In retail, the customer is king – except when they're not. Several cases exist where the business cannot meet customer demands – either because it's physically impossible, financially unprofitable, or ethically untractable. The retail organization needs to adjust for unplanned, unintentional, or changed behaviors without alienating the customer. This is where data comes in. Relevant data can be used to prevent, mitigate, or divert these scenarios where the business is unable to meet customer demands. From Forrester VP and Principal Analyst Brendan Witcher's (@BrendanWitcher) definition below, the implicit concept of data-led capabilities is using data for the customer's benefit (rather than the retailer).
Let's explore three use cases where the customer's demands aren't met and how data-led solutions can help mitigate disasters in customer experience: