around the customer.

Retail brands must adapt to the shift

Rather than having every employee in a company silo themselves within their assigned departments, the omnichannel strategy best benefits the brand when their internal resources are aligned as well.

  • Data needs to be available and connected across channels and platforms. 77% of strong omnichannel companies store customer data across channels, compared to 48% for weak omnichannel companies. (Aberdeen Group)
  • Having a CRM, like Salesforce, provides not only a place for a marketing team to access customer data for ad campaigns but also for a customer service team to log a call history, and sales staff to log a customer’s important dates and preferences. Similarly, maintaining stock level information on products that are available in-store as well as online serves the customer’s expectations when shopping a brand.
  • Staff needs to be well-trained and equipped with the best tools. 45% of shoppers in-store expect sales associates to be knowledgeable about online-only products. (Forrester). 50% of shoppers expect that they will be able to make a purchase online and pick up in-store. (Forrester)

Your sales staff are your brand ambassadors. Besides training, providing tools like iPads with access to inventory and customer profiles gives them the opportunity to personalize their customer interaction.

Anther customer-centric service includes online appointment scheduling. Online scheduling lets a customer schedule an appointment with a sales rep of their choice to get their questions answered. Or perhaps they want to reserve an item online and then pick up in-store. A brand creates a high-end experience by letting the customer schedule a pickup time that is convenient for them.

Departments need to be cross-functional. 55% of companies have no cross-channel strategy in place. (The CMO Club).

The goal of cross-channel retailing is offering customers a convenient and flexible buying process. Nowadays a customer uses an average of almost six touch-points with nearly 50% regularly using more than four. If your brand has not connected all its resources it is not equipped to make the buying process seamless from any and every channel a customer uses.

This can lead to abandoned purchases. An example of cross-channel is a customer who may receive an email featuring a specific product and decide to read more in-depth information on a website. Then, the final purchase of this product is made in a brick & mortar store.

Meet Customer Expectation with Technology

Customers are smarter, have more choices and are savvier. Customer expectations have changed due to technology. This new retail paradigm directly impacts businesses. Mobile devices are empowering the customer with real-time information on products and pricing from the comfort of their homes or while they are shopping your store.

Interacting with your customers on a personal level and at their peak point of interest can create a brand experience that they will remember, perhaps even when they are shopping your competitor. By adapting to today’s customer shopping habits and expectations, retailers can secure engagement and brand loyalty in long into the future.

Three Technologies to Improve Student Engagement

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

The research has consistently shown that a higher education institution’s student retention rate is directly affected by the quantity and quality of communication from their advising staff and teaching faculty. Admissions and advising offices that engage students early and regularly can have a significant impact on enrollment rates as well as a student’s probability of matriculating.

Admissions and advising offices that are proactive in enrolling and engaging new students are succeeding to do so with the assistance of technology. These are a few technologies that support and facilitate student engagement.

Self-Scheduling

There can be an endless amount of back and forth emails and phone calls for admissions counselors or advisors trying to schedule a meeting with a prospective or existing student. Providing online self-scheduling links on a webpage for key departments, in emails or text messages allows for meetings to be scheduled at a student’s convenience.

Appointments can be scheduled after office hours and booked into a staff member’s calendar based on their specific area of expertise. Advisors and admissions staff save time by not having to do all the work of setting an appointment with traditional tools. Self-scheduling software also employs automated appointment reminders which help with no-shows rates.

Text Messaging

This form of communication is by far the most popular among students and has higher interaction rates versus phone and email. Its effectiveness as a communication channel is simply put with over 90% of text messages being read within three minutes.

Text messaging with prospective students can help to remind them to complete any enrollment paperwork or other tasks they have forgotten to do. Text reminders can keep future students informed and focused, making sure the students are ready for the start of term and reducing student melt. For advisors, text messaging is a strong tool for advisors to build relationships and maintain connections with existing students. Consistent interactions with advisors can improve an institution’s graduation rates.

Video Conferencing

Sometimes a trip to a university campus is not convenient for a prospective student before applying. Providing prospective students with the ability to have a face-to-face meeting with an admissions counselor can be invaluable to a student. Besides getting assistance from a staff member who understands the application process, it can also have a positive effect on the student’s impression of the school.

Video conferencing or chat tools are very useful for virtual advising or coaching. Students get a more personalized advising experience from advisors that offer video chat. Students can have many obligations that occupy their time while attending school. The option of a video meeting can be valuable for students that cannot fit an in-person visit into their busy schedules.

Technology for Academic Success

Engaging and personalizing the student journey throughout the process of applications, course selection and management to the ultimate goal of matriculation can be positively enhanced by technology. Admissions and advisor offices have a multitude of demands to meet usually with a limited amount of resources. The right technologies can help better support their daily work, their students’ personal needs and their institution’s goals.

SUMO Scheduler Continues Momentum with Q1 2019 Customer Wins

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

SUMO Experiences Over 200 Percent YOY Customer Growth as Appointment Automation Solution Brings Customer Satisfaction and Productivity Benefits to Multiple Industries

ATLANTA (April 30, 2019) — SUMO Scheduler, the #1 online appointment-scheduling solution built native on the Salesforce CRM platform, announced today key customer wins in Q1 2019 across a range of industries. Indicative of the company’s forward momentum, SUMO also reported that it has experienced over 200 percent year-over-year growth in its customer base since 2017. SUMO recently opened a European office to help facilitate continued growth outside North America as well. Among the new customer acquisitions in Q1 2019:

  • A multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company
  • A global provider of medical health insurance for travelers
  • The world’s leading cybersecurity company
  • A provider of high-quality, energy-efficient products for homes and businesses
  • A nonprofit offering assistance to the visually impaired
  • A global network of higher education services
  • A chain of full-service precision implant dentistry services


SUMO can help organizations streamline appointment-setting 24/7/365 from any device. It can be used to easily deploy “Schedule Appointment” buttons on websites, social media pages and in mass email campaigns, eliminating the frustration of having to wait for personal assistance.

“Appointment automation delivers numerous benefits for businesses, including employee productivity, customer satisfaction and, ultimately, revenue growth,” said Jason North, CEO and founder of SUMO Scheduler. “Our recent customer acquisitions represent a wide range of industries, spanning B2B, B2C and even nonprofit organizations. SUMO’s fluid design, ease of implementation and lack of heavy customization requirements make it the right choice for organizations of all sizes to attract and retain customers.”

The global appointment-scheduling software market was valued at $160 million USD in 2018 and is expected to reach $360 million USD by the end of 2024, growing at a CAGR of 15.1 percent between 2019 and 2024. SUMO runs in the cloud as a mobile-friendly, software-as-a-service solution. To schedule a call with a scheduling expert at SUMO Scheduler, go here.

Global Pharmaceutical Company Uses SUMO Scheduler To Support Healthcare Providers More Efficiently

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

SUMO Has Been Used to Set up Over 1,000 “New Customer” Orientation Meetings With Care Provider Clients Since its Implementation in October 2018.

ATLANTA, Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Large pharmaceutical companies dedicate hundreds of hours each month to setting up new customers—typically care providers such as clinics and doctor’s practices—and orienting them to the products they may be prescribing or recommending. SUMO Scheduler, the #1 online appointment-scheduling solution built native on the Salesforce CRM platform, announced today that it is working with one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers to streamline the new customer onboarding process.

Previously, orientation meetings were scheduled by customer service agents at the manufacturer’s call center in Austin, Texas. But this manual process was inefficient for both the onboarding team and care providers. The company chose SUMO for automated appointment scheduling due to its fluid design, ease of implementation and lack of heavy customization requirements.

“SUMO has already been used by our customer to set up over 1,000 care provider orientation meetings since its implementation in October 2018,” said Jason North, CEO and founder of SUMO Scheduler. “Compared to having to go through a call center to discuss and agree on a meeting time, the onboarding process is now much faster and efficient for both pharmaceutical staff and new customers.”

Once care providers have been vetted and approved by the pharmaceutical manufacturer, they receive a welcome email with an embedded scheduling link provided by SUMO Scheduler. As a result, care providers are able to quickly and easily schedule their welcome and onboarding call. This gained efficiency also enables customer service agents to spend up to 35 percent more time on other tasks, including serving more care providers.

“SUMO lets our client automate the central customer engagement aspect of its business, making it easier for them to put their experts in direct contact with care providers,” North said. “In the healthcare industry, orientation meetings are of critical importance for strengthening relationships and giving medical professionals access to knowledge they need in their day-to-day practices.”

SUMO runs in the cloud as a mobile-friendly, software-as-a-service solution and offers a range of features to help businesses across many industries simplify and streamline appointment-setting.

To schedule a call with a scheduling expert at SUMO Scheduler, go here.

Fortune 500 Insurance Provider Uses SUMO Scheduler to Streamline Employee Enrollment Process for its Corporate Clients

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

Insurers Report That SUMO Adds Up to 50 Percent More Appointments to Agents’ Calendars.

ATLANTA, Jan. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — As insurance providers continue to face pressure to adopt efficient, secure and cost-effective technologies to maintain their competitiveness, many are also looking for new ways to streamline the path to the customer. This is why the U.S. leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite has chosen SUMO Scheduler, the #1 online appointment-scheduling solution built native on the Salesforce CRM platform.

According to Deloitte, seven out of 10 insurance carriers are now using cloud computing in their business as an integral part of their technology environment and business platform strategies. SUMO runs in the cloud as a mobile-friendly, software-as-a-service solution.

“Our insurance clients are reporting that SUMO Scheduler is adding up to 50 percent more appointments to their insurance agents’ calendars,” said Jason North, CEO and founder of SUMO Scheduler. “As you can imagine, appointment automation helps improve employee productivity, customer satisfaction and, ultimately, drives revenue growth.”

Prior to becoming a SUMO user, the insurance provider had always serviced its corporate clients by having agents at their sites during open enrollment periods to meet with interested employees and assist with the enrollment process. However, appointments were either scheduled manually or walk-in employees were met with on a first-come, first-serve basis, which was inconvenient if the insurance representative was already in a meeting. The provider wanted a way to automate appointment scheduling to improve customer service and engagement, and to ensure that the right number of agents are available on-site to handle needs.

SUMO provides the insurer with the ability to offer self-scheduling to their corporate customers. A self-scheduling link, shared with their employees, enables them to schedule an appointment directly on an agent’s calendar when it is convenient for them during the time the agent will be on-site for annual open enrollment periods. Automated reminders sent directly to the employee from the insurance agent help to ensure that they do not miss their appointment. SUMO further enables the insurance provider to pair specific agents with employees based on questions or needs, so that they get the expert assistance they require.

“Many of our clients’ core strategies in 2019 are to modernize customer engagements to drive revenue growth,” said Jason North. “A key tactic our customers are deploying to attract and retain customers is to offer Schedule Now technology to connect customers with experts fast. It only takes a moment to lose a customer, so streamlining the path to a conversation is absolutely key and the solution must be mobile friendly.”

To schedule a call with a scheduling expert at SUMO Scheduler, go here.

How Retail Technologies Champion Customer Experience

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

Retail is Not Dead

It may seem like the entire retail industry is still struggling but according to the Mastercard SpendingPuls report, holiday retail sales grew at their fastest pace in six years, topping $850 billion. Total holiday retail sales from Nov. 1-Dec. 24 rose 5.1% vs. a year earlier, with online spending surging 19.1%. This marks an increase from the 2017 holiday retail sales gain of 4.9% and online shopping growth of 18.1%. Drill down to specific categories though and the story begins to vary.

  • Electronics and appliances dropped 0.7% while home furnishings had an uptick of 2.3%.
  • Department store sales slid 1.3% from 2017, affected by store closures.
  • But the online sales were much more upbeat, with 10.2% holiday sales growth.

Now that it’s a new year, what are retailers doing to improve if they had a slip in sales or continue their momentum after the 2018 holiday season? It’s cheaper to focus on developing sales with existing customers. On the flipside, the fastest way for a brand to grow is to attract new customers. Or they can put in place a strategy aligned with both of these goals.

More than Customer Service

Customer experience is and will continue to be a major driving force in growing customer loyalty. The value of an excellent customer experience can substantially impact a brand’s identity as well as its bottom line. These are just a few of the tactics retailers use to build a great in-store and brand customer experience:

Face-to-Face Selling – Having knowledgeable sales associates who are helpful and informative create a real desire for return customer visits. A strong workforce can help a brand sell for the long run rather than a one-off. Most buying journeys start online with product and pricing research, however many purchases still are completed in a store. For high-value purchases, such as fine jewelry, this is especially true. Having a sales associate with strong product knowledge can, not only assure the customer and close the sale they can also compel a customer to return for future purchases.

74% of consumers globally and in North America think that knowledgeable in-store staff is important to their brand experience (Oracle).

In-store Experiences – This tactic is all about creating immersive and personalized experiences for the customer from the time they walk in the store. Brands that work to delight their customers from their first visit always benefit.  Ulta offers a broad assortment of hair and beauty products. Besides offering these products, Ulta also offers in-store services such as hair, skin and brow treatments, differentiating itself from other retailers that sell beauty products.

80% of consumers say they are more likely to do business with a company if it offers personalized experiences (Edelman)

Retail Operations Technology – Perhaps the most overlooked tactic is a transformation within the not so exciting department of Operations. Technological integrations here can strengthen the customer experiences a retailer is offering.

Mobile POS Systems: Smartphone or Tablet-based POS systems allow sales staff to combat customer frustration and cart abandonment. Associates can break up a long queue and check customers out faster. These mobile systems allow sales associates to access a customer’s buying history, making personalized recommendations possible.

Analytics: These types of technologies are business intelligence investments that can inform and improve the customer experience. Smart camera and video analytics can help decide product placement, avoid overcrowding and minimize service times. 

Customer Relationship Management Platform (CRM): The data captured in a CRM, including preferences and demographic data, enables segmentation and personalization. This data can inform the type of shopping environment a brand creates and allows a market segment or an individual to be targeted with promotions that appeal to them.   

Scheduling Software: Another technology growing in adoption by retailers to evolve the customer experience is scheduling software. Currently used by 29% of the respondents in the NAPCO Media survey, this technology fits comfortably within the omnichannel direction retailers are taking in giving customers the experience they have come to expect. The value of this technology can contribute significantly to a brand’s customer experience strategy.

This technology plays a strong role in a brand’s omnichannel customer experience strategy, unifying online and offline interactions. Brands offering self-scheduling on their websites are not only creating a positive customer experience they are also helping shift their customers from an online visitor to an in-store shopper. The convenience of booking an in-store appointment online shows their customers their needs are a priority.

Self-scheduling an in-store appointment allows a retail customer:

  • to book an appointment at any store location
  • to have direct access to a knowledgeable sales associate
  • to skip the line or not wait in line at all

Exceed Your Customer’s Expectations 

The Year of the Customer has been a yearly declaration over the past few years. Walker’s Customer 2020 report, however, forecasted the importance of the customer experience back in 2013.

“Enlightened companies must view the customer experience as a strategic, C-level initiative. In the future, the responsibility of a “chief customer champion” will become more common, serving one purpose – to create an unrelenting focus on the customer throughout the enterprise.” 

Current data continues to reinforce the importance of a customer experience strategy. By pursuing excellence in the customer experience, there is no need to decide on whether to chase new customers or concentrate on existing ones. Managing the customer experience can serve both purposes. What is your brand doing to create personalized positive retail customer experiences?

SUMO Scheduler Launches Customer Success Community

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

Online Center Offers Expansive Knowledge Base and Instructional Content, Empowering Users to Get Even More from the Industry’s Top Online Appointment Scheduler.


ATLANTA, Dec. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — After months of cross-team collaboration, SUMO Scheduler announced today the launch of its Customer Success Community, an online support center with an expansive knowledge base and other instructional content aimed at helping users get the most from their SUMO experience. The new SUMO Customer Success Community offers:

  • Detailed FAQs for sales, admin, developers and users
  • Hundreds of knowledge articles
  • Dozens of training videos and webinars
  • A process to suggest and upvote new feature requests
  • An easy way to log a case for hands-on help from an expert

SUMO Scheduler is the industry’s number one online appointment scheduler built 100% native on Salesforce®. Trusted by top brands in the retail, insurance, finance, banking, higher education, and other industries, SUMO completely automates appointment scheduling on any device to increase appointment volume, drive revenue, and enhance customer satisfaction.

“Customer success is one of our six core values. It’s absolutely critical to us that our customers always have everything they need to be successful,” said Jason North, CEO of SUMO Scheduler. “Our new Customer Success Community gives users instant and easy access to all the resources they need. It also makes it easier for our customers to discover how others are using SUMO to drive growth.”

North added that he views the new Customer Success Community as a key value-add for SUMO users and a strong market differentiator.

According to Forrester, of all self-service channels, customers make the most frequent use of knowledge bases, which give them the ability to find the information they need when and how they want it. SUMO’s Customer Success Community is like a knowledge base “powered up” with an array of exciting new resources, such as quality videos and webinars. It delivers an efficient and effective way for users to resolve problems and become much more proficient with the solution than ever before.

To learn more about SUMO, schedule a call with an expert.

SUMO Scheduler Helps Retailers Deliver a Personalized Shopping Experience

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

Currently in use by tens of thousands of retail sales professionals across thousands of locations, SUMO’s easy appointment automation builds customer satisfaction and loyalty.

ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — With U.S. online shopping projected to rise from $446.8 billion in 2017 to over $700 billion in 2022, brick-and-mortar retailers are in a perpetual battle to survive. However, these retailers have one attribute their e-commerce counterparts lack: the in-person buying experience. SUMO Scheduler is a scheduling automation software that helps retailers optimize convenience and personalization for shoppers to drive return visits and grow revenue.

Many consumers are discouraged by shopping in physical stores due to crowds and long lines at check-out—things that are especially true during busy times such as Black Friday through Christmas and other holidays. With SUMO, retailers are making shopping a faster and more personalized experience by enabling customers to easily pre-book an appointment with a salesperson or consultant. This eliminates the wait and lack of assistance that can cause many shoppers to give up on going to the mall and buy online instead.

With SUMO, retailers can easily deploy “Schedule Appointment” buttons on their websites, social media pages and in mass email campaigns. SUMO also enables retailers to pair specific sales associates with buyers to help increase sales.

“There are obvious steps a traditional retailer can take to significantly boost in-store traffic, personalize the shopping experience, and increase revenue,” said Jason North, CEO at SUMO Scheduler. “Now more than ever, brick-and-mortar need to think outside the box and our retail customers are seeing real results by letting their customers self-schedule in-store appointments.”

As an example of SUMO’s usefulness, consider the husband who wishes to buy jewelry for his spouse for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Jewelry boutiques can be chaotic during the days leading up to such holidays, making it difficult to get expert assistance and often requiring long waits to complete a purchase. With SUMO, the customer can easily book an appointment online with a sales consultant so they get the personalized, expert service they need as soon as they enter the store. SUMO is also ideal for department stores and clothiers that have on-staff stylists and consultants, but who may not be readily available when a shopper arrives. Pre-booking an appointment eliminates frustration and enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.

“With 58 percent of shoppers indicating they value personalized customer service in-store, traditional retailers must take control of their competitive advantage,” said North.

To learn more about SUMO, schedule a meeting with an expert.

How Automated Scheduling Enables Customer Success

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

Many retail, software and equipment companies offer warranties, maintenance or updates for their products. Who is it that is responsible for making sure these services happen for the customer? Whether it is the customer or the company that must set up a service appointment, the process of contacting a person and finding a mutually agreeable date and time is highly manual and can extend the time it takes to get a customer serviced.

Hassle-free scheduling and rescheduling

Everyone’s schedule is busy these days, and your customers are no exception. With automated scheduling, customers can easily see available times and sign up for the slot that works best for them. It only takes a few minutes out of the day, and there’s no back-and-forth involved. Your customers also get that same hassle-free experience if they need to reschedule. If something comes up, they can easily move their appointment with the click of a button.

Get connected with the right person — the first time

With an automated scheduling system, you can automatically route customer appointments to the right team member based on criteria like location, type of service, and availability. This reduces the probability that a customer will accidentally make an appointment at the wrong location, or with the team member who isn’t actually qualified to solve their particular problem. After all, nothing is more frustrating than taking time out of your busy day only to find there’s been a mixup.

Appointment planning made easy

When a customer sets up an appointment through your automated system, they have the option of having it automatically added to their digital calendar of choice. That makes one less step for them — saving them time — and also makes it less likely that they’ll miss the appointment. Equally helpful, they can choose to have reminders sent via email or text. The automatic reminders are not only convenient for customers, they can also provide an incredible benefit to your company.

Kaiser Permanente found that mobile reminders resulted in 1,837 fewer no-shows. This saved the company around $275,550. An average of $150 per appointment.

A Great customer experience

With automatic online scheduling, your customer can set their own appointment at their convenience. By providing a self-scheduling link embedded on your website, a reminder email or in a text, your customers can make appointments with your sales and support teams at any time, from any device. This lets them successfully take care of business at the moment that thinking about it — whether that’s in the subway on the way to work, on Sunday night when the planning for the next week, or at 3 AM while they’re browsing on their smartphone.

Your customer can also select to receive automatic reminders via text, email or phone. Thanks to a self-scheduling link, your customer can successfully connect with your company in minutes. You could cobble together a scheduling solution out of your CRM, paper, phone, email, and Post-Its. Or you could use a seamless solution that’s easy to install and configure. Save your energy — and your problem-solving creativity — for where it really counts: Giving your customers a phenomenal experience. 

With SUMO Scheduler, you get:

  • Ease of implementation with Salesforce
  • A single set of secure customer data, so there are no worries about syncing issues.
  • Detailed reporting and outcomes are at your fingertips.
  • Simple integration with the solutions you already use, like Outlook.
  • Ability to install anywhere: Your Salesforce® Community, portal, website, intranet, social media sites, automated emails, email newsletters, and more!

3 Technologies Personalizing the Retail Customer Experience

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

2017 was a banner year for store closings. Many major retail companies closed more than 5,000 stores in 2017, according to clark.com. Competing with online retailers for consumer attention caused significant revenue struggles for some big players. Here are just a few of the store closings that happened in 2017:

  • Sears & Kmart – 358 stores in 2017, 63 in January 2018.
  • J.C. Penney – 138 stores.
  • Macy’s – 68 stores.
  • Payless ShoeSource – 800-900 stores.
  • Teavana – 379 stores.
  • Gymboree – 350 stores.
  • True Religion – 27 stores.
  • Ascena Retail Group – At least 268 stores.

The most recently publicized closing was Toys R Us which filed for bankruptcy in September 2017. The chain closed all its stores in the following year despite last-minute efforts by Isaac Larian. Larian, the toy executive behind MGA Entertainment, tried to buy the chain first via a $1 billion GoFundMe campaign, then with his own funds putting in a $675 million bid to purchase 274 Toys ‘R’ Us stores, and a separate $215 million bid to buy 82 Canadian locations according to the Los Angeles Times.

Storefronts Still Matter

As difficult as 2017 was for many retailers, all is not lost. Brick-and-mortar locations still matter to consumers. An IHL Group report from August 2017 reported: “Retailers are opening 4,080 more stores in 2017 than they are closing and plan to open over 5,500 more in 2018.” Even online brands understand the consumer still likes shopping in stores.

Direct-to-consumer retailers have started to try their hand at opening physical locations. Some of these companies include not only Amazon but also luxury consignment seller, TheRealReal, eyeglasses retailer, Warby Parker, fine jewelry retailer, Blue Nile, and mattress manufacturer, Casper. Online retailers are expanding their reach by opening storefronts because it’s what the consumer wants.

U.S. Census data released in August 2017 reported 90 percent of all retail purchases were made in brick-and-mortar locations during the last quarter. Shoppers still like to see and touch the merchandise and prefer the personal service that can only be provided by an in-store visit. These three retail technologies can help brick-and-mortar retailers increase the personalization of the customer shopping experience.

Clienteling Services

Nordstrom’s Reserve Online & Try In Store service is an excellent example of clienteling at its best. This service lets customers use an app to pick out the items they are interested in, then book a dressing room in a store of their choosing.

Location services let store employees at the customer’s chosen location know when a Reserve Online customer is on the way. A fitting room is made ready for the customer’s arrival complete with the customer’s name on the door.

This service is provided with no commitment to purchase yet according to a Forbes article, 80% of those customers that have tried Reserve Online & Try In Store have continued to use the service.

Nordstrom Reserve Try-In-Store

Online Self-Scheduling

The 2017 Watches & Jewelry report presented an analysis of the online strengths and weaknesses of 66 watch and jewelry brands, including Cartier, Swarovski, Pandora and Tag Heuer. It highlighted that several companies were employing ‘concierge’ methods in an attempt to drive consumers in-store without listing prices. One example included offering online appointment scheduling. They offer online scheduling, allowing ‘concierge’ contact via a web form and providing a phone number to connect the customer to a ‘concierge’.

Kay Jewelers extends a ‘concierge’ service by making available self-scheduling on their website. Customers use a self-scheduling link to book an appointment at a location of their choice based on a zip code. The service provides a convenient way for customers to book a pressure-free appointment with one of their jewelry experts.

Mobile Applications

Waitrose’s Quick Check mobile app is targeted at improving the in-store shopping experience. The UK grocery chain’s app lets customers shop using their smartphone’s camera. The customer starts their order by scanning the ‘Start your shop’ QR code at the front of the store. They can then begin their shopping trip, scanning the barcodes of the items they want as they take them off the shelf. The customer can even put their items straight into shopping bags, cutting down on time spent unloading a cart and packing bags at checkout. Once the customer is finished shopping, they just scan the ‘End your shop’ barcode, pay at a register, and then they are out the door. The app also stores a customer’s loyalty card number so they won’t need to scan their card every time they shop.

Personalization Nurtures the Customer Journey

Salesforce’s Connected Shopper Report reaffirms that the retail consumer is more than open to a personalized experience from a retailer.

  • 55% of shoppers say retail experiences are disconnected across channels.
  • 63% of shoppers do not feel like retailers know them.
  • 58% of shoppers value personalized customer service in-store.


Both the retailer and the customer benefits from the interactions and relationships created using these technologies. Beyond delivering a personalized experience that customers will respond to positively, these technologies are a good way to help bridge the digital customer experience to your physical stores.

SUMO offers GDPR-compliance tools

Posted on by Olga Kamylevich

What is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is a new European Union law took effect May 25, 2018. The GDPR gives persons in the EU greater control over their online data and adds new requirements for businesses that handle that data.

Does SUMO Scheduler comply with GDPR?

Yes, SUMO has taken a number of steps to ensure we are able to comply with the GDPR regulations. We have updated our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, created a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) and made changes to how we store and process data. As an interpretation of the GDPR regulations continues to evolve, we will continue implementing new practices and tools as needed to ensure continued compliance.

Does SUMO Scheduler allow clients to comply with GDPR?

Yes, SUMO has tools to allow customers to comply with the GDPR. This feature allows customers to display their own Terms and Conditions or Privacy Policies. SUMO also provides users with the tools necessary to delete client data upon request, or to provide customers with copies of their data, or to comply with a client’s data portability request. SUMO clients can query all appointment data relating to a particular appointment. Client data deletion requests can be made by emailing support@sumoscheduler.com and including in the request the names of all persons whose data should be deleted.

However, the determination of whether you’re impacted by the GDPR and what steps you must take to comply is ultimately up to you. This includes how you configure and use your SUMO account, the data you choose to collect from your customers, and other issues. Your company is ultimately responsible for upholding your obligations under the GDPR and SUMO Scheduler is not responsible for your lack of compliance or misuse of the software.

How can my organization use SUMO Scheduler in a GDPR-compliant manner?

SUMO customers who are subject to the GDPR will need to make some changes to the way they use our system. Step-by-step instructions about how to use SUMO in a compliant manner can be found here. SUMO users are also responsible for upholding their obligations under our Terms of Service and Data Processing Addendum (DPA).