What Retailers Can Learn from Amazon's CX

From its origins, Amazon’s business model has focused on growth. Jeff Bezos' strategy to achieve huge rates of growth is based on a good selection of sellers and giving users the best customer experience possible (which in turn, brings more sellers and users). 

Those are the basics of the so-called Amazon’s Flywheel: 

As we witness their success, we continue to see that there are many lessons that retailers and companies from other sectors –such as banking or telecom– can learn from Amazon’s customer experience. 

Let's take a quick look at some of them.

Each customer is different

Customers are not all equal and their differences should be taken into consideration from the get-go. 

For example, Amazon knows they have to cater to various types of shoppers. There are customers who know what they need to buy and they want to do it in the simplest and fastest way possible –Amazon provides them with the one-click purchase option. Others may prefer to take their time or consider different options –well, they can just save their products in the shopping cart and purchase them later. 

Difference between customers shows in several aspects of the shopping experience and for each, Amazon has an option that provides a sense of personalization. What are some ways that other industries can make sure they're capitalizing on this aspect? Well, in banks it is having products for different people, some prefer cards, others want to use Apple Pay. It's important to rely on research, focus groups, and analytics to get to know the customers and their needs. 

Constant improvements 

Amazon is constantly evolving, making small tweaks to their interface, changing their font, design, adding a new button… All of these changes aim to make the buying process easier for their customers. At Amazon, they monitor each experiment, conduct A/B testing and observe the behavior of their customers when they're shopping and make adjustments to suit their needs (and to improve their sales, of course).Their interface exists in a separate piece of code than the rest of the platform, which allows them to make changes fast without messing with the more sensible parts of the business.

What can other industries learn from this? They need to stay on top of their product and processes that affect the user experience. And, decisions must be made after analyzing the right data. 

Fast and Reliable Delivery

Fast delivery is key when we talk about online shopping and it is one of the parts of customer experience that is more open to innovation. Customers want to have their purchases with them as soon as possible, hence why same-day delivery is buzzing so much these days. 

What can others take away from Amazon here? Well, Amazon has partnerships with different postal and courier services in all the countries where they operate, and they make sure that their providers function in the best way possible. Although Amazon is not in control of this important part of the business yet, they have already tested their own shipping and delivery service in several cities. 

As for alternatives to delivering purchases to their customers, Amazon is already experimenting with the installation of lockers in train stations and malls. And, even bolder, they are trying In-Home Delivery that would work with a special kit that includes a smart lock and a security camera.

Returns and refunds

Last but not least, Amazon's policy on refunds and returns is one of the aspects that customers value the most. If you don’t like what you bought, you can just return it to Amazon –without giving any explanations.

We're observing better and improved return policies from other retailers and businesses, but there are still some industries that need to jump on this. Customers want to trust that they can cancel purchases and reservations without losing their money. It is a great way to establish trust with them and it helps take the edge and insecurity some may have about purchasing certain items online instead of in-store. 

To wrap up, there are many things that other companies can learn from Amazon's success and practices. Amazon is probably one of the most customer-focused companies in the world right now and a lot of their disruption of the industry is related to the attention they dedicate to the customer experience. 

All of the examples above are part of a way of thinking, a business culture that other retailers could look into. Is it a recipe for growth and success? Apparently. 
 

How to Land Your Next Consultancy Job in Telco

The telecom industry is continuously evolving and bringing new opportunities for professionals in various fields. At Outvise, we aim to connect Telecom, Media, and Digital companies with the best talents in the sector. To do that, we deeply analyze profiles and carefully match the best fits to the opportunities we have available.

Experts in our platform often ask for recommendations on how to improve their chances of landing a consulting job. And we thought it would be an interesting point to address, providing some general and Outvise specific tips to help in landing a consultancy role. 

1. Make Sure Your CV is Clear and States Your Experience

The first recommendation we have for all professionals looking to get their next opportunity in Telecom is to make sure their CV and profile are updated. Although it may sound obvious, it's something easy to overlook. Go back to your CV, make sure you adjust the dates, the skills and include tools that you're familiar with. 

I asked Outvise's CEO, Eusebi Llensa, to share his tip on this and this is what he had to say: 

"Make sure that your experience fits well with the Job Requirements. Certifications, Languages or similar experience. Everything must be clearly shown in the CV as clients that look for talented experts run a first screening based on how the CV looks like. If the fit is not clear, applications will typically fail. CVs that are clear, right to the point and that state relevant experience and certifications very directly are the best! Avoid lengthy details with multiple pages as it can put off many hiring managers and business owners."

If you have a profile in Outvise, we suggest you upload your latest CV, make an effort to list all of your skills and share information about your availability. Our hiring team always looks into this when finding the right candidates. 

2. Networking

Connections are still a very successful way to learn about open opportunities in the field. Actively look for ways to meet and have conversations with other talented experts in the field. It can open channels of collaboration and bring new ideas to the table. 

An excellent way to network with others is by attending conferences and events. But it could be as easy as participating in industry forums. We suggest you try our Expert to Expert feature to get started in sharing your expertise or even receiving feedback from other experts in the Outvise platform. 

3. Show your personality

Once you've applied for an opportunity and been selected for an interview, it's important that you show your true self. As a consultant, you will spend lots of time surrounded by your team, and it's best that your personality is also a fit for the business. 

4. Answer Killer Questions

At Outvise, we have questions related to the opportunity that we recommend you take a moment to respond in the best way possible. It's important that your answers correlate with the experience and skills that are listed on your CV. It is another way we have to confirm that you're the right fit for the position.

5. Ask Questions

When you're in the middle of the selection process, we encourage you to ask questions and reach out for clarifications. It is another opportunity of showing interest, and we're always happy to hear from you, improve our communication and clarify all doubts. 

To wrap up, these are some of the tips we gathered to help you in your search for a consultancy job. We wish you the best of luck! If you're looking for opportunities in the Telecom, Media and Digital industry, have a look at the possible matches we have you your My Wall section of your profile in Outvise.