This year, more than ever before, customers aren't just looking for bargains on the hottest new technology products and solutions. They're looking for amazing in-store experiences that stay with them long after they've left the store with items in hand. 

Why is the in-store customer experience so important? For starters, competition between brick-and-mortar retailers has never been more competitive. With amazing technology products available in more places than ever, customers can shop around for stores that make them feel welcome with seamless, engaging in-store experiences.

What's more, stores compete with online retailers from around the world. If a retail store isn't set up to offer an informative, engaging experience to everyone who walks through its doors, it's likely to lose customers to either another local competitor or an online E-tailer. 

Use these tips to enhance in-store customer experience:

1. Improve the Checkout Experience

Time is at a premium, particularly during prime shopping times such as the holiday season. Most everyone has a “checkout line nightmare” story to share.

Upper management at leading retailers implement ways to guide customers through the checkout process as quickly as possible. Examples of this include: 

• State-of-the-art POS systems that include tap-to-pay functionality
• Automated kiosks for smaller items
• Email receipts that include links to important product information

The checkout process is the last step in a customer’s journey through a store. Implement measures to ensure a smooth, pleasant, and memorable checkout experience for them.

2. Delight Customers' Senses

Deploy interactive experiences that stimulate the senses and help your sales associates educate customers. Examples include: 

• Set up interactive music listening stations that pipe directly into the store's sound system. 
• Provide demo models of every new mobile and PC device for customer experimentation and interaction.
• Ensure associates demonstrate product features through interactive mini-tutorials that grab and hold customers' attention. 

Stimulating shoppers to buy comes in a variety of ways. Use all available tools at your disposal to create an in-store experience for your customers, not just a sale transaction. 

3. Ask Your Customers What They Want and Need

Well-trained sales associates are great at picking up on customers' immediate wants and needs. They also have the necessary skills and levels of knowledge to ask customers the right questions before, during, and after the sales process. The answers to these questions allow associates—and managers—to better understand their customer base.

Also remember to ask customers for their feedback after they've left the store or made a purchase to add depth to these insights. Ideas for getting this feedback include: 

• Encouraging checkout staff to ask questions such as “Did you find everything you needed today?” and document responses.
• Offering incentives such as a store gift card or discount on a future purchase to complete online surveys.
• Placing short feedback forms at strategic locations in the store.

4. Empower Your Employees to Deliver a Great In-Store Customer Experience

An energized, knowledgeable sales team is critical to a superior in-store experience. Empowering employees to create these exceptional customer experiences begins with management. Consider these ideas to build an empowered sales team:

• Encourage feedback from staff on products and processes.
• Embrace the role of mentor to inspire success.
• Create opportunities for learning and growth.

Whether you’re a manager responsible for a single department or a district manager responsible for multiple stores, your team looks to you for guidance and encouragement. If you aren’t invested in creating the best experience for each person who enters the door, your staff won’t be either.

Are you leading by example and providing staff with the necessary tools to enhance the in-store experience for your customers? Doing so will give your team the foundation they need to engage and delight every customer they encounter.

The Intel® Retail Edge Program gives your sales associates valuable insight into the latest Intel® products and technologies, empowering them to deliver an outstanding in-store experience with every customer interaction. 

Ready to deliver an exceptional in-store experience for your customers? Encourage your sales team to sign up for the Intel® Retail Edge Program today.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn* Pulse. Click here to see the original publication.

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