Redefining Retail

6Omnichannel Is Dead. Long Live Optichannel.

Imagine Lucie and her big family have planned a reunion for her grandmother's 90th birthday. Since they all live in different cities, this will be a wonderful chance to spend time together. Lucie wants to arrive early to help set up, so she bought her train ticket online months in advance. Since she was worried about the fact that she'll have to switch trains en route, she booked the first train of the day to make sure she doesn't miss the connecting train. When the departure date arrives, she goes to the station early to be sure to get a good seat. But once at the station she reads on the announcement screen that her train has been delayed two hours—which means she might miss the second train. Exasperated at this turn of events despite her careful planning, Lucie takes a picture of the screen with her phone to post it online, tagging the railroad company and expressing her frustration and ire. But before she can complete that a text message pops up, informing her that she can head to the customer service desk to learn what alternate travel options she might take. Ecstatic and relieved, Lucie runs to the desk and patiently waits in line for her turn. In less than five minutes she is speaking to a representative and learns she can use her current ticket to get on any train heading in the same direction. This is great news; an upcoming train heads straight to a city that's just one hour away from her original destination—and it won't ...