Navigating the Unsteady Retail Climate: Adopting Customer-Centric Technology

By 2wayradio 19 July 2023

Navigating the Unsteady Retail Climate: Adopting Customer-Centric Technology

The retail industry has been through the wringer over the last couple of years. Almost 190 000 UK retail jobs were lost due to store closures during the first lockdown. Then when things seemed on the up, the price of consumer goods and services rose at the fastest rate in four decades plunging the UK into a cost-of-living crisis.

As a result, many retail stores still operate with reduced staff whilst sales are plummeting. Retail managers need to make smarter operational decisions with the unsteady current economic climate.

This article will explore why retail stores should re-structure to customer-centric models by adopting technology to secure future success in the sector

Retail shopper in Covid mask

What is customer-centric?

Customer-centric business models work by putting the customer at the core of everything they do. This model is intended to provide an exceptional experience for all customers and build long-term profitable relationships.

This model focuses on creating positive experiences for customers, addressing customers’ concerns and striving to improve to remain relevant and competitive within the market.

How can adopting new technology help retail stores become successfully customer-centric?

To understand how to be successful we first need to establish the pain points we will need to overcome.

We have identified the following 3 pain points for the retail sector:

Competitive Market
Consumer Experiences
Operational activity

Retail has always been a competitive market. With hundreds of options available on and offline and the added strain of a cost of living crisis in the UK, gaining and maintaining loyal customers is harder than ever. Research suggests that 64% of customers are willing to spend their money with businesses that make them feel valued. Using the customer-centric model, businesses can differentiate themselves from competitors by enhancing the customer experience.

Furthermore, many stores in the UK are still operating with reduced staffing levels to minimize labour costs. With less staff available to assist customers, staff morale, productivity and customer satisfaction will suffer. A VoCoVo study conducted in 2020 found that 52% of staff members surveyed felt burnt out due to a lack of communication within the store. They need a more effective communication channel to help them find information for customers or find colleagues for help.

Lady shopping at grocery store

How the adoption of two-way radios can secure success for the Retail industry.

How can you ensure that your stores are creating positive customer experiences? By adopting two-way radio communication.

Two-way radios allow for instant, reliable communication between staff members. This real-time communication will allow staff to address customer needs promptly and avoids delays or misunderstandings. Staff can collaborate effectively, share information, and assist each other, resulting in a more efficient and positive customer experience.

Similarly, staff often waste large portions of their shift walking to another department to answer customers’ questions or find another staff member to help. The introduction of two-way radios will be a massive time-saver for staff who can instead directly radio to the department or staff member they need and get an instant response. This will increase store productivity and customers will no longer be dissatisfied with wait times.

With reduced staffing levels coordination of staff is crucial to providing seamless customer experiences. When it comes to coordination, communication is key! Two-way radios enable managers to delegate tasks during busy times. Does the fresh produce section need restocking? Radio to the back and assign a staff member to restock pronto. Is there a suspicious person in the electrical section? Radio security to keep an eye out. A team working in coordination is a strong team!

Why two-way radios?

There are two main rivals when it comes to choosing two-way radios in retail:

Mobile phones and a PA system.

Instant communication

Two-way radios offer immediate communication at the push of a button. No need to unlock your phone, dial a phone number or wait for someone to answer. Instant communication can be crucial in the fast-paced retail environment.

Yes, PA systems can be used to broadcast a message to all staff on the floor immediately. However, they lack a certain level any level of privacy. If you are trying to highlight to staff a possible thief for example this communication method would not work.

Distraction

Business professional radios are designed to be communication, safety and productivity tool. They are quite basic in terms of their features so there is little risk of them causing a distraction to staff

Mobile phones can be seen as a distraction when staff are allowed to use them. They may be on them using social media or receiving personal messages or calls. Not only does this reduce productivity but it also looks unprofessional to customers.

Although PA systems themselves may not cause a distraction, they may suffer from staff being distracted whilst an announcement goes out. For example, if a staff member was helping with a customer enquiry they will be unable to listen to the customer and the announcement at the same time,

Durability & Battery life

Have you ever dropped a smartphone that made a smashing noise so bad it made you scared to pick it up and asses the damage? Most smartphones aren’t designed for constant use in busy, accident-prone environments. On the other hand, two-way radios are designed to be rugged and durable. Most radio models can withstand drops from belts, chests and shelves with minimal damage.

Two-way radios also have removable batteries meaning you can have one on the device and one on charge at all times. This way your device will be operational at all times and not out of use due to being dead. This is especially useful during extended shifts as you can simply pop the battery off and swap it with a charged one. Unlike mobiles where you need to leave it connected to the power supply to charge up before using it again.

Our two-way Radio Recommendations

We would recommend that all retail stores use licenced devices. If you are unsure what a licenced device means then watch our Frequently Asked Licencing Questions YouTube video HERE.

In short licenced devices have a wider range which is needed to communicate over larger retail venues. They also used dedicated frequencies provided to you via OFCOM for communications. This means that information shared via the radio is safe from people trying to listen in.