Competition in the retail industry is fierce. Not just for customers, but also for good employees who will provide excellent service for your customers. One of the best ways to stand out from the crowd is by having retail associates who are the most efficient and customer friendly.
Retailers across the board have raised their hourly wages to remain competitive. But they have also cut their hiring process times, with some retailers getting the time to hire a new employee down to as little as 24 hours. This means, many retailers are paying associates more, but may be hiring lower-quality employees and may be spending less time training them.
You have an opportunity to separate yourself from others by arming your associates with the tools they need to be the best retail warriors in the business.
Don’t Get Stagnant, Stay Moving
Nothing is more annoying as a shopper than a retail associate who just can’t be bothered to move to help you. However, one of the best feelings is when an associate is on the ball, moves with you and knows what the store has, and knows specifics on the products for sale.
Provide your staff with the best retail technology solutions to do their shift tasks around the store and assist customers where they are without being stuck in one location. Ruggedized tablets with ergonomic hand straps or shoulder slings allow your associates to move around your store effortlessly.
Time Optimization
Unnecessary steps waste your employee’s time, your money and annoy your customers who are sitting around waiting for your associate to return. Your employees can easily go work for your competitors, so make them want to stay, by incorporating retail technology that helps improve their job and makes their shift easier.
Make sure you have the right inventory management solution built into your POS so you can avoid running away from customers to check stock. Having the right retail technology strategically placed throughout your space can be a powerful way to arm your employees with the information they need to give your customers excellent service.
With tablets, kiosks, or a powerful all-in-one (AIO) solution you and your employees can have the satisfaction of solving your customer’s problems. Your associates can carry tablets, giving them mobility when they need them, but also the ability to easily connect to a stand at the counter, which allows for effortless mobility to help customers on the floor and then check them out at the counter.
Line Busting
The days when a majority of your customers come wandering in to figure out what they want are gone. For most of your customers, your physical store is likely the last stop in their retail journey with your business. At least 73% of retail consumers use multiple channels to shop.
All of the channels you offer your customers must be on the same page. The retail technology solution you use needs to automatically sync your in-store and online sales with your inventory so that when customers do come to your physical store, they see the information they expect after they have visited your website.
The vast majority of your customers, as many as 81%, have done research before they come into your store. Long lines can be a deterrent for some customers. After having done this research, they don’t want to stand in lines in your store. Avoid long lines and irritated customers by implementing a solution that allows you to keep the lines from ever forming in the first place.
Tablets with MSR scanning capabilities allow your associates to check out customers from anywhere. Similarly, smartly placed kiosks can allow customers to come in, get what they want, and check themselves out.
Start Equipping Your Associates With the Best Retail Technology
The competition will be doing everything it can to gain an advantage this year. Beat them by arming your staff with the best retail technology possible. Your employees have a choice in where they work. But in addition to a competitive salary, your employees also want work that is fulfilling, challenging, and fun as opposed to tedious, exhausting, and mind-numbing. Top-of-the-line retail technology can allow your associates to move to where your customers are and provide excellent customer service. They will be able to optimize their own time as well as your customers’ and can eliminate the need for your customers to wait in line.
This year use technology that will not only line them up to be the best in the business but will also help you, as an owner or manager, run a more efficient business and meet customer demands.
