The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the retail industry. Many businesses are starting to offer curbside pickup services for the first time to attract shoppers who are hesitant about in-store shopping. In this article, we will explore some of the greatest curbside pickup best practices you can apply to your stores.
Overview
What is curbside pickup?
Curbside pickup is a service that allows shoppers to collect their online purchases from a convenient location, rather than having the item delivered to their front doors. When we’re all being asked to keep a distance between each other, this might be a great option to reduce risks for your staff and customers while still being able to make sales.
Top 5 curbside pickup best practices
Frequently update the inventory
Customers might feel upset when ordering a product and not having it in their pickup bag. Most often, this happens due to a lack of inventory staff since the majority of staff members are on the front lines supporting customers and taking orders. Since the demand for the curbside pickup service is increasing day by day, the need for a frequently updated inventory system is crucial.
Set convenient pickup locations
One of the best practices you can apply to your store is to set a convenient pickup location for your shoppers. Of course, it would be easier for you to have shoppers pick up their purchases near the back door of your store. However, customers want convenience, and what they need is an ideal pickup location for them to get in and out easily. Make sure to place clear marking signs at the pickup place to avoid confusion when they enter your parking lot.
Provide detailed curbside instructions
A consumer would be so satisfied with being able to get their orders without any difficulties. That means you will need to provide them with clear and detailed instructions on where to go and what to do, for example: Do they need to call or text the store to inform their arrival? Do they need to hit any button on the online store website or mobile app to alert you that they’re ready for pickup? By doing this, customers are sure to leave with a smile on their faces.
Prepare staff for curbside pickup service
Your staff needs to be trained properly to handle curbside pickup service. Besides being able to maintain professional service, they need to be aware of the health of all involved. Employees will need to be trained on what they should wear for protection and how to interact with customers during the pickup. A thoughtful pickup process would tell how well-organized and trustworthy your business is.
Manage curbside pickup services with a modern POS system
Another curbside pickup idea is to use the right tool to process and manage curbside pickup orders. That’s why a cloud POS system would be a great option. It lets you stay up-to-date with the real-time inventory stock, order management, customer data, and the number of sales. Everything would stay under control, which in turn would boost the satisfaction of both your staff and consumers.
►►►► Please visit our products: Woocommerce POS, Mobile POS, White label POS, Reseller POS, POS System for Retail and Vape Store POS
To wrap up
Customer satisfaction is central to the fate of a retail business. With these curbside pickup best practices above, businesses would be able to create a more professional and convenient omnichannel shopping experience for customers. Customer success equals business success!
ConnectPOS is the cloud POS system needed for your omnichannel operations. Trusted by 2000+ worldwide retailers, we guarantee to push beyond all limits for the prosperity of a business. Book our 14-day free trial to find out!