Implementing an in-store pick up channelrequires some training and practice for the staff at your pickup location. Industry publication Retail Dive notes that more than 75% of customers now expect a kind of pick up system whenever they shop online.

Your consumer base expects a seamless omnichannel service, which means that your team needs to accomplish a number of inventory and point-of-sale processes quickly and efficiently. Here is a short checklist to help your new notification program operate at peak performance:

1. Use Connected Business to keep up-to-date inventory information. Because Connected Business is fully integrated, all the operations done using the Connected Warehouse iOSapplication will also automatically update your entire inventory—in real-time.

   The physical inventory of each location will determine whether online shoppers can choose your location for a pickup, and your inventory updates automatically. The items displayed from your sales channels are updated, preventing your customers from inadvertently buying items that are no longer in-stock, which causes some hassle down the line.

• Master three stages of in-store pickup notification. These are:

  Pending – This stage is characterized by new customer orders entering the system via the web store or a POS setup in another location. Your team needs to constantly refresh their POS system to receive new orders.

  Picking – This is the process of finding the product and reserving it for a specific customer. It's important to reserve and put away the items before sending the confirmation email. The customer would feel inconvenienced if they travel all the way to your location and find out that they still can't bring home their purchased items.

  Selling – This stage involves handing over the reserved order to customers in person and processing their payment.

• Train staff on bin storage naming conventions in Connected Business. The picking process will work at its most efficient when staff are able to locate the right products just by looking at the picking ticket. This is particularly crucial for locations with large inventories.

• Verify identity of all customers picking up orders. Your staff needs to make sure that they are handing over orders to the customer named in the reservation. Don't sell reserved items to other customers just because the item is in high demand. You must also be vigilant about possible fraud.

  Connected Business' fully integrated solutions keep track of customer information across all sales channels. This makes it easier for businesses to keep track of ongoing transactions. Registered customers and their orders are identified, whether they initiate the transaction through the web store or their smart phone.

• Educate customers about in-store pickup. Encourage your staff to talk about the program with their loyal customers, highlighting the convenience that comes with it. Online shoppers who have never stepped inside your brick-and-mortar store may also need some assistance on their first visit.

• Operate hardware and software applications associated with CB. Performing all the store notification tasks requires familiarity with using various applications such as Connected Warehouse, Connected Business POS and their associated hardware. Make a point to train your staff on how to handle these technologies.

• Train staff in troubleshooting common issues. Design possible scenarios and have your staff act out simulation transactions where issues may crop up. This encourages quick-thinking and problem-solving. They will also learn how to be accommodating and empathetic to customer needs.

Store pickups combine the advantages of eCommerce and brick-and-mortar systems, helping empower customers to fully engage with the businesses they love. Our Education Center offers hands-on training that is specially designed to help you and your staff maximize the use of the Connected Business system, including this feature. Contact us today to learn more about omnichannel retail.

Visit our eCommerce page for more omnichannel features within Connected Sale or watch our video about Store Pickup Notification.