With Social Distancing rules now in full effect, Retailers, restaurants, hotels and other businesses that are focused on providing quality customer experiences know how challenging it has become to connect to customers in recent months.
Overall, person-to-person interactions have now become purely about the transaction as people keep their distance. Customers who walk into brick-and-mortar stores these days tend to be focused on getting what they need right away, and get out as quickly as possible.
Some curbside customers don't even crack their windows to say hello, instead just throw up a friendly wave. Workers delivering food, groceries and parcels to customers' homes often never see the people they're serving since a lot of people wait until the delivery person has left before retrieving their items or are simply not home; the sad reality is that in-person interactions today have become very brief.
This level of distancing measures would have been considered rude before the pandemic, but most people now accept the deliberate physical distancing as necessary, at least for now. Although this cautiousness is great as we all do our part to curb the spread of the virus, we need to understand the difference between creating distance and disengaging altogether.
Since connecting with customers in person has become a challenge, to overcome this companies are applying contact-less, mobile tech solutions in creative ways to help recapture more intimate interactions and deliver personalized experiences from a safe distance.
Contact-less Checkout
One of the most progressive new methods deployed to customers is to allow them to scan items as they grab them, either on their own devices via an app or using personal shopping devices the store provides for mobile device checkout from anywhere in the building. Customers could then either scan a credit card or tap to pay using a linked payment account wherever they're standing to avoid the checkout lane.
Personalized Digital Experiences
Whether enterprises' provide mobile devices for guests while shopping or dining, or simply direct them to an app on their own device, ensuring a personalized experience is more critical than ever. Some shopping apps greet the users by name when they log in, or use near-field communications (NFC) to sense and acknowledge when they walk through the door. Some apps can Immediately retrieve the shopping lists saved to their profiles, and correlate them with a map of the store or property to help customers navigate more efficiently while integrating personalized promotions associated with their current list or order history.
Faster & More Efficient Voice Assistance
Retail customers are using it on this digital checkouts and mobile platforms to see if an is available, call the customer when they've arrived for their buy online pick up in store (BOPIS Buy Online Pay In Store) order, or request assistance at checkout. Restaurants are using it to request refills or notify servers about issues with their orders, and hotel guests can use it to request concierge assistance.
The end goal is to deliver a safe and efficient customer experience in order to preserve customer loyalty. With contact-less solutions, customers don't have to go through a formal checkout line or interact with an associate to enjoy the full brand experience.
Companies like Zebra are developing industry changing tech that allows businesses to not only provide a safer and more efficient experience for its customers, but also provide a serious leg up on operations as well. Remember: Your company may be implementing contact-less solutions for safety's sake today, but when implemented strategically and thoughtfully, the convenience they provide can improve the customer experience while also reducing labor burdens long after the pandemic.
Solution Management
Even the most basic mobility solutions must be configured, secured, monitored and maintained to enterprise-grade standards, regardless if its a large company or a small business with a handful of employees. No business can afford to take shortcuts when it comes to collecting personal info, such as addresses and credit card information; and having to manage these solutions can sometimes prove too large a task for some enterprises' in-house tech teams to handle. If your company finds itself in a situation like this or similar, and don't have the resources to properly configure and manage the hardware and software used to deliver contact-less experiences, enlisting the help of a third-party managed services provider is a great place to start.
Remoterelief
Remoterelief is a certified Zebra Partner, VMware Partner, & RemoteLink Partner, specializing in deployment, remote management, and secure operational data movement of endpoints for retail, and other product and service environments.
Zebra has become the industry leader for front line devices and contact-less solutions, empowering those on the front line of retail, healthcare, transportation/logistics, manufacturing and many other industries to achieve that performance edge, that in term translates to delighted customers, fantastic client outcomes and superior business results.
RemoteLink is a remarkable SaaS system built using modern tools and techniques with a focus on minimizing server resources, limiting points of failure, and optimizing performance, all while supporting hundreds of simultaneous connections per server. It's easily installed and configured, and can be implemented and deployed to help transition from legacy systems and solve new operational data movement challenges quickly and efficiently. To learn more about remote link click here to speak with a RemoteLink specialist.
Sometimes an IT department doesn't have enough digital workspace expertise on its staff to create and maintain these changes, deployments and integrations. Remoterelief's subject matter experts, specialize in assisting clients in setup, deployment, and remote management of your enterprises' vital and important data and physical endpoints.
