Find out more about the post-pandemic customer:
What does this mean for DIY and homeware stores?
All retailers need to focus on speed of service if they want to bounce back from the pandemic. This is especially true for DIY and homeware stores:
- DIY and homeware customers often make large, one-off purchases of tools and other expensive items. Losing a sale because of a long queue could mean losing a lot of money at once.
- Stores tend to be bigger which makes it hard for colleagues to attend to customers quickly.
- Customers are more likely to need expert advice before they make a purchase. This can mean long waiting times while inexperienced colleagues search for information.
- Ecommerce is starting to make inroads into the DIY sector. Kingfisher group, which owns B&Q and Screwfix, saw its Click & Collect profits increase by 226% during the pandemic. By 2025, online sales are expected to account for 50% of the UK’s DIY and homeware market.
More talking, less walking
Last year, we asked retail colleagues to name the biggest causes of inefficiency on the shop floor. The top two answers were finding information for customers (26%) and tracking down colleagues for help (26%). Clearly, a lack of communication is the biggest barrier to fast customer service. This is where we can help:
- Headsets allow colleagues to find information immediately. This is especially useful in a DIY setting where additional expertise may be required. If a newer colleague doesn’t know the answer to a customer query, they can contact a more experienced team member at the push of a button.
- Colleagues can communicate without having to find each other first. In large DIY or homeware stores, this can reduce daily walking distance by as much as 1.4km per colleague.
- Multiple colleagues can talk at once on a single conference. This allows several people to offer advice at the same time. You can even create separate channels for specific areas of expertise. This is a great fit for DIY stores where knowledge is often highly specialised.
- Call points can be placed in aisles where customers typically need advice. A good example of this are paint mixing stations. This transaction is impossible to complete without colleague intervention, but doesn’t happen often enough to justify keeping a colleague there at all times. A call point solves this problem by letting the customer call for assistance whenever they need it.
- Telephony integration allows colleagues to answer customer calls from the shop floor. Customers can call ahead to check stock levels or to ask for advice on their DIY projects. This means that, when they arrive in store, they can buy what they need without delay.
The days of browsing are over. DIY shoppers want to get in and out of stores as quickly as possible. With VoCoVo on your side, you please even the most impatient customers. Give us a call today to find out more.