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New Digital Technologies through Omni Channels for Consumer Engagement. Case Study:
Catering Industry
Virgil POPA
virgilp51@yahoo.com
Valahia University of Târgovişte
Abstract
Consumer relevance is a strategic
process that provides to a company the ability to
see the business through the eyes of customers
and to do business in terms that customers find
that having regard on a personal level. Today's
customer expects a convenient experience and
retailers objective was to create a seamless
experience at all points of sale (touch-point).
Omnichannel is the mix of all physical and
digital channels with digital technologies to
create a unified customer experience and
innovative. Customer can buy all channels and
all information on the buying process are
available on all channels, ideally in real time.
Customer engagement process is a complex
process consisting of several stages depending
on the degree of commitment reached by the
organization with its customers. Research to the
organization / laid has centered on several
pizzerias / restaurants where you can eat a pizza
to see if the managers of these organizations use
new technologies in the sales process and how
the degree of engagement of customers in these
organizations.
Key words: digital technologies, customer
engagement, omni-channels, customer
engagement principles, customer satisfaction,
customer experience, consumer value
1. Theoretical aspects
Engaging the customer (costumer
engagement) is a very recent concept in the
literature that has received a great attention from
practitioners and generated a consensus in
academia.
The concept refers first emotional state,
cognitive, behavioral an active state of
individuals. From a marketing perspective,
customer engagement was defined as a
psychological process that sequentially pass and
become loyal customers throughout the brand.
Velho says customer engagement can be
defined as a behavioral manifestation focused all
the time by a brand, a company and can be
composed of five dimensions: valence (positive
or negative), form and way, purpose (temporal
and geographical),nature and impact , customer
targets. [1] Customer experience management in
the new era of mobile technology. Mobile
technology is the next frontier of customer
experience. 2013 was a real turning point for
mobile devices.
Therefore, an organization must first
attract customers, the loyalty and fidelity of
these, then it must learn to listen to their
customers to offer customized products and
services. At the same time, the organization must
use procedures automating processes
customization in mind facilitate this process, and
ultimately, the organization must reach the
ability to have conversations customized to each
client. Thus, to be able to perform all those steps
required to implement consumer engagement
activity, the organization must comply with
certain principles which relate to [2]: 1.
Communication simple - clear communication,
simple and easy to understand language /
message; 2. The exchange of value - informing
consumers about the benefits and value of using
their personal information provided to both
business and consumers; 3. Transparency -
informing consumers about how their personal
information will be used provided; 4. Control
access - easily allow consumers to choose if and
how their personal information will be used; and
how to have access to information about how
their personal information will be used and the
ability to correct and / or delete them; 5. ongoing
dialogue - listening and responding to consumer
feedback regarding how their personal data will
be used; 6. Protection of personal information -
protecting the integrity, security and accuracy of
personal information of consumers and
maintaining their status in the organization open
to their personal information; 7. Integrity in
Social Media - divugarea the integrity through
appropriate commercial interests in social media
practices such as reviews, recommendations,
opinions and working with regulatory agencies
on aligning practices and guidelines.
Fulfilling these principles, the
organization may consider implementing the
strategy of consumer engagement completed.
However, not only the organization must go
through some stages, but also consumers, who
are subject tooate activities. In this sense, the
consumer is based on the awareness of his need,
goes through the assessment of his need to see
what are the best options to accomplish it, then
he buys products / services required to meet the
need and practically consumed / used product.
The degree of satisfaction after eating the
product is the one who will dictate and
repurchase the same product / brand of the
product. The higher it is and the experience
provided is comprehensive, the question
becomes more loyal consumer product brand
and get ahead of the others to defend consumers.
These stages through which a consumer to
become a consumer engaged life cycle called the
consumer engaged.
Mobile technology is the next frontier of
customer experience. 2013 was a real turning
point for mobile devices. The impact of mobile
technology and has an overwhelming impact on
criteria relevant to a consumer. Few would argue
that mobile technology introduces new
opportunities to provide unique value for
customers, an organization distinct from the
value offered by fixed Internet.
Customer engagement process involves
creating value for the consumer [3]. Thus, the
role of the supplier and the customer changes,
new technologies making this possible.
Omnichannel is the mix of all physical
and digital channels to create a unified customer
experience and innovative. Trading through
these channels is a hygiene factor. If all store
staff performs scanning products and collect
payments when they do not add value [4].
Value creation has the following
meanings depending on its addressee: a) for
shareholders: return on invested capital -
increase - market value; b) customer: clear
orientation towards customer satisfaction and
loyalty to optimize the value that it receives and
recognizes; c) user / beneficiary: taking into
account the needs and expectations of all those
who are related to the products and services
provided by the enterprise; d) for the company
itself: system performance, process
performance, performance-oriented client
projects; e) Partner: mutually beneficial
relationships; f) staff: to build relationship of
mutual trust, releasing potentialities g) for the
community: plant safety, preserve the interests
of future generations, community relations; h)
for leadership: creating all favorable conditions
to achieve environmental aims.
2. Case Study: Consumer engagement pizza
and managers pizzerias / restaurants that sell
pizza
The research conducted is divided into
two major parts that concern the consumer, on
the one hand, and organization / laid on the other
hand. In this regard, the target consumer to
consumer research pizza Targoviste, especially
how it uses new technology in decision making
and behavior in terms of meeting the need to eat
pizza. Research to the organization / laid has
centered on several pizzerias / restaurants where
you can eat a pizza to see if the managers of
these organizations use new technologies in the
sales process and how the degree of engagement
of customers in these organizations.
The questionnaire in 12 pizzerias,
consumers pizza contains 19 questions:
- generalities about purchasing behavior
in the online respondent (questions 1 and 2);
- behaviors in completing the purchase
decision process: awareness of the need
(question 3); choice and behavior online
(Questions 5, 6, 8); choice for the transaction
decision (questions 4,7,9); delivery, transport
modes and services (question 10); conduct post-
sale and consumer experience (customer
experience) (questions 11 and 12); After sales
and relationship behavior (Relationships)
(questions 13, 14.16).
- pizzerias / restaurants that offered an
unforgettable satisfaction (question 15).
The hypotheses of this research are:
• (IP1) the easiest way information and
ordering a pizza is via telephone;
• (IP2) in choosing a pizza, digital
channel information is the most important
Internet site;
• (IP3) for a deficit of pizza experiences,
behavior is most often not a share;
• (IP4) departments/ persons responsible
for customer involvement is the general
manager;
• (IP5) organizations do not formally
measure the degree of involvement or
commitment to its clients;
• (IP6) delivered web store experience
(in-store) is less than expected;
• (IP7) organizations have not ensured a
wireless connection.
The questionnaire applied managers
pizzerias / restaurants that sell pizza is made up
of three parts, which highlights the main
objectives envisaged, namely: the status of the
company in understanding customers and
thought leadership on issues important to the
company (questions 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6); status of the
company in terms of management involvement /
listening to the customer (customer relationship)
(questions 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15); Reports
on the status of the use of the channels
(omnichannel), in particular digital channels
(questions 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22).
The criteria that matter most in
awareness of the need to eat pizza are:
personalized offers and recommendations 24%
digital, information about new products through
blogs and social media 20%, offers location-
based messages and 18.67%, similar advertising
on both digital and non-digital 14%.
The easiest way information and phone
ordering pizza is 66.12%, and 25.62%-store.
Regarding digital channels and used to inform
the choice of a pizza channels such as internet
site, social media, smartphones have a relative
importance to respondents, and emails are
unimportant for this. The same digital channels
for information and to reserve a hotel have a
relative importance for respondents: social
media (3.49 of 5), phone (3.04 of 5), smartphone
(2.86 of 5), email (2.83 in 5). It is observed that
social media is more important hotelarie.
The options that matter to respondents
in the delivery of the ordered products are
delivered to the selected location products
43.18%, 28.41% and the waiting time from
order lifting the chosen location 13.64%.
Elements of unforgettable experiences
in ordering and delivery of a pizza are excellent
quality of service 25.59% 20.87% excellent
product quality, delivery speed 18,11%. In the
opinion of respondents elements that lead to
experience poor are poor quality products
32.83%, 21.21% poor service, lack of customer
care 14.14%. The main behavior where
experience is lacking story to family and friends
63.41%. Other respondents choose either not to
share their experience 13.89% poor or distribute
it on your personal Facebook / Twitter 13.01%.
On average unsatisfactory experience is shared
pizza product to 6.5 people, compared to poor
hotel experience that will be shared at 54.62
people.
Analysis of responses managers pizzerias/
restaurants:
For the current increase company
revenue managers believes that all issues
mentioned are very important: customer
satisfaction, product / service quality, customer
loyalty etc. According to managers, the factors
that most influence purchase decisions are
quality 32.43% 29.73% price. Factors that are
less affected are comfort, convenience and
customer service to customer proximity.
Currently, the most used techniques to build
relationships with customers are differentiated
from the competition offer 21.57%, 15.69%
offer personalized, customer engagement in the
creation of products / services 13.73%, offer
many products intended for the same client
11.76%. What are they going to continue to use,
over three years, or will begin using the
techniques and build relationships with
customers are 20% offer personalized,
differentiated offer competition to 17.14%,
creating user communities 17 14% offer
products with a high service component 14.29%
14.29% exclusive offers and customer
engagement in products / services 14.29%.
Currently, managers stated that they
frequently collect the following types of
customer information: complaints 28.57%,
25.71% and purchase history satisfaction
indicators 25.71%. They also will continue to
collect or try to collect the next 3 years, the
following types of information: online
questionnaire 29,03%, 19,35% complaints,
19.35% satisfaction indicators and feedback
control for products or competitors image
19.35%. Engaging the customer is considered
very important by 12 managers. Managers of
the 12 units envisaged (pizzerias and
restaurants) stated that those who are responsible
for developing customer engagement are:
22.22% marketing department, general manager
38.89% 16.67% sales service. If hotel managers,
we note that he pointed general manager 77.78%
22.22% sales and service. The most important
attributes in customer engagement are
considered: 27.78% responsiveness, flexibility
25%, 25% availability 24/7. Experience claimed
webstore and delivered meets customer
expectations for 41.67% of respondents, while
for 25% it is very good. There are 25% of
respondents who have no opinion. In stark
contrast to this situation, managers of hotels
considers that delivers an experience that meets
the expectations of a rate of 85.71%.
Web store customer experience
differentiates itself from the competition by
quality of service 32.14%, 21.43% product offer,
14.29% store location. The experience at the
hotel is distinguished by the quality of services
45.45% and 27.27% service offerings.
3. Conclusion
Some of the major findings arising,
identify:
1. The development, although slow new
online technologies in terms of customer/
shopper retailing and we can state that there are
websites of companies and social media
connectivity both in catering - pizza;
2. In respect of training / awareness and
consumption ability choice of pizza product
regardless of location in the city (convenience)
and also the subsequent networking
communities on consumer networks (especially
Facebook, blogs less) study consumers shows a
demotion in the use of these technologies to
manufacturing entities (pizzerias and
restaurants) - request ahead of demand;
3.Manufacturing and marketing
organizations have not completed all additional
services, serving the customer relationship
management (all) the information, online
ordering services (internet, social media,
telephone variant remaining fundamentalists
opposed hospitality industry predominantly
digital channels), customer relationship
management, - collecting information about the
satisfaction/dissatisfaction of customers and
creating a database for the innovation and
improvement of products;
4. The leadership still has not changed
the philosophy to push to pull, meaning that they
believe produce quality ,, very good "(in-side
out) and do not want to improve their processes,
products and services based changes in the
market, competitors change, so that they do not
manage good feedback (out-side in).
Regarding the cases envisaged, there are
the following: iP1 is confirmed; Ip 4 is partially
confirmed and the remaining hypothesis is not
confirmed.
References
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