High street retailers need to maximise the time staff spend on the retail floor and with customers in order to minimise queues, maximise revenues and keep customers happy. However, our research with leading retailers has identified the significant impact that operational matters have on this all important face-to-face time.

To keep things running efficiently in the retail environment, staff often ring their HQ, customer services or facilities departments to discuss problems and check on the progress of remedial action. They make contact for a wide variety of reasons including staff absenteeism, training, payroll, property matters, product queries, order requests and in relation to promotional matters. Unfortunately, the time taken with such queries is typically a hidden cost, the scale of which often goes unnoticed.

One audit completed by numero for a national retailer provides an example of the extent of the problem. Calls from individual stores added-up to hundreds of thousands per annum – the overhead and opportunity cost of which was very significant. To make matters worse, the queries were typically urgent, often came during peak times and created additional pressure on the already stretched HQ and customer services teams.

numero i-Store has been created to streamline the whole process in order to improve things for customers, retail staff and head office teams.

i-Store is a retail resolution solution developed by numero on the back of work completed for a large national retailer.

With i-Store, retail staff simply raise a matter by completing a form via their EPoS system or by filling the form over the phone, usually with a customer services agent. i-Store then automatically categorises the enquiry and routes it to the appropriate department (for example HR, training, IT, operations, marketing etc) for resolution. i-Store incorporates workflow processes that help the allocated agent to respond in a timely and accurate manner, while also ensure that nothing goes unresolved or gets overlooked.

i-Store also captures information so management teams can monitor the number, type and progress of all queries. Trends can be identified and preventative action initiated. SLAs can be set and monitored, with reports generated for any teams that need information – including regional managers or specific departments.

i-Store helps retailers to streamline business processes both in the retail, support and head office environments. It is ideal for multi-brand operations, as a single system can be utilised to create a universal platform with tailored SLAs.

• Make it easy for retail staff to raise a matter or query directly from the POS system
• Reduce the number of calls directed at customer services teams
• Improve reporting and ‘name and shame’ under performing departments
• Set, monitor and report on SLAs
• Reduce resolution times with a streamlined and partly automated process
• Create a central record of all queries and their outcomes – with the ability to produce any required management report

The end result is a better and more efficient service for the retail environment, which translates into more sales, less queuing, happier staff and a much better customer experience.