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Clienteling

Powering the omnichannel clienteling experience for the world’s best retailers

Tulip systematizes and automates the clienteling process so retailers can create authentic, seamless and consistent customer experiences.

Trusted by the best

Use omnichannel insights to create a standout clienteling experience

Features

Background

Evolving industry expectations

Clienteling used to rely on superhuman staff effort. It could take new associates months, if not years, to develop the expert level product, brand, and customer knowledge that VIPs have come to expect. Tulip makes it easy for even new associates to be great at clienteling.

Maximize associate productivity and consistency

Features

Client Outcomes

Each number shows Tulip’s impact on one retailer’s business

55%

Increase in clienteling conversion rate

16%

Increase in client book customers

Speak to a Tulip rep today and see how we can help you.

Align associate incentives and objectives

Features

Watch a Video Demo of our Clienteling Software Solution

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Defining Clienteling

Clienteling is the practice of developing one-on-one relationships with customers and should focus on empowering store associates to engage with customers proactively, intentionally, and most importantly, in a genuine way.

Here at Tulip, we define clienteling in a way unique to each retailer. We systematize and automate the clienteling process so retailers can create authentic, seamless and consistent customer experiences across channels. 

You can watch a quick demo on how we power the omnichannel clienteling experience for the world’s best retailers!

Here at Tulip, we define clienteling in a way unique to each retailer. We systematize and automate the clienteling process so retailers can create authentic, seamless and consistent customer experiences across channels.

You can watch a quick demo on how we power the omnichannel clienteling experience for the world’s best retailers!

All Clienteling is customer service, but not all customer service is clienteling.

Customer service encompasses the assistance and advice provided by a retailer to people interested in its products and may only be considered in the short term. Clienteling, on the other hand, elevates traditional customer service practices by focusing on long-term strategies for retention and truly building strong, personal relationships with customers.

With more and more retailers trying to find ways to personalize their customer experience, it’s imperative to ensure you’re going beyond traditional customer service to create an immersive and contextual experience for your customers. Finding the right clienteling solution facilitates the path to innovation.

Retail Clienteling in Practice

Clienteling is an extremely valuable tool when it comes to building customer-brand relationships. There is a lot of competition for customers, especially in the age of online research. Shoppers are more educated and discerning with the products and brands they choose, so standing out is more important than ever.

The personalization that clienteling offers gives brands a leg up with shoppers looking for a retailer that they can trust as more than just a vendor. Being seen as a dependable advisor helps build a strong relationship with customers that pushes the needle to success. In our experience, we’ve seen a 10% increase in sales at a single store for a specialty apparel retailer after implementing our clienteling software.

Modern shoppers want the efficiency and convenience of online transactions while still receiving the personal touch that store associates provide 1-on-1. Clienteling improves the customer experience by meeting these expectations for convenience and personalization which makes them feel recognized and valued.

Having a detailed client book gives every associate access to 360 degree customer profiles that give them insight to each shopper’s preferences, purchase history, and contact information. Being able to recall this information without the customer having to manually recite or re-enter provides a frictionless transaction that leaves the customer with a lasting sense of satisfaction.

See the customer facing application of Tulip’s clienteling software in action!

  • Understanding how consumers discover and learn about products is changing. The walls between digital and physical are coming down, and retailers must ensure they are relaying consistent messaging across channels.
  • Using associates as the key to building strong customer-brand relationships. Utilizing the human element associates provide while empowering them with the retentive capabilities of technology facilitates personal, high-touch interactions that build customer loyalty.
  • Knowing communication isn’t one-size-fits all. Offering multiple channels for shoppers to be able to reach out according to their immediate needs ensures they feel recognized and understood. Providing options for social messaging, video calls, and appointments allows customers to choose the best method for them.

Read more about best practices in retail clienteling.

Customers today want a personal contextual experience no matter where they shop. Whereas luxury retailers focus their clienteling efforts on tailored one-on-ones, mass market retailers build relationships using a one to many approach.

Remembering details like an email address or a purchase history offers the personal experience while still being accessible solutions for mass market retailers.

Choosing the right Clienteling Tools

If your store’s goal is to bring in and retain customers, then clienteling is for you. Clienteling helps engage with all kinds of customers across every vertical in a variety of ways. Clienteling software is customizable to your needs based on store size, product or service type, and changes in the industry.

Not sure which clienteling software is right for your needs? Checkout our clienteling solutions and contact us — we’re happy to help!

A CRM — customer relationship manager —  is typically used to retain and analyze data to plan and manage multi-channel marketing campaigns. CRMs are usually backend-only solutions whose use is not directly experienced by customers.

Clienteling, on the other hand, has these same capabilities, but also empowers associates to be able to manage these relationships on a 1-on-1 basis with customers right from the store floor. Customers interacting with associates also interact with the clienteling software, providing information like their preferences that can be retained by the software and stored for later use. Clienteling solutions ensure that every associate on the front end will be able to recall customer data immediately for a frictionless interaction.

A clienteling solution is the means by which retailers can develop one-on-one relationships with customers. There are different types of solutions that can be used to achieve this.

Traditionally clienteling was done manually through entering data on paper in a big binder or digitally in spreadsheets. This solution is extremely hard to maintain and costs dearly in both time and money.

Point solutions are another option that offer a more streamlined process. They can handle some aspects of clienteling, such as marketing, but don’t give the customer a fully immersive experience.

Full clienteling solutions offer the best option for retailers looking to create an elevated, frictionless experience for their customers. They empower associates to be able to manage 1-on-1 customer-brand relationships. They are able to capture large amounts of customer data on sleek, modern hardware (like an iPhone or iPad) that enable associates to be able to recall customer data immediately, from anywhere in the store. They also help to analyze data to create highly customizable,  but automated campaigns that can be sent at the tap of a button.

There was once a point when retail clienteling was manual data entry in physical client books. Now, that’s not the case. The introduction of clienteling software has drastically increased the efficiency through automation and systematization that helps scale while staying consistent.

Modern clienteling software runs on portable devices like iPhones and iPads that are intuitive and easy to navigate for associates who are picking it up for the first time. Managing client books is fast and easy with systematic organization that keeps interactions with customers seamless and centralized for easy access. Automated task lists and suggestions promote engagement with clients, maintain brand consistency, and increase sales for associates during their whole lifecycle.

Efficient and effective retail clienteling software has several features that maximize associate productivity and consistency, align associate incentives and objectives, and create a standout experience.

  • Client book management with 360 degree customer profiles
  • Individualized customer follow-ups and centralized outreach
  • Integrated omnichannel communication
  • Automated associate task lists
  • Flexible sales attrition
  • Simple dashboards for individual and store performance tracking

The features should integrate seamlessly with the store’s retail POS system so transaction data can automatically synchronize into the associates sales performance and customer’s profile. This data can then be analyzed to assist with the store’s performance planning.

See all the features in action in this short clienteling software demo!

Clienteling apps are clienteling software packages designed primarily to run on mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads.

Clienteling apps help keep interactions consistent with shoppers by giving associates the ability to remain mobile while assisting customers on their journey throughout the store. The mobile aspect facilitates the direct 1-on-1 personalization that today’s shoppers expect.

Clienteling apps are also great when helping stores scale. The data immediately synchronizes between all devices so that every associate has access to the same information, even between multiple devices.

To see what this looks like in practice, you can watch our clienteling app in action!

A client book is the means by which client information is stored and organized.

Tulip’s client booking solution is through a clienteling app that can be run on iPhones or iPads. The mobile devices allow store associates to physically follow along with customers during their shopping journey to collect information like style, color, and fabric preferences. The intuitive nature of the platform allows the data to synchronize seamlessly between all the devices (even when offline) while also providing on-the-spot analysis.

Getting Started

Tulip is trusted by the world’s best retailers to power their customer experiences. Tulip’s clienteling solutions go beyond standard CRMs and encompass a host of automatic, intuitive, and unique features that take clienteling to the next level.

Tulip’s clienteling solutions:

  • Use omnichannel insights to create a standout experience.
  • Maximize associate productivity and consistency.
  • Align associate incentives and objectives.
  • Provide high level clarity to keep pushing the needle.

But don’t just take our word for it. Check out this case study for an in-depth look at what Tulip Clienteling can do for you!

Interested in learning more about how we can help you get started on your clienteling journey?

We look forward to hearing from you!

Resources

Hear from the experts

The Store of the Future is now. We’ve curated some of the best resources that dive deeper into why hyper-personalization is the future of retail.

Customer and associate using digital transformation
Blog

How digital transformation will improve your customer experience

Learn how new technology isn’t just helping retailers deliver a better customer experience, it’s also helping them support and retain their staff.

Read More
Clienteling for retailers
Blog

Why retail needs to embrace mobile clienteling

Today’s leading retailers are embracing mobile clienteling and digital black book management for four key reasons.

Read More