Have you seen The Customer Experience Factbook?

In this 180+ page report, you'll find all the information and support you need to build a profitable, effective CX Improvement Program that spans every part of your business. You'll be able to implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)

British consumers may be ready for contactless

More than 80% of the public - almost double the figure from 2011's survey - said they can identify the contactless symbol, with people in London and the North West being the quickest to adopt the new way to pay.

The research highlighted a marked shift in consumer spending preference, with 61% of people saying they preferred using cards over cash to buy items up to £20 in value.

Richard Armstrong, retailer relationship director for Barclaycard, commented: "The number of people using contactless has rocketed over the last year and, across Barclays, we're now seeing our customers make more than a million such payments per month. We're now working with a much wider range of retailers across transport, supermarkets, entertainment and indeed anywhere you currently use cash. A host of retailers have announced the move to contactless, including Starbucks, Waitrose and the M6 toll road."

Apart from contactless debit and credit cards, Barclaycard also offers contactless mobile phones, Barclaycard PayTag (which can be attached to a mobile phone) and, at selected events, a Barclaycard PayBand (which is worn around the wrist).

As contactless transactions pass the million-a-month mark in the United Kingdom, Barclaycard asked behavioural psychologist Donna Dawson to explain how new technology catches on. According to Dawson, "There are connected issues at work: habit and fear. We've been using coins since 600BC, which is a tough habit to break. Because of this, different ways to pay have the shock of the 'new' and, if we have no experience of something, we tend to fear it. Increased recognition leads to a significant trend developing, and represents the breakthrough of a psychological barrier. So the fact that we're witnessing this with a technology which is only five years old compared to centuries of cash is remarkable."

One hurdle for the adoption of contactless has been a perception that the technology is not safe. In fact, 75% of people didn't know that contactless, like all card payments, are insured against fraud. When told that this was the case, more than 40% said they would be even more inclined to use the technology, while fewer than 10% still had concerns.

In contrast to people's fears of electronic fraud, the most common way to lose money was forgetfulness: a quarter of those surveyed admitted that they had left their wallet or purse in a public place, losing all the money inside. Given our absentmindedness it would seem that carrying contactless cards and devices could be safer, cheaper and more convenient for many people.

One retailer that offers contactless payments is The Co-operative Group, which has recently begun a trial of the technology. According to Mark Hale, CIO and supply chain director for The Co-operative Food, "Customer reaction has been very positive since we introduced contactless payments into our stores within the M25 and Manchester city centre in May 2012. We identified from implementation in other retailers that customers often worry they'll do something wrong and so hold back from using their cards. We learnt from that experience and have focused on training our store colleagues to help customers through their first purchase and have supported this with clear point of sale promoting the fact that contactless is available."

Co-op also made sure that its contactless payment solution was part of the Chip & PIN device at the point of sale, so that the customer didn't have to look for a different terminal to make a contactless payment. The company also found that, once shoppers have used contactless technology, they generally appreciate the quicker payment option and tend to do it on a regular basis.

Have you seen The Customer Experience Factbook?

In this 180+ page report, you'll find all the information and support you need to build a profitable, effective CX Improvement Program that spans every part of your business.

You'll be able to implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy. Grab this goldmine of easily adaptable and up-to-date strategies, walk-throughs, trends, technologies, research, suppliers and partners, plus all the supporting arguments you need to build a solid CX strategy.

While most marketers could list maybe a dozen key points for improving their brand's Customer Experience (CX), the researchers and writers at The Marketing Factbook have identified FORTY main 'CX Keys' which will help you drive your customers to new levels of delight, loyalty, advocacy and profitability.

The areas in which customers have direct contact with your organization are perhaps the most obvious places in which CX improvements can be made, and this report addresses all 24 of these 'Direct CX Keys', applicable to offline and online businesses alike.

At the same time there are many other areas that indirectly affect CX (such as the supply chain, policies and processes) in which every business can make simple but far-reaching improvements. This report guides you through the problems and solutions for all 16 of these 'Indirect CX Keys', many of which are often forgotten or under-played even in the best CX strategies.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)