Going digital is the holy grail of most businesses trying to ensure that they continue to exist. Increasing global competition has given consumers the freedom to shop for goods and services from practically every corner of the globe.
Going digital in a way that enhances customer services is one sure way for retailers to manage an existential threat. Some businesses and service providers have done the transformation to digital platforms quite successfully. Others delude themselves that their customers unfairly fail to appreciate their efforts to provide digital services.
My experiences with procuring goods and services digitally are varied. During the past several months, with mobility restricted because of the medical emergency, I, like many others, used online services to buy goods and procure other services.
Some local businesses have excellent online facilities that are easy to use, even for people who are not technology buffs. Attractive websites with extensive information on available products, easy contact processes when needed and prompt delivery services are pretty standard. It is mainly businesses selling quite expensive household goods that have invested intelligently in having user-friendly websites.
Unfortunately, some other experiences leave much to be desired, even if the service providers claim that they are committed to providing quality service to clients who use their online facilities.
A QANGO located in the south of the island will not mail business certificates for security reasons. They ask their clients to call personally to collect them. When you get to this enterprise’s modern office, a sour-faced security official with a Fawlty Towers attitude meticulously reminds you of the medical protocol and then asks you to fill details in the registration template on a mini-tablet fixed to the reception counter.
The template font is far too small for anyone trying to fill in details on a fixed electronic device from a distance of 50 to 60 centimetres. It certainly takes much longer to fill in the digital form than to register manually. More important, no attempt is made to ensure that the details filled in by a visitor are correct. Wouldn’t it be more secure and speedier for the security officer to check a visitor’s ID card?
Another disappointing experience was trying to get my internet service provider to fix a connectivity problem following a connection to the fibre optic network. The chat facility available most of the time on all days of the week is simply not effective.
One still finds quite large retailers in Malta that have unattractive websites
I spent two long unsuccessful sessions chatting online and receiving technical insurrections by well-meaning call centre staff on how to fix the problem myself. Finally, I asked for a technician to visit as it was clear that my internet problem was not going to be fixed through a remote tutorial about how routers work. When a friendly technician called, he resolved the problem promptly. This is not what seamless quality services should look like.
Local retailers complain that they can never compete with global retailers like Amazon, eBay and Joom. They have a point because economies of scale make a difference in the pricing of various easily transportable items from one country to another.
With the recent changes in how VAT is charged by suppliers outside the EU, many still find it more convenient to order various items from global online suppliers. These suppliers have quickly adapted their selling processes to deal with the VAT changes and save their customers from the hassle of filling in forms.
One still finds quite large retailers in Malta that have unattractive websites. Some do not even quote prices for the items they sell. I have heard of cases where Italian businesses are advertising their services to install household furniture for Maltese clients. They even come over to take measurements and then install in a reasonable time.
There was a time when local businesses were hooked to import restrictions to protect them from competition dynamics. Those times will never return even if changes are made to the globalisation processes. Consumers have a strong lobby with politicians as they are now accustomed to source their goods and services from wherever and whoever offers the best customer experience.
The business malls model for retail sales that took Malta by storm at the end of the last century may survive for some more years. Some people will still look for the emotive experience of physical shopping, especially on special occasions like Christmas.
However, digital shopping will continue to grow. Only those goods and service providers that invest in customer-friendly digital experiences will prosper.