Retailers need to empower frontline staff to close the sale. This means giving them the means to get the information and approvals they need on the spot, so they can give the customer the best price or the information they need to encourage them to buy.
Last week, we discussed how improved customer service, add-on sales and enhanced staff management can augment your retail chain serrvice. Here are the next four of seven key ways that mobile devices can help retail staff be more effective:
4. Improved loss prevention
Surveillance, such as CCTV feeds, can be delivered directly to the mobile device, so managers, employees and security can have their eyes and ears on the floor at all times. Additionally, managers can receive alerts for specific events, such as if a freezer is left open or a fire escape is used, potentially minimising spoilage and theft.
5. Increased integration between the store and the warehouse
Mobile communications, workflow applications and automated alerts can impact inventory distribution workflows, improving both the customer experience and the bottom line. Being able to check stock levels at the warehouse facilitates inventory management and efficient fulfilment and return processes.
6. Improved inventory accuracy through radio frequency identification (RFID) technology
RFID tags help retailers manage inventory on the sales floor, reducing shrinkage, and can help on the supply chain side as well. RFID enables frequent inventory counting, which leads to improved inventory accuracy.
7. Deeper customer intelligence
Knowing your customer well means understanding their buying needs and behaviours, and engaging with them on a deeper, more individualised level. This includes understanding customer behaviour across a number of channels. Handheld devices can put that information at the sales employee’s fingertips, letting them customise the interaction according to that customer’s purchase history and loyalty, as well as any stated preferences.
Retailers need to put consumers at the heart of their activities like never before. It’s not enough simply to offer products for sale; retailers need to offer an experience that’s unlike anything they can get at a competitor or online store. By using mobile devices equipped with the right apps, such as Spectralink wi-fi handsets, retailers can keep ahead of the competition and achieve sustainable growth.
Ilan Rubin, Managing Director, Wavelink
