People, including the people who serve as your store associates, enjoy solving problems. Okay, maybe not that one guy – we’ll consider him the exception to the rule – but, in general, people feel a sense of accomplishment when solving problems, particularly the problems faced by others. When your store associates are empowered to solve their customers’ problems, you’re left with enthusiastic, fulfilled, motivated associates and with shoppers who respond by becoming loyal repeat customers.
Imagine this scenario: Your customer asks your sales associate, “Do you have this in a medium?” and your associate answers, “If you don’t mind waiting, I’ll run to the stockroom to check,” leaving the customer on his or her own for an unpredictable length of time, only to return with the news that, “I’m sorry, but, no, we don’t have a medium in stock. We might get some in next week if you’d like to check back with us then.”
But that sales associate-customer interaction could have instead gone like this: “Do you have this in a medium?” Your associate responds, “Let’s see,” while using her assigned Honeywell Dolphin 70e Black to scan the barcode on the size large the customer is holding. “I’m sorry, we don’t have a medium in our store stock today, but I see that we can have one here by Friday and can even have one shipped directly to you within two days. There’s even a nice discount if we ship it directly to you, and I can arrange that right now if you’d like. We can take care of payment right here. By the way, do you have our store app?”
Which scenario do you think is more likely to result in a satisfied customer and a completed sale? True, this particular scenario may not fit your specific retail environment, but it does, nevertheless, demonstrate how mobile technology can empower your store associates to solve a variety of customer problems – in real time, while the customer is fully engaged and most amenable to making a purchase.
Your employees represent your greatest recurring operating expense. With a comparatively nominal on-time investment in the right technology, you can empower them to engage and interact with your customers as never before. Your sales associates will have instant access to all critical information, including product availability, tailored promotions and customer data.
I particularly like the Dolphin 70e Black for on-floor retail applications, but there are a number of mobile solutions available. Whichever solution you select, your shoppers are equipped with sophisticated mobile devices, why not your employees?