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Seasonal Spikes

Streamlining Consistent In-Store Communication during Seasonal Spikes

Typical in-store communication between associates and management is often a multi-step process that reduces productivity and leads to poor customer service. Most in-store communication methods force team members and leaders to waste valuable time walking the store to find answers, or they are kept waiting in limbo after attempting to get a response from team members via crowded radio channels or overhead paging systems. 

The Danger of Procrastinating Communication Process Updates

As retailers begin gearing up for the seasonal spikes with fewer available resources due to the Nationwide Labor Shortage, streamlining consistent in-store communication methods has become more critical than ever. Simply relying on a disparaged number of expensive handhelds, noisy walkie-talkies or using an outdated overhead pager leaves store teams ill-equipped to handle spiking customer volumes and omnichannel demands. More, those disconnected communication methods hinder operations because they inevitably increase the length of time it takes to serve customers and decrease productivity levels altogether.

When polled, more than six out of ten (65%) of US consumers reported that “staff interaction” highly influenced their decision to buy more products. Additionally, according to the same report, 32% of all customers would stop doing business with a brand they loved after one bad experience. Hence, if positive staff interactions have lasting impressions and can determine the customers’ likelihood of shopping with a retailer again, it’s dangerous to ignore the need to invest in a solution that helps retailers deliver consistent and positive interactions across all channels. Furthermore, retailers must empower and equip every team member with the tools and information they need to provide efficient and knowledgeable help to customers or retailers may risk losing their business altogether.

We suggest asking yourself, can your stores really afford to procrastinate updating in-store communication methods any longer?

 

 

The Benefits of Building Consistency Across Teams

Enabling consistent in-store communication helps retailers unlock the value of their most valuable asset, the frontline team member. Because customers rely on these team members to provide immediate answers to their product-related questions, connecting every team member to each other and the information they need to do their job well is the first step to building reliable, efficient, and quality customer service that deepens brand loyalty instead of erasing it. Of course, for seasoned team members, in-store experts or managers, assisting customers with basic requests or nuanced questions might feel like second nature. However, staffing sufficient employee resources like these at all times is difficult and cost-prohibitive. Therefore, retailers must invest in technology that can connect and empowers new or less experienced associates such as part-time or seasonal employees who lack the essential knowledge needed to answer these types of requests. Especially because, without the right tools, less knowledgeable team members are often forced to abandon customers searching for an answer or will end up dragging them around the store until they find the help they need, leading to a negative customer experience. Theatro’s Intelligent Assistant helps retailers streamline in-store communication by enabling team members to request immediate assistance with a closed-loop response from the first available team member. Using only their voice, team members can also access the collective knowledge of the entire store or from enterprise systems in real-time without ever needing to walk away from a customer in search of an answer. Ultimately, investing in Theatro’s in-ear voice technology is how retailers can empower their teams to do more with less and ace consistent in-store communication. To find out how you can get started, connect with Theatro’s sales team today.
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