Shoptalk Europe Preview: The Vital Role CX Plays in Retail Today

In just a few weeks’ time, representatives of the biggest companies and brands in Europe will converge upon London, England for the Shoptalk Europe retail extravaganza. This conference will see 2,500 industry players browsing the ExCel London expo halls and taking in highlights of the more than 200 industry leaders slated to speak.

ModSquad’s Sales Vice President Clive Jefferies will be attending from June 6 to 8. He’s looking forward to meeting and greeting colleagues and taking in the latest in the retail space. We caught up with Clive to get his take on the Shoptalk Europe expo, the state of retail, and how brands need to be thinking about CX.

Clive, what are your expectations for Shoptalk Europe? What’s foremost on the minds of retailers in 2022?

My expectations are quite high. As the Forbes quote on the Shoptalk Europe website says, “Shoptalk is the best. It is arguably the most exciting and informative retail conference out there.” That’s high praise indeed.

This year, I’m guessing that supply chain issues shall be front and center, given the state of the world. I also expect significant chatter about advances in POS (point of sale) technology, as well as my favorite subject, the future of CX, or customer experience — what used to be called ‘customer support.’

What is it about CX that companies need to know?

The term “CX” is growing in adoption. As it matures, it seems to mean different things to different people. At ModSquad, CX is all about the interface between the brand and their customers. Basically, the customer experience encompasses all of the contact points a person can have with a brand, directly or indirectly — be that the traditional phone call, email, chat, or a brand’s social media real estate.

But customers ask and talk about brands all over the internet. How can companies manage that?

That’s right, customers post on sites and forums over which brands have no direct control. Total CX means developing strategies to enhance the brand-customer interface wherever and however they want to communicate. That’s why managing the brand-customer interface is more important than ever.

But just as important is an ethos that brands need to embrace — the concept that your customers are a community and need to be protected just as much as your brand reputation. In fact, your brand’s reputation relies on the protection of your customer community. Many brands perform some form of community management on their social media feeds, but the emphasis is usually on the brand itself, either the posting of promotional copy or ensuring that trolls are dealt with appropriately. Yet total CX is more than that. Brands need to engage with their customer community, answer questions, start discussions on topics indirectly related with the brand, be trusted, and keep everyone in the community safe.

Sounds like a description of what ModSquad does for clients. 

Right. ModSquad has 15 years of experience in what is now called CX. Our network of agents, the Mods, are experts at total CX, which is the delivery of high quality direct customer support, engagement of customers in social media, and development of overarching community strategies. And, as I like to point out, they do it in more than 50 different languages, 24/7/365. Plus, we do all of this remotely. Kind of handy nowadays!

That it is! How can people meet up with you at Shoptalk Europe?

To those readers attending the show: Please let me know. I would be delighted to explain how ModSquad could meet your CX challenges. Otherwise, here’s hoping we bump into one another as we walk the halls. I’ll be the chap wearing the loud waistcoat.

Want to learn more about ModSquad’s unparalleled CX offerings? Give us a call today.