BOSTON – An executive from CVS at eTail East 2016 stressed the importance of evaluating and alleviating customer problems, reaching customers where they are and focusing on innovation to create a useful omnichannel experience through mobile and digital.

During the session, How CVS Health is Creating a Connected Health Experience for its Customers, the executive walked through major innovations the pharmacy chain has taken with the customer in mind, such as its digital receipts, mobile payments and bundle subscription service. CVS is known as a leader in innovation for retail and keeps this title by really focusing on what is right for the customer instead of the next cool thing.

“What we are really trying to do with digital is orchestrate it around our customer, who we have named Beth,” said Brian Tilzer, chief digital officer at CVS Health. “We are trying to make it so that Beth can access and benefit from all these healthcare services in a way that is really convenient, and ultimately allows her to save time and money.”

Customer first
While many retailers leverage mobile and new technologies with a me-too motivation, CVS makes sure not to take this strategy but instead values what will help the customer. The retailer has learned this from trial and error with many unfavorable results when taking the me-too approach, but sees positive outcomes when putting the customer first.

The retailer recently announced its new mobile payment service that was created in response to customer complaints about the pharmacy checkout process. Customers will be able to incorporate all the needed information into a mobile portal to pick up and pay for a prescription by having CVS employees simply scan devices.

Digital capability
CVS Pay will eliminate the need for customers having to list a wide range of personal information out loud at the counter and then have to wait for their prescription. This speeds up the process with just one scan.

The executive also detailed how after Jimmy Kimmel gave wings to a viral theme in which social media users posted photos of their excessively large CVS receipts, the retailer responded by introducing digital receipts. The digital receipts also incorporate listed rewards into its loyalty program.

ScriptSync is another digital venture from CVS that allows customers with multiple prescriptions to bundle them together so they can always refill and pick them up at the same time.

“Study after study, and our result shows that if we can make it easier and if we can make it more affordable the people are actually going to make healthier chooses in their every day lives,” Mr. Tilzer said.