Bill Hanifin
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A post on RetailWire today cited a panel discussion of how to improve customer experience in retail environments. Empowering employees with mobile technology, offering consumers more self-service options, or making stores more “web-like” were all options presented for consideration.
My thoughts, posted in the stream here, are that technology in the hands of store associates can lead to improved customer experience subject to a big “IF”.
IF associates are properly trained in use of the technology and given some incremental degree of decision making power that streamlines transactions, then the fact that they are holding a tablet in their hands becomes less the focus as customers delight in their improved experience.
IF training and empowerment are absent, then customers may resent the use of handheld devices as eye-candy that has fleeting marketing value but doesn’t change their in-store experience.
The discussion is worth reading and you can add your own comments to the stream. Join in.
