Flexible and reliable communication is the first step towards a smart store associate. Store staff needs to have access to the information required to best assist shoppers and improve storefront operations. A completely connected and well informed retail team can help deliver an enhanced experience for shoppers, drive loyalty and provide store owners a return on their technology investment.
However, increased competition from online and brick and mortar stores, along with higher customer expectations driven by the convenience of online shopping, is making it more challenging for retailers to maintain customer loyalty and stay on budget.
In a recent KPMG Retail Industry Outlook Survey, retailers cited losing share to low-cost producers (30 percent) and customer/employee mobility (21 percent) as two of the top three biggest threats to their business models.
Responding to this, Motorola Solutions claims that its Staff Communications and Management solution can help store associates work together for more effective operations and a better customer experience. Its communication services for retail enterprises include on-the-go employee support offerings, PTT, VoIP, workforce and task management, and manager dashboards.
“Shoppers today walk into a store armed with nearly infinite amounts of information along with high expectations of service. Motorola’s Staff Communications and Management solution gives associates access to the right tools, devices and information, which allows them to provide even better, personalized customer service,” Bruce Brda, senior vice president, Motorola Global Solutions and Services, said in a statement.
With its solutions, Motorola explained that it can help retailers optimize their mobile environments. Tasks, work orders and group and private calls can be initiated, routed and escalated across or within work groups to keep associates accessible while enhancing collaboration. For example, inventory and detailed product information can be accessed anywhere in the store at a moment’s notice to answer shoppers’ questions and perform consultative selling.
Also, in a recent survey conducted as part of Motorola’s Holiday Shopping Study, more than half of shoppers (58 percent) agreed that they have a better experience when sales associates are using the latest technology to assist them.
Motorola’s MC40, SB1 Smart Badge and ET1 tablet and productivity-enhancing software, such as Mobile Workforce Management, can also optimize operations, said the company.