Today’s automotive retail environment is dynamically changing, with the traditional approach to selling cars experiencing a shake up with the introduction of the sales agency model (and swift backtrack in some cases). Amongst all the noise of change, customers remain at the centre, with a hunger to seek control of their car-buying journey, wanting the flexibility to navigate seamlessly between online and offline touch points and interactions. For retailers, the challenge lies in empowering customers to do so while maintaining a comprehensive understanding of their preferences and behaviours. How can retailers effectively facilitate this transition while ensuring a firm grasp on customer lifecycles and emerging industry dynamics?

Read on to discover how omni-channel strategies can address these challenges, focusing on three dos & don’ts to help retailers elevate test drive experiences through omni-channel approaches.

Embrace Seamless Integration Across Channels

Customers expect a seamless transition between online and offline interactions. A recent statistic found that “90% of prospective auto buyers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia initiate their purchase journey online with internet based search exploring new cars”. By integrating various channels seamlessly, such as online booking platform, virtual shopping platforms and WhatsApp, retailers can offer a cohesive and convenient experience for scheduling and conducting test drives and sales appointments. Imagine a prospective buyer browsing your website, quickly viewing real-time availability and booking a test drive through a user-friendly interface, and receiving confirmation via their preferred communication channel. This integration not only streamlines the process but also enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty. No more lost opportunities due to manual back and forth calling to schedule or cancel test drives. The booking experience should fully reflect your overall brand ethos. As the first interaction your potential customer might be having with you, it’s crucial that it reflects your broader brand personality and service.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Personalisation

Personalisation is the cornerstone of successful omni-channel experiences. Leverage customer data and insights to tailor test drive experiences to individual preferences and needs. From personalised email invitations, to curated test drive routes based on location and vehicle preferences, customisation demonstrates attentiveness to customer desires and fosters a deeper connection with your brand. By understanding each customer’s unique journey, automotive retailers can deliver memorable test drive experiences that resonate long after the drive is over.

Do Prioritise Consistent Communication and Follow-Up

Effective communication is paramount throughout the test drive process, from initial booking to post-drive follow-up. Implement automated reminders and notifications to keep customers informed at every stage, reducing the risk of no-shows and missed opportunities. Following each test drive, promptly follow up with an automated personalised messages including a call to action depending on their buying intent. Scheduling  future automated follow-ups will also help you to extend the customer lifecycle and easily communicate future dealership events and promotions.

In conclusion, the integration of omni-channel strategies into test drive experiences has the potential to revolutionise the automotive industry. By embracing seamless integration, personalised interactions, and consistent communication, businesses can elevate their test drive offerings and differentiate themselves in a competitive market. At Appointedd we’re committed to helping automotive businesses unlock the full potential of omni-channel experiences to drive success and exceed customer expectations.

Read more about key trends in booking behaviour in our Annual Data Report. Contact us today to learn how we can collaborate to transform your test drive experiences and truly elevate your customer journey.

Vulnerability is a label that frequently comes with stigma and misunderstanding. Too often, organisations and individuals see “vulnerable” as a static category of people within society. The reality is that we are all only a few mishaps away from being vulnerable. Almost all adults will be considered as financially vulnerable at least once in their life which is why we feel it’s important to address this misconception and begin to change the narrative around financial vulnerability.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) defines a vulnerable customer as “someone who, due to their personal circumstances, is especially susceptible to harm, particularly when a firm is not acting with appropriate levels of care”. The New Consumer Duty, which came into force in 2023, states that financial institutions (FIs) now must act to deliver good outcomes for vulnerable customers. Many FIs would argue that they were doing this anyway, however, the data tells a different story. Of the 52% of adults with characteristics of vulnerability, only a mere 3% are recognised by their financial service providers!

The question is not why, it’s how.

It’s a simple but subjective concept, however, the challenge to standardise, scale, and automate customer journeys in a way that is personalised and inclusive has not been straightforward for many FIs. Enter Serene and Appointedd. Through this partnership, Serene and Appointedd will advise on how best to support these customers, provide the tools needed to reach out proactively, and pre-emptively instigate appropriate actions weighted towards the right outcomes for both parties.

So who are Serene and Appointedd?

Serene is an applied intelligence platform for FIs to identify, understand, and support vulnerable customers. They uniquely apply advanced analytics and behavioural science to transaction data to deliver breakthrough capabilities in early risk identification, predictive insights, and tailored support. Co-founded in 2023 by Savannah Price and Pooja Jain, and backed by Stripe, Visa, and UBS alumni, Serene is committed to transforming the financial landscape into a more compassionate and customer-centric space, where all individuals, especially those in vulnerable situations, can rely on their financial service providers to support their financial wellbeing.

Appointedd is an enterprise omnichannel scheduling tool that empowers FIs to better engage with their customers. Appointedd is on a mission to power the best customer journeys that lead to the best customer experiences, in a digital first, human always manner. Appointedd was founded by CEO, Leah Hutcheon, in 2011. Working with the likes of Lloyds Banking Group, two of the Big Four, abrdn, and a large UK financial advisory firm, as well as a strong roster of high-end retail and beauty clients such as Harrods and Charlotte Tilbury, Appointedd currently powers some of the worlds most prestigious brands.

How does the partnership work?

Step 1: Identify

The first step in our joint proposition is to identify. Serene analyses customer financial data in real-time to identify behavioural biomarkers indicative of financial and non-financial vulnerability. It’s important that customers are checked on a continual basis, as people move in or out of vulnerability throughout their life. Delaying identification sets customers up for failure. For example, 75% of individuals suffering from mental health problems have difficulty managing their finances, and 93% report feeling stressed or overwhelmed when having to deal with financial institutions. And so being proactive is a must, not a nice to have. Serene’s data engine simplifies the process and removes manual work from the equation.

Step 2: Understand

The second step is to understand. The four key drivers of vulnerability are health, life events, resilience, and capability. As of 2023, 52% of UK adults had at least one characteristic of vulnerability. Serene builds dynamic vulnerability profiles for each customer, shaping a more nuanced understanding of their specific needs and risks over time. Understanding is particularly important when proposing a product or a service to a customer, as the Consumer Duty requires firms to name the target market of all their products. Serene’s level of granularity enables firms to strengthen customer relationships as you organically deliver positive outcomes and build trust.

Step 3: Respond

The last step is to respond. Four in ten people have severe admin anxiety, leaving them unable to effectively use essential services. Furthermore, customers with poor mental health struggle with cognitive overload, execution function, avoidance cycles, and low energy. Appointedd provides FIs with inclusive digital journeys that empower customers to access the support they need. Customers can only be expected to take responsibility when firms communicate in an understandable manner. Appointedd’s end-to-end solution reduces cognitive load, lowers barriers, and gives the power to the customer in a centric manner.

In conclusion, the partnership between Serene and Appointedd allows you to support vulnerable customers proactively, making it easy for them to get the support they need, when they need it. What to know more about our joint offering? Book a call with our Client Partner, Megan Grant, here.

Hi, I’m Murdo, and I’ve recently joined Appointedd as a Client Partner based across London and Edinburgh. I’ll be working across Financial Services as well as Automotive.

Why Appointedd?

I chose to join Appointedd because it’s exactly what I was looking for: a dynamic Enterprise SaaS company with a focus on Financial Services, as well as opportunities to explore new markets. Having previously worked for UK Banks as well as European FinTech companies, I felt this was the perfect space where I could foster those experiences while developing new skills.

First impressions?

I have been really impressed by the level of detail Appointedd provides for each partner. There is no cookie-cutter approach here, and there is always a focus on creating truly native experiences that should feel like extensions of our clients’ offerings.

To me, being able to use our past success stories while maintaining a real focus on what will work in this moment, for this specific client and their particular customers, is an environment where you can create really exciting experiences.

What will I be doing?

Day-to-day, I’ll be working with our clients to find creative ways in which Appointedd can work for them – from building best-in-class customer journeys to seeking ways to change slow digital transformation projects into quick wins or eliminating manual processes that could be automated, and demonstrating new methods to save costs and boost revenue. Every new problem presents a new solution, and it’s my job to turn those into win-wins.

If you could book anything on Appointedd?

Very good timing on this one, as I am currently looking to buy a house in London and trying to book a mortgage appointment at a bank (not naming names!) is not as simple as it ought to be. Perhaps this is something I will look to change from the inside…

I’m excited to be part of a team that’s shaping the future of appointment management.

Onwards!
Murdo Elwis

Did you know that the human race creates approximately 328.77 million terabytes of data every day? In fact, in 2023 we’re projected to create an astounding 120 zettabytes of data. This translates to 231.4 million emails, 90.2 million cryptos purchased, 5.9 million google searches, 1.1 million swipes on Tinder, 1 million hours steamed, and 104,600 hours spent on Zoom every minute. The Financial Services sector is drowning in data, but this blog explores the key data points that are essential to understanding customer engagement.

At Appointedd, we know what data is important to track, when it’s important to have it, and how to use it to keep up with changing trends in Financial Services. Read on to learn what engagement data would be useful for you to be monitoring, and the ROI of acquiring that data. Appointedd regularly delivers that value for others, so follow along to see what Appointedd offers to you.

The importance of engagement metrics

The way in which Financial Services engage with their clients is under continuous development. Currently, the industry needs to react to the shift in wealth transferring from baby boomers to millennials, the recent Consumer Duty regulation update, and changing trends in which platforms customers use to communicate and learn. It’s crucial for your business to understand when change is needed, and how to qualify change as positive or negative.

Recent quote from the Financial Times states that “only one in two people are satisfied with the touch points their wealth management offers, such as face to face meetings, mobile app or website.” In an industry like financial advisory, where competition is rife and regulation is vast, competitive advantage comes from the service offering the business is willing to provide. If a company is only only satisfying the needs of 50% of customers, it risks losing its customer base to the competition.

Unlike industries like tech, or retail, or healthcare, Financial Services is in the unique position that all of the propositions and solutions which allow them to compete are here ready for them to start procuring.

Engagement metrics that are essential for Financial Services

Imagine you could have the answers to the following questions at any time:

• How much time is wasted spent on manual back and forth to schedule meetings”?
• How many meetings has a Financial Advisor had this year compared to last year?
• Of all the initial consultations booked with a Financial Advisor, how many of them have resulted in a client relationship?
• How many visitors are on your website looking for a consultation, with no clear call to action on how to convert?
• Of all the time Financial Advisors are available for meetings, how much of that time is booked?
• What time of the day, week, month are people requesting an initial consultation, or an existing client meeting?
• Across all of our services, what customers have booked what, and where is the opportunity to upsell, cross sell?

Each and every one of these metrics can be crucial to building customer journeys that convert. In order to gain loyal customers and ensure new prospects choose you instead of the competition, you need to be analysing these data points.

This data can help you better understand supply and demand; look at utilisation of your services and staff accordingly to save valuable money. For example, Appointedd has recently released an annual data report which shares the findings or a year worth of engagement data across multiple industries and timezones. Within Financial Services, the most popular time to book a meeting or an appointment is between 9am and 11am, and the most popular day is a Tuesday. If businesses knew what the exact time was for their services, they could be sure to give potential customers what they want, when they want it.

Focus on your customer centric value is to the customer

I recently heard a quote on a podcast: “selling is a notion, and in fact what you are really doing is trying to find the buyers.” This is an incredibly valuable concept that only data can unlock. Regulation dictates that you can’t really sell the idea of being financial managed, but you can be the preferred business a person chooses once they decide they need financial advice.

A webform that takes effort to fill out, leaving the prospect or customer unsure when they are going to receive contact back from you. Increasingly, convenience is a higher priority to customers than a more traditional experience. Younger customers in particular expect to be able to go online and book an appointment. If millennial customers are faced with a webform, or worse, a phone number to call, they’re much more inclined to book with a competitor who offers online booking — which converts 9x as many customers as a webform does.

Knowing how quickly people are converting on your website depending on the journey that brought them there allows you to optimise your customer journey for the highest conversion rates. With Appointedd, bookings are made in as little as 7 seconds.

The most important data point to consider

Data is only useful if you have access to it at the right time. With so many systems, and so many stakeholders, what should be simple is in fact still a challenge. Good data is live, self-serving, and automated. When possible, companies must automate data, to ensure employees are doing the highest value work and remove a margin of human error. This way, your company is freed up time to become more agile and invest more time into thinking about how you can better adapt to the rapid change around you.

Learn more about data trends in the Financial Services industry with Appointedd’s Annual Data Report. Read it now, no email address required.

Let’s start 2024 with a bang, and tackle those 5 meaty challenges head on. Whether your challenges are customer focused or internal management, take a read to learn what changes you could make to make 2024 a success for you.

1. Navigating the trend of conscious consumers

Consumers know more about you than just your products these days. Brand sustainability is a hot conversation topic that hasn’t gone quiet, and neither should it. Retailers need to be constantly reviewing how they’re putting themselves forward when it comes to sustainability, and what their specific policies are. Be your own harshest critic when it comes to your approach to sustainability to avoid greenwashing and getting caught up in bad PR (no retailer wants to be trending online for ignoring their responsibility)!

2. Driving footfall to the high street

“Is the high street dead?” Although it’s a question thrown around a lot, there is so much that retailers and consumers can be doing to keep it alive and let it thrive. Customers crave elevated experiences — let your stores be the playground. Brands are constantly opening new locations, like Uniqlo opening their first store in Scotland in Spring 2024 and SpaceNK creating new concept stores across the UK. I’ve seen first hand how this can impact increased marketing sign-ups and engage new customers with invitations to VIP store openings!

3. Supporting your staff to ensure retention

Staff are your most important asset and guardians of your brand, so taking care of them should be high on the agenda. Mental health support is vital, whether through internal Mental Health First Aiders as we have at Appointedd, or fantastic organisations like Retail Trust, who help retail colleagues with helplines, counselling, support and aid. This can also be supported by fair rota scheduling, with trusty tools like Rotageek – smart workforce management to improve productivity, profitability and happiness!

4. Ensuring the level of personalisation customers now expect

Personalisation is a huge benefit to the customer, but also to brands. Providing much more personalised customer experiences leads to the acquisition of new customers, repeat visitors, and increases the customer lifetime value — all the things retailers want to hear! Consumers want to feel listened to, feel individual, and feel cared for. With a scheduling platform like Appointedd, you can allow customers to book dedicated time with your staff, whilst answering specific booking questions to ensure the store can tailor their experience! This can then all be fed back into your brand’s CRM platform to customise engagement to encourage repeat purchases.

5. Cleaning your tech stack

Customer data – I’m sure you’ve got a lot of it, but is it really feeding into strategic decision conversations? Or, is it all siloed in different platforms across your tech stack? More and more, brands are looking at composable technology which allows you build your own experience approach, so you’ve got the right data feeding in and out of all the right places. Make it easier to clean up your CRM and engage with consumers who are actually your customers, and build on their purchasing habits to tailor that experience – making a very happy CRM team and a very happy customer base!

You can learn more about what to expect by looking back at previous trends in Appointedd’s Annual Data Report here.

Want to discuss how your company can tackle these challenges? You can book a call with me here, or send me a message on LinkedIn.

Personalisation in retail is now a critical component of modern day shopping experiences. The one-size-fits-all approach has given way to a new paradigm where tailored, individualised interactions are not just appreciated but often demanded by customers. Segment’s personalisation report for 2023 showed that over half (56%) of consumers will become repeat buyers after a personalised experience.

For over three years, Red Ant and Appointedd have joined forces to empower retailers in creating personalised and seamlessly connected omnichannel customer experiences, with notable collaborations including Charlotte Tilbury, Flannels, and Furniture Village. Red Ant, renowned for its omnichannel retail platform, excels in uniting multiple systems and content to deliver exceptional customer journeys. Appointedd’s booking and scheduling software seamlessly integrates with Red Ant’s consultation capabilities in-store and online, ensuring a comprehensive customer journey across all channels that optimises for conversion and loyalty.

In this blog, we delve into the importance of personalisation within the retail industry and how harnessing the capabilities of Red Ant and Appointedd solutions can bring substantial value.

Offering personal experiences

Red Ant’s all encompassing clienteling solution offers fully-integrated tools for every aspect of the clienteling journey. This includes customer information and profiles, enabling a seamless start to the conversation while ensuring comprehensive data capture. With features such as look books, it creates a multi-dimensional experience that tailors services to individual preferences. The solution allows the recording of vital client details, ensuring that store associates have all the information they need at their fingertips for delivering an exceptional, personalised service for both in-store and virtual appointments.

Appointedd guides customers through the entire booking journey, collecting essential pre-appointment information. Customised questions are embedded in the process to prepare store associates, ensuring fully personalised one-on-one appointments. Makeup artists, for instance, can request clients to upload photos or answer questions about their skin tone and type in advance.

“At Charlotte Tilbury, it’s important that we make every single customer interaction feel elevated and personal across each one of our touch points so that our customers can feel and look the most confident and beautiful versions of themselves. With Appointedd’s partnership with RedAnt, we are creating the next generation of immersive experiences for our customers in a continued blurring of the lines between the physical and the digital – and building closer connection to millions of customers worldwide as they discover the world of Charlotte Tilbury makeup and skincare through 1:1 experiences!”

Szilvia Szabo, Product Lead at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty

 

Keeping personalisation consistent

Maintaining consistent personalisation is essential for building strong customer relationships and loyalty. This consistency can be achieved through a combination of tailored services, such as using customer data to offer personalised product recommendations, customised communications, and in-store experiences. By utilising both Appointedd and Red Ant, retailers can access data-driven insights that ensure every customer interaction feels uniquely tailored to their preferences, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction, and the overall shopping experience.

Summary

In today’s digital age, the online experience doesn’t have to be impersonal. The data-driven capabilities provided by Appointedd and Red Ant empower businesses to personalise interactions with their customers, more than ever before. Tailored services, customised recommendations, and engaging experiences, all ensure that the virtual realm becomes a place where personalisation thrives and brand recognition grows.

Want to speak to someone about Appointedd’s partnership with Red Ant? You can book a call here. Or, visit our case study page to see how our partnership works in action.

This year, Appointedd took its first official step to invest in mental health protection and awareness in the company by training its Mental Health First Aiders. Marta Szatkowski and Tomek Nawrocki each stepped up as Appointedd’s official Mental Health First Aiders, and now anyone at the company can easily book time in with one of them. If anyone on staff is feeling overwhelmed or in need of extra support, they now have someone to turn to who can provide further resources and understanding. In today’s blog, we’re talking to Marta about why becoming a Mental Health First Aider was important to her, and why she believes in Mental Health First Aid in the workplace.

What made you choose to train as a Mental Health First Aider? Why is Mental Health First Aid important to you?

Training as a MHFA was a career and personal goal of mine for a number of years. In my career, I experienced and witnessed situations where mental health was discredited in the workplace with a large lack of empathy and understanding. This spurred me on to gain the training, so that I could act as a safe and accessible point of contact for mental health support to all colleagues. When I joined Appointedd I expressed my goal to qualify and quickly had the support behind me to do so.

We spend the majority of our time in the workplace (in the office or remote) and so it’s really important to have a space where, even if you are struggling or not having the best day, you know you will be looked after and there’s someone that you can speak to.

Since completing my training, it’s also great to see a number of our clients who use Appointedd to offer bookable MHFA appointments for their teams.

When/where did you train to be a Mental Health First Aider? 

I did my training in an online setting with MHScot Workplace Wellbeing. This was a mix of online learning with 1:1 live tutorials, culminating in a final exam. I liked the online offering as I could fit this in around my workday, and the 1:1 sessions were a great chance to discuss course material and ask questions.

What advice would you give to an employer looking to implement Mental Health First Aid in their workplace?

I would advise for them to be open to the concept and to offer the opportunity for any team members who wants to do the training. I think a company understanding the benefit of implementing Mental Health First Aid is half the battle; if the employer understands and recognises the importance, this means they want to create a safe space for mental health and put just as much emphasis on it as physical wellbeing.

Explore what programmes are out there, speak to organisations about group training for teams. There’s a great community out there of companies who are happy to knowledge share, which can be a great resource when setting up a mental health program at work.

Early this year, at a roundtable hosted by a large Financial Services organisation, their chief executive of Business Banking challenged us with the question, “How can large organisations support smaller businesses?” After listening to the lively discussion, I suggested that the most impactful thing a large organisation can do to support a small business is taking them seriously enough when sourcing goods and services.

What is Community Wealth Building?

Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an approach to economic development adopted by the Scottish Government to help transform a country or local community by generating, circulating, and retaining wealth within its economy. In recent years, there has been a number of initiatives to build community wealth including Levelling Up which aims to improve jobs, pay, and increase investment in high streets.

Preston Council also embraced Community Wealth Building to harness the power of wealth that already exists within large public organisations. However, SMEs make up 99% of the UK economy and last year only 6.4% of government spending, when procuring goods and services, went to small businesses. I believe the UK Government should go a step further on a national scale, and set the example that SMEs are trusted business partners for large UK organisations. This will improve economic stability and social wellbeing, and have a positive impact on the environment.

Existing examples of CWB in the UK

As a professional working within the booming UK tech sector, it’s clear that we are already privileged as an industry. Many organisations and government initiatives, like CodeBase and their Techscaler contract or Barclays Eagle Labs and their Digital Growth Grant contract, are funded with the aim of building a network of successful tech founders, by providing them with well-crafted resources and programmes. A great addition to this initiative would be a framework that supports symbiotic relationships between large and small organisations which take into account both risk and commercial reward.

You may be wondering, then, why large organisations aren’t working with more small businesses if the benefits are so undeniable. The answer is largely down to perceptions. What do you think when you hear the phrase, ‘shop local’? I think of a farm on a country road, with a little sign advertising fresh organic eggs. Or, a small eccentric shop front, or the family-run cafe that you walk past, and would miss if it shut down. Even if ‘shop local’ is changed into a larger plan for economic prosperity, rather than a simple way for a person to shop, there are still four perceptions that complicate it.

What can be done to support CWB?

First, the term ‘local’ can be perceived as discriminative and anti-competitive. Single market principles protect against companies and individuals only doing business with local companies. Second, there’s a perception that inclusion of community benefits and social value within the procurement process increases costs. Third, there’s the perception that small companies don’t have the knowledge and experience to go through corporate procurement processes, and often aren’t aware of the opportunities. Last, handing contracts out only to local vendors can be perceived as corrupt if not handled carefully. This perception is not entirely unfounded, there are a number of cases where politicians have face criticism due to how procurement contracts have been unlawfully awarded. Naturally, and quite rightly, there is a hesitancy to come across as biased. (Reference)

Though there is a lot more work to be done, the existing initiatives have already generated positive results. For example, the Procurement Bill, which was updated in 2023, addresses barriers that hinder small companies during a procurement process. I believe the Scottish Government’s commitment to Community Wealth Building Consultation is another step in the right direction.

When challenged with the question at that roundtable, I wondered what else could we all be doing? Of course we can all buy eggs locally, and visit small gift shops to support a country’s economy. However, to really accelerate and realise the benefits of Community Wealth Building, ‘shop local’ needs to be the focus of large and small organisations working with government to create a roadmap which benefits all.

Have your say!

What do you think of the concept of community wealth building and shop local? If you have any thoughts please don’t hesitate to email me at megan@appointedd.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.