Pamper the client, an imperative for the franchisees

To continue to grow and to maintain it in the face to the giants of e-commerce, it is better to be attentive to consumers.

Paris, rue de Bazeilles, in the Fifth arrondissement. It is here that Happy, the teaches more trend Emova Group (ex-Monceau Flowers), has recently installed its new store driver. And this is where it tests, first, a concept that is supposed to offer a new "experience" to the customer base of 25-35 year-olds it covets. A target of both "pressed" and fan packages "or custom made self-same," according to Benjamin Lamblin, who acts both as chief commercial officer of the group and as a franchisee Happy and Monceau Flowers in Maisons-Alfort (Val-de-Marne). To better attract these consumers, the brand has taken into account several codes of fashion and of ready-to-wear. "Outside of the store, the customer in a hurry can pick on a bearing a bouquet packed already", details there. "Inside on the other hand, those who like to smell and touch the products have the choice of either a workshop, in which they can put on a deck and deal a bunch of A to Z, a "creative zone", which allows you to customize the packaging with felt-tip pens, stickers or even photos taken with the help of a photo booth now in the shop."

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Combat the leaders on the Web

The customer experience is the sum of the emotions and feelings experienced by clients in respect of a business of selling products or services. It has become a major concern of most of the brands, wishing to register in the new standards set by the giants of e-commerce. "Amazon has set the bar very high, is Cedric Ducrocq, founder and president of the consulting firm Dia-Mart. The firm of Jeff Bezos, which can certainly be seen as a cold machine, is in the process of to accustom the consumer to a total absence of bug." In fact, she is known for her ability to track down and correct malfunctions that are likely to tarnish the experience of purchase or delivery. And if, despite everything, a grain of sand had slid into the transaction, after-sales service of Amazon is very accommodating.

Amazon, known for its ability to track down and correct malfunctions of purchase or delivery, is in the process of to accustom the consumer to a total absence of bug.

REUTERS/Tim Shaffer

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When they wish to learn or improve the customer experience, "the networks succursalistes generally leave with an advantage", according to Cédric Ducrocq. "Often, they have already invested in large computer systems, shared (for the logistics, the follow-up process), which make them war machines in terms of operational efficiency." The implementation of these tools takes, in general, more time in the franchise networks. "The independent traders sometimes want to keep control of the software and avoid having to depend on the head of the network."

The human before everything

as a Result, brands are investing for the time being especially on the human dimension of the customer experience, especially when the major players-born on the Web have been eyeing their market : Amazon thrills distributors in the food, while Leboncoin and Facebook Marketplace shadow the franchise networks specializing in the purchase and resale of second hand product (like Cash Converters, Cash Express, or Troc.com).

The franchise networks specializing in the purchase and resale of second hand product like Cash Converters suffer the fierce competition of the giants of the Web.

Cash Converters

The emphasis on the quality of the "human interactions" is beneficial, if one believes Cédric Ducrocq. The specialist points out that "the quality of the home is, paradoxically, very heterogeneous within a network". Gold, "a trader who is not done to offer a client satisfactory is of no use today !" In the same vein, some entrepreneurs are still struggling to take seriously the remarks and grievances of customers, including casual. "Yet, it is precisely the sum of the observations and of the small frustrations that buyers are going to report each day, which should help to identify areas for improvement in customer experience."

Cedric The Bian, ex-director general of the network of franchise of bakeries Mill Païou, is on the same wavelength. "For me, a good customer experience starts with a good training of the staff", he says. "It is a lot of sense, but I repeated it regularly to my employees that it is necessary to show that the customer is at the centre of attention as soon as he enters the store. And that one is not disinterested in him as soon as he was announced the price."

Virginie and Laurent Pinaquy, franchisees of the brand Mill Païou in Pau since 2011, have been trained as all employees of the network, to the home of the client as soon as they enter a store.

N. MOLLO/PHOTOMOBILE/ANDIA FOR The EXPRESS

so far, several technological innovations now make it possible to simplify the consumer's life, or even give him a certain pleasure, during its passage through the store. In his bakery in lyon, Cédric Le Bian has invested in a solution to click-and-collect - order online and withdrawal in - store to faciliter purchases of pastries and sandwiches. In a sector dominated by the "purchases of constraint", the auto centres-Green light, (for most franchises) are positioning them, too, thanks to digital tools, as facilitators. "Our site helps the customers to choose the date and time of the intervention, and simulators allow them to anticipate the next maintenance operations to be expected", explains Gilles Bridge, marketing manager, cross channel at Green light.

Test before you adopt

The new Danish concept of jewellery, Amazing Jewelry, which opened almost a year ago a pilot site in Villeneuve-la-Garenne (Hauts-de-Seine), is home to its share of its clients in an atmosphere of techno electric and held at their disposal, screens and chargers for smartphones. As for the network succursaliste Decathlon, it is now based on virtual reality helmets in order to present its customers with 14 models of camping tents. The while allowing them to "immerse" these tents in several types of situation (under a blazing sun, pouring rain or in the dark).

The Danish brand of jewelry, Amazing Jewelry, which opened its first store in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, provides screens and chargers smartphone to its young clients.

Sdp

Before being widely deployed in the network, this type of system is generally tested in a pilot store. But not by the franchisees themselves ! Each member of the network is required to adhere to the concept and offer a seamless service in relation to his colleagues. If one of them wants to implement a new technology or methodology, it must submit his idea and have it validated by the sign. "One of the difficulties for the networks, is to identify and sort technologies that might be cost-effective and relevant," adds Cédric Ducrocq. This is not a trivial matter : hundreds of start-ups are, in fact, the promotion of devices expected to revolutionize the business !"

The robots are not everything

However, no one knows whether these technologies, sometimes very expensive, will find their public. Some view with scepticism the robots for sales support or doubt the relevance of the fitting rooms, "smart", that display a product or its price, superimposed on the reflection of the client in a mirror. The Spanish specialist of the ready-to-wear Zara, seems to now prefer to invest in "simple" touch screen LCD and in the provision of funds from the self-service (self checkout) just next to the cabins to limit the checkout lines.

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