Retail employees today are facing productivity issues as they struggle to communicate with each other due to various disjointed business and communication applications. An unprecedented amount of customer data is shared between departments – be it e-commerce, CRM, inventory management or Point of Sale (POS). How can retailers leverage this data in order to organize and transform it into meaningful customer insights?

Harnessing the power of UC, or unified communications for retail seems to be the answer to exceeding customer expectations in this digital age. Using a combination of email, telephone and messaging apps on one single interface can help streamline communications across stores, warehouses or storage floors. In this blog, we’re sharing five top tips for how you can leverage UC solutions to support your retail business growth:

1. Unify multiple communication channels in your retail store

..and get rid of the unnecessary ones. In the retail industry, timing is everything. From apparel to grocery, pharmacy to electronics, it’s imperative that new campaigns and changeovers occur seamlessly, without suffering any delay. Product recall also needs to be executed efficiently, or catastrophes can occur. Unifying communication tools allows you to spend less time worrying about whether your messages are received and tasks are completed by your employees. This way you’ll have more time to work on the serious issues affecting your business.

UC allows the integration of multiple communication systems (voice, video and messaging) into one. It’s possible to do this using your existing infrastructure, which allows for an easy flow of information between departments. Invest in a tool that allows your employees to manage their day-to-day communications from a single interface and collaborate on assignments seamlessly. Learn how you can transform the in-store experience with our UC solutions.

2. Easily access and manage internal retail store communications and retail documents

In a high-powered environment such as retail, it’s crucial that you focus on information that is relevant to employees in that particular department. For instance, the visual merchandising team doesn’t need to be updated daily with stocking inventory. Adopt a streamlined, internal retail communications approach where you send relevant information through group chats or daily one-to-one video chats. With team chat, retailers can reduce the number of messages that each employee receives, ensuring that relevant information gets the attention it deserves.

UC tools enable easy sharing and viewing of relevant documentation—like product guides, training documents, store checklists or procedures that can help store managers or associates to do their jobs better. Instead of being forced to sort through email threads or shared drives, store employees can access, share and exchange information anywhere and anytime. Accessing information from one place allows retailers to manage data more securely too. All UC tools deploy standard security protocols that keep valuable corporate data safe and secure.

3. Empower your retail handheld POS devices with reliable voice communications

Deploying advanced voice technology on handheld computers enables you to convert  them into powerful mobile devices, empowered with HD voice and video calling capabilities. Enabled with wireless connectivity, your employees can access all the features to stay connected – with other customers, coworkers, supervisors or any other peripherals needed, in-store or on-the-road. From streamlining inventory data to enabling upsell opportunities, mobile handheld or computers allow a more cohesive retail environment and help boost employee productivity. Improve warehouse communications and secure robust functionalities that can boost sales operations by turbocharging your retail business with handheld computers. Not only do these devices enable retailers to empower their mobile workforces, they also maximize the ROI on hardware investment.

4. Deliver proper retail training and onboarding with advanced collaboration tools

How can you ensure that your store associates, new recruits or field teams are getting proper, brand consistent training? The larger the retail organization, the more difficult it is to function without a streamlined internal communications process. With the right retail communication systems in place, onboarding and training sessions can be conducted from multiple locations and during different time zones. This ensures that all global employees are kept up-to-date through consistent messaging. It also facilitates easy exchange of information, sharing documents or collaborating over crucial projects, driving employee productivity across departments.

5. A communication system for retail stores must have a centralized feedback loop system

Imagine you have broadcasted an important announcement and sent tasks across stores, but there’s no way for your teams to send messages back up the chain or clarify directives. Employees are often forced to rely on various different communication channels to manage their tasks.

By offering a two-way communication platform, unified communication systems help ensure retailers’ messages are read and responded to by their employees. Centralizing communications on one platform helps close the feedback loop and reduces any uncertainties when it comes to executing store tasks.

Today’s customers want an elevated shopping experience and easy access to accurate, consistent information on items or services. UC enables omnichannel retail communications and a better management system to control internal communications, which ultimately helps deliver more engaging customer experiences.

Looking to modernize your retail communications? Make your retail environments more attractive to customers with CounterPath’s advanced retail solutions. Our diverse range of communication solutions for retail stores can help boost employee productivity and deliver an enhanced customer experience.

Sourced from: Counterpath. View the original article here.