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Last month, I decided to shop for some running shoes – yes, in person!

I went to my favourite store and selected two new pairs of shoes. The sales associate was super helpful and patient. I tried on several shoes in different colours and also different sizes.

When I got to the cash, a different associate offered to ring in my order. As she was processing my order, I saw a little poster that advertised 15% off my purchase if I signed up to the company’s newsletter. When I asked the associate about the newsletter, she looked confused. She told me the newsletter was part of their e-commerce department, so she could not help me. I tried signing up to the newsletter on my smartphone, but the page was not mobile optimized. Frustrated, I left my shoes on the counter and left the store.

I went back to my office, signed up for the newsletter, got my discount code and tried to order the shoes, again. Turns out my shoes were not eligible for the discount code. Reluctantly, I ordered the shoes. (I have a mild obsession with this particular brand of shoe).

A few days passed, and my shoes did not arrive. I popped into the shoe store (different location this time) and asked about my order. They said they knew nothing about online orders. Frustrated, I left the store. I called the manufacturer’s 1-800 number and they told me to call the courier company. I called the courier company and they told me that the postal code was cut off on the online order form and that my shoes did not ship. I provided my postal code and promptly (finally) received my shoes the next day.

(There was also the part where I decided to return one of the pairs of shoes, but I won’t bore you with the details).

The point of the story is the following:

• Consumers interact with brands and don’t care about your internal processes: I expected the store associates to be able to help me and I expected the web-site to process my order properly (I did get a confirmation code). The website and the stores are all part of the same branded experience and it should be seamless.
• A negative experience with your brand online is still a negative experience: We live in an on-demand world. We expect stuff to work. The fact that my order was not processed was news to me. I Had I not called, my shoes may have never arrived. The experience has negatively impacted my perception of the brand and makes me less confident to shop with them.
• Consumers have tools to stay connected and the mobile phone is often the primary device to do so: When I was in the store, I was conducting research on my phone. I had taken a few pictures and emailed them to my wife to get her opinion. And when I tried to sign up for the newsletter (as there was no tablet in the store), I used my phone. I don’t imagine that the average shopper would have persisted with this purchase unless they had the same mild shoe obsession as me.

In conclusion, I think that brands need to put the consumer first. I think brands need to really understand the mindset of the consumer and how they interact with technology, even at a basic level.

Your organization needs need to rally around the idea of providing great experiences, both in physical and digital environments.

Jed Schneiderman is a proven leader in the traditional and new media space with expertise in digital marketing, mobile marketing, brand and CRM marketing. He is a proven marketer who loves to build and grow businesses.

Jed is also an advisor at the Ryerson Digital Media Zone and past member of CMA Digital Council and IAB Search Committee.