In this day and age, where online shopping is increasingly popular and convenient, it’s paramount that bricks and mortar retail stores make the physical experience of shopping a pleasure for customers to stay ahead of the game.
How do you do this? There are so many options available, but we believe that the most important way is by having an efficient and fully integratable POS system. How does an integrated POS system make customers more likely to come back to your physical store? Read on to find out.
Quicker service for your customers.
The aim of a fully integratable POS system is to streamline services for improved in-store performance. Contemporary customers are used to receiving information with the tap of a button; it’s why they all have smartphones!
Not only this, but connectivity is also a very real expectation. A POS system that integrates with various payment methods such as PayWave, Apple Pay and PayPass will make your customers’ shopping experience quicker, hassle-free and enjoyable. All of your systems need to talk to one another so that your staff can spend more time assisting customers and less time undergoing arduous administrative tasks such as manually entering stock levels into your system.
Less room for human error.
An integrated POS system means zero manual input is required from staff when it comes to processing sales and updating stock inventory. Multiple handling is also eliminated, which leaves less room for human error. This means increased reliability and, quite simply, less pfaffing about! Staff get the information that their customers need quicker, and the information itself is far more transparent and reliable. No more frustrated customers tapping their feet, waiting for staff to get their data in order, to answer a simple question like ‘does your southside store have this dress in size 8?’
Better promotions and loyalty rewards.
Loyalty rewards and exclusive promotions are a massive incentive for customers to return to your store; it’s no secret. So having a loyalty program that’s comprehensive, but easy for your customers to understand and your staff to use, is essential. Furthermore, it’s important that your loyalty program spans all stores within your franchise, including your e-commerce platform. Having a POS system that integrates with your loyalty reward system will ensure that all customers’ points are tracked accordingly in the database.
It also means that you can customise your own tiered loyalty system and target specific groups of customers for certain promotions. Settling for a stock standard loyalty system with zero integration just won’t cut it if you want to compete with other retail stores.
Consistence of new customer base.
With Christmas coming up, gift card sales will be on the rise. Making the process of buying and using gift cards as streamlined as possible for both customers and staff will ensure returning customers. Gift cards lead to membership and loyalty card signups, so it’s vital to get this system perfect!
There’s nothing worse than having to take up ten minutes of your customers’ time to process their sale with a gift card. This often happens because you need to manually enter all information twice; sometimes up to three times on separate programs so that all the information syncs.
Christmas also means that Christmas Casuals will be operating in your store, and need to learn how to use gift cards quicksmart. A complicated system for them to navigate will lead to longer sales processing times and frustrated customers. Make it easier for your staff, and quicker for your customers by having your gift card system fully integrated with your POS system.
Looking for a POS system that integrates with your specific business functions so that you can stress less and spend more time providing winning customer service instead? InfoPOS is SAGE X3 and SAGE 300’s leading POS system. Contact us today to find out more!