Roughly 32% of business executives responsible for e-commerce and/or channel strategy say their company lacks a vision for providing consumers a consistent multichannel experience, according to a Forrester study released today at the Forrester Research Consumer Forum in Chicago.
The survey also found that only 29% of respondents said their company has the ability to provide a consistent cross-channel experience, says Forrester analyst Henry Harteveldt. For instance, 55% of the respondents said their companies offered effective online customer support, while 64% and 80% said their call centers and stores provided effective customer support, respectively. That illustrates companies’ lack of consistency between channels, he says.
“While one division may have the responsibility for the web site, a different group may run the store, a different group may run the call center and the mobile division may be run by someone else,” says Harteveldt. “So because of the different silos there is a lack of continuity within the organization.”