The evolution of the multi-channel retail environment is ongoing and becoming increasingly more competitive. Microsoft is working around the clock in order to develop ways for retailers to reach more of their customers, and do so faster, with a higher quality proposition. Retailers have found that a great way to spur customer satisfaction is to spur customer engagement. In today’s dynamic marketplace, what is the newest way to achieve this? Welcome to the Microsoft’s modern, mobile clienteling application. This crucial application is the key to the business phenomenon known as “line busting.”
To help illustrate this, I am going to tell you what I had for lunch yesterday (I know this is of great importance). I left the office yesterday around noon, in search of a relatively quick, but quality lunch. After a couple minutes, I finally decided on Potbelly. Upon arriving at Potbelly, I braced myself for the lunch rush line ahead, figuring that I would have time to choose between their many tasty sandwiches before ordering. When I walked in the door, I was presently surprised- I saw workers buzzing around with IPads. Within seconds of entering the back of the line, I was prompted on what I would be eating that day. Potbelly uses this system to systematically have the right sandwich ready by the time that person makes it to the front of the line. There, they only need to customize its toppings, and then finally pay for it. Their proactive approach to getting my order in the system, helps them maximize their lunch rush potential- how awesome!
After reading this, I am sure you are thinking, “Wait, I have definitely seen this before?” If so, you are correct; you have. Now, of course I would not consider Potbelly a multi-channel retailer, but it is interesting to see the dissemination of business tactics aimed at solving the same problems in different industries. In this case, the problem is lines. You may recognize these line busting tactics from places like Microsoft retail stores, which aim to create a “new user experience.” These companies increase customer engagement from the moment they walk in the door, helping them find exactly what they are looking for, in a faster, more informed manner, all while simultaneously deterring potential customers from ever leaving the store (or even leaving their sales person’s side)! At Microsoft, these mobile sales people are able to schedule you, walk you through their products, and prepare you for a quick and simple checkout from anywhere within the store.
The proliferation of this technology into a growing number of industries will only continue moving forward. The ability to have information or answer questions on-demand from a mobile device is crucial for the perceived helpfulness of every employee. Microsoft has gone above and beyond the basic functionality of swiping a credit card to complete a sale outside of a store. It gives you more than remote access to a checkout counter, by giving you remote access to the whole sales process from start to finish. From restaurants, to technology, to everything in between, sales people require the necessary tools to get the most out of every sale’s opportunity.
This “Clienteling” aspect of a mobile solution is key for multi-channel retailers. It helps empower your salesmen, allowing them to be more knowledgeable and therefore more useful to a client. It is especially useful for ‘brick and mortar’ locations, by allowing your employees and their resources to be mobile within the actual sales floor. For basic selling in cash and carry transactions, it allows you to minimize lost customer time, by more accurately targeting their desires or tailoring their product browsing to things they are more likely to desire.
Clienteling is paramount in environments with high transaction volumes, where businesses would like to move people through the checkout line at a faster pace, for instance. Having your sales team equipped with tablets, phones, or other mobile interfaces allows them to deliver richer product information, browse catalogs, and availabilities, etc.
The clienteling application will also help salespeople fill out more custom orders as well. This facet deters sales teams from giving up on an opportunity, as they are able to easily coordinate between their different locations or warehouses if something is out of stock, or only available at a different store location. Similarly, with everything one-touch away, it becomes much easier to upsell or cross-sell products in real-time as a sale progresses. By eliminating the number of hoops a customer has to jump through in overcoming these minor struggles, they are more likely to align with your brand in the future.
Multi-channel retailers in the past, were concerned with how a customer can best find the appropriate service. Their future is concerned with how that same service (if not improved) finds the customer first. Contact HSO today to learn how we can maximize your system’s flexibility and adaptability. Let us help you extend your reach.
About HSO Retail
HSO, Microsoft’s ERP Partner of the Year 2014, is a leading provider of enterprise business solutions for the Multi-Channel Retail and Service industries, including Microsoft Dynamics AX, CRM, Office365 and SharePoint. For more information, contact HSO at (847) 348-0588, through email info-usa@hso.com or visit www.hso.com/us.
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