Customer demand for click and collect services has been rapidly increasing in the last few years, with 41% of shoppers using it over the Christmas period vs 39% in 2014. And yet, as a recent report from JDA and Centrino demonstrates, many retailers are failing to meet their customer’s expectations.

31% of those surveyed who used click and collect over Christmas 2015 found that retailers didn’t have a dedicated area in store to collect orders, and experienced long waiting times. 24% said staff took a long time to find orders, or couldn’t locate them at all when they arrived. A new report by Kibo shows that 1/4 of UK shoppers expect click and collect for next day to be standard.

Multichannel isn’t easy. A truly integrated multichannel strategy demands the right hardware and software, often requiring a POS upgrade, staff training and a real understanding of the logistical processes. Many retailers, in the rush to provide at least the same facilities as their competitors, launched click and collect without covering all the bases, and haven’t had the chance to improve it yet.  But since such a high proportion of online customers are now choosing to collect in store, it’s time to make sure we’re meeting their expectations.

So what can you do to ensure that your click and collect shoppers, who, after all, are often your most valuable customers , aren’t disappointed by the experience?

 1. Don’t treat them like second class citizens

My experience in a high end London department store that shall remain nameless was a depressing example of how customers who shop online and collect in store are sometimes treated as though they are less important. The store did have a dedicated click and collect point, but it was accessible either through the goods entrance behind the store or via the shabby staff-only corridors. The room itself contained a desk, a TV and a single plastic chair. My order was wrapped messily in cellophane, and I wasn’t offered one of the store’s iconic carrier bags. I felt as though I’d somehow offended them by ordering online. I haven’t been back.

2. Don’t make them wait

At the other end of the scale, department stores such as Debenhams and De Bijenkorf have dedicated, well manned and well sign-posted collection points with helpful staff, but queues can still be frustratingly long. This will always be a problem during peak trade, but you could consider allowing customers to check in to the store via your app when they enter, and then notify them when their order is ready to collect.

3. Review your processes

So you’ve been doing this click and collect thing for some time now? Great. Now find out how it’s actually working. Place a few orders yourself, survey your customers and talk to the store staff. There will inevitably be some refinements you can make that will greatly improve the process. It was only after talking to staff at one retailer that we realised the rail where the orders were stored in the stock room was being raided by staff looking for sizes unavailable on the shop floor. This meant some customers were coming to the store only to find their order had disappeared.

4. Use your customer app to facilitate the process

If a customer has placed an order for store collection via the app, use push messaging to notify her when it is ready to collect. Once she arrives in store she can use the app to notify the collection area that she has arrived, and browse the store whilst waiting. She will then receive a push message telling her to go to the collection area, where her order will be ready to pick up. Think of your mobile app as the glue that binds the channels together.