Posted: 2018.01.14

Shoppers are thinking people, not mindless zombies! Ok, Black Friday aside, people are not crazed, mindless creatures when you think about it. They consider, just like you consider. They weigh pros and cons, and make what they believe is an informed purchase.

Similar to the AMC phenomenon "The Walking Dead," staying alive in today's business world means connecting with customers on a HUMAN level.

- At retail, customers base their preferences on their brand perceptions.

- When choosing a place to eat-out, their past experiences determine their patronage.

- At events or on vacation, customers decide during the experience whether they will return.

So why are marketers so fixated on turning people into data-points in a spreadsheet?

Shoppers are living, breathing, thinking PEOPLE - like you - not the result of behavioral algorithms or generic demographic profiles. They deserve to be listened to and learned from. But how? Marketers are keen on "short-cuts", but there are issues.

- Mobile location-tracking is seen as intrusive by the vast majority of consumers.

- Online panels are skewed to only those with major grievance or major praise.

- Less than 1% of customers fill out receipt surveys, further skewing experience insight data.

So how do you get to the truth about the onsite experience?

At CIS, we have spent the past decade building the largest nationwide network of vetted, trusted intercept facilitators across all 50 US states and Canada.

Our unique methodologies allow us to bring the latest technology to brick-and-mortar consumers without intrusive mining, capturing, or hoping for app opt-ins. We deliver same-day dashboards and drill-down reports to give you timely insight from your customers' experience.