When answering queries, time is of the essence. The quality of colleagues’ answers and the speed of responses have a big impact on customer experience.
Research shows customers who wait too long might abandon the sale altogether. In a recent survey by Bosch, 50% of customers named long waiting times as their biggest ‘shopping killer’.
Impatience is on the rise
There is evidence that UK shoppers are becoming more impatient. The Lightspeed EPOS Consumer Trends Survey found that the average UK shopper will only wait in a queue for 6 minutes and 46 seconds. This survey was conducted before the pandemic, which has impacted customer patience even further.
Wait times are significantly lower for shoppers under the age of 34. The younger generation is used to the speed of the internet, a survey by Fetch and YouGov showed that 52% of millennials have become more impatient due to their reliance on technology.
With a little help from VoCoVo, you can speed up your responses to customer queries. Here are three ways to deliver great customer service in a fraction of the time.
1. Check backstage without leaving the customer
In our recent survey, 39% of retail colleagues said that they would be more efficient if they could answer customer queries faster, and 26% said that searching for information was the biggest cause of inefficiency.
Download the full report here
Customers don’t want to be left alone when waiting for an answer, nor do colleagues want to risk losing a sale. With VoCoVo, you can remain with the customer and retrieve stock information. Our headsets allow colleagues to request stock information without leaving the customer’s side.
Our ecosystems operate on a digital frequency, so any information you share will be secure. Best of all, the crystal clear signal makes it seem like the whole team is in the same room.
2. Get expert advice, right where you are
Another common problem when answering customer questions is a need for expert knowledge. 42% of respondents to our survey said that the sheer amount of product information was the biggest hurdle when answering customer queries, and 26% said that tracking down colleagues with the relevant knowledge was the biggest cause of inefficiency.
Our headsets create a direct line of communication between frontline colleagues and in-branch experts. Our technology allows you to create Expert Groups– specialised channels dedicated to particular areas of knowledge. Junior colleagues can tap into the expertise of the entire network, all at the press of a button.
3. Support customer service, Click&Collect and self scan
Our headsets enable a more flexible approach to staffing. Rather than placing one colleague in each area, colleagues can go where they are needed most. Our Call Points link to Click&Collect tills, meaning that these can be left unmanned until a colleague is needed.
The same goes for self scan checkouts. These can be linked to our headsets, allowing colleagues to remotely authorise purchases. Our research shows that removing one colleague from your self scan tills will save you an average of £702 per week per store, or £36,504 per year.