Very often we tell our clients how important is to create a multi-channel experience for their customers.
That is usually limited to understanding and defining how customers engage with a service or product using different channels, such as web, mobile, call-centre, store/branch and social media.
For example, airlines have been working on connecting these experiences for a while, where customers can book their ticket online, check-in and get their boarding passes on their smartphones, talk to customer services representatives on Twitter and even buy content in the IFE system.
Amazon does already quite well in servicing their customers on multiple channels. So what to do next?
Investing in partnerships to expand your ecosystem
Amazon has announced two new exciting partnerships this week.
The first one, with American Express Membership Rewards. Amazon and American Express worked on a neat integration which means that Membership Rewards points can now be used directly at Amazon’s checkout. Great experience for Amex members and more incentives to spend on Amazon!
Once customers link their Amazon and American Express accounts, they can see how many Membership Rewards points they have and how much they translate in the currency they will pay. They can choose to make the full payment with points or mix with cash. (Image: Amazon)
The credit paid with points is then displayed in the payment breakdown before the customer completes the purchase. (Image: Amazon)
The second, and more exciting, partnership announced is with JetBlue.
JetBlue is well known for their in-flight entertainment system. They’ve innovated in the air with live TV broadcasting and other services that major airlines would not offer in domestic US flights.
In a bid to win more customers, Amazon Prime will be available on JetBlue IFE. Movies, TV shows and music will be available for free for Amazon Prime subscribers, and for a fee for other passengers.
That is an interesting place to catch the attention of millions of passengers that may or may not be Netflix subscribers, and a great opportunity for Amazon to poach some of them.
Conclusion
Once you get your customer experience well defined and running smoothly within the boundaries of your own channels, look for opportunities to expand your service ecosystem by promoting partnerships with other services that are relevant to your target audience.
It will not only help you retain your existing customers, but it may also lead to customer acquisition.