Online shops keep multiplying, but buying in person still matters. The problem shops face is that sales can slip because customers come in to see the real thing and then go and buy it online instead.
So plenty of shops conclude that they have to attend to customers — up to and including badgering them — in order to close the sale in store. But did you know that a study by HRC Retail Advisory in 2018 found that more than 95% of customers would rather look and choose on their own than be approached by staff? Which is a startling finding for shops and shop floor staff alike. Even so, we have service tips to suggest, so a shop can adapt rather than lose those customers.
Balance approaching a customer against leaving them to browse
The important thing to recognise is that customers now place more value on looking at products by themselves. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a great many of them grew used to shopping alone online — and shopping online lets a customer find information, compare and decide on their own, with nobody helping. So when they come into a shop, they carry that habit with them.
That does not mean customers never want help from staff. The challenge lies in telling the difference: knowing when to step in and when to let a customer look in peace. Because what matters most is making the customer feel they can ask for help without feeling pressured or awkward about it.
Several ways to serve customers the way they would like
Plenty of shops now put customers at ease by introducing a signal that separates those who want help from those who would rather look on their own — baskets in two different colours, for instance. That is another service tip that makes serving customers easier.
Or you might put up a sign in the shop saying staff are there to ask if help is wanted, so customers feel comfortable and not self-conscious about approaching someone.
Build a customer retention strategy with Qashier's CRM
One service tip is to use the CRM in your POS terminal to look after customer data. A shop can apply it to looking after customers in all sorts of ways.
If you run a shopfront and use Qashier POS, you can register members in the Qashier system easily using nothing more than a phone number. You can invite customers to sign up at any point, whether while paying at the counter or whenever suits them.
After that, when a customer comes back and wants a recommendation, you can ask for their membership number to look up their purchase history and see what they particularly like. With the portable QashierX1, or Qashier POS on your Android device, serving them becomes that much easier.
And if a customer registers with the same phone number on your online shop, you can put the purchase data you hold to good use by analysing it and sending promotions they will actually like — another way of giving sales a push.
Record what customers like in Qashier's CRM
You can record a great deal in Qashier's CRM. Beyond name and phone number, you can note date of birth, preferred contact channel, age and preferences. All of it lets you see what sort of person your regulars are — which does more than make service more effective; it helps with planning the business as well.
In short, the future of in-store service lies in striking the right balance between offering help and respecting a customer's independence. With Qashier's intelligent POS, designed for businesses of every type, the CRM will help you understand your customers better and serve them better.
Start managing your shop better with Qashier today
If you would like Qashier to be the assistant to your business, get in touch for more information. We are ready to support you — with a POS for retail shops as well as for restaurants, an effective POS system, and support from our team seven days a week.
For more details, reach us on Line Official: @qashier.th or call 02 544 0267