Virtual Store for employees

Learning about employees

When we started building the virtual store experience, we faced the challenge of designing an entirely new sales channel with no existing staff to support it. To tackle this, we began by creating an employee journey map that we layered onto our existing customer journey map. Working closely with the product and development teams, we identified the specific steps that employees would need to take during a video shopping experience, and translated them into features in the employee interface. This process allowed us to build a comprehensive employee toolset that supported our new sales channel.

The Physical Space

For the initial pilot of video chat, we collaborated with employees in our stores to handle customer calls and provide product demonstrations. However, it soon became evident that the store environment posed several challenges. Customers would frequently interrupt employees who were assisting others via video chat, the ambient noise in stores hindered effective communication between customers and employees, and the network connection would intermittently degrade as employees moved around the store. It became evident that a separate space was required to address these issues.

To overcome these challenges, we made the decision to transform a section of a local warehouse into dedicated stages, resembling professional studios. This allowed us to exert full control over the environment, mitigating factors such as noise levels and ensuring a stable internet connection. Moreover, by utilizing a non-public retail space, we eliminated any potential confusion for in-store customers and created a focused and conducive setting for delivering exceptional video shopping experiences.

The Digital Space

After establishing the stage environment for employees to operate from, we encountered a fresh set of challenges. With multiple stages available, employees needed to frequently transport their devices and dock them at the respective stage to ensure an optimal video and audio experience.

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This development also presented an opportunity to leverage new technologies for product demonstrations. Employees could now connect cameras to their docked devices, enabling them to provide customers with in-depth demonstrations of camera functionality, such as focusing capabilities, picture quality, and more. This enhanced approach to product demos contributed to a truly comprehensive and immersive experience for customers.

Evolving the Platform

Since its launch, the virtual store has expanded to eight product categories, some of which are further broken down into brand-specific expertise. It is projected to represent approximately 14% of the domestic online revenue for the fiscal year, and boasts one of the highest conversion rates among different sales channels, often four times higher than chat and voice.

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Today, we have successfully expanded the platform to encompass all employees handling chats at Best Buy. Whether customers are reaching out through the web, app, Google Maps, or Apple Maps, they will connect with an employee utilizing this unified platform to respond to their messages.

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Overall, this platform has become an indispensable component of employees' daily workflows. I take pride in the accomplishments of this project and am currently focused on integrating the remarkable features we have developed into a broader initiative—the Best Buy Communications Platform. This endeavor aims to encompass chat and voice interactions, providing a comprehensive and cohesive communication experience for both employees and customers.