Retail store associates can provide better customer service with tablets: Zebra

Zebra Technologies has revealed the results of its 11th annual Global Shopper Study, analyzing the attitudes, opinions, and expectations of shoppers, retail associates and retail decision-makers. The results show that two-thirds (66 per cent) of surveyed associates believe that if they are equipped with tablets, they could provide better customer service and improve the shopping experience.

Fifty-five per cent of surveyed retail store associates agree that their company is understaffed, and nearly one-half (49 per cent) feel overworked. Store associates cite frustration with their inability to assist customers as 42 per cent find they have little time to help shoppers because of pressure to get other tasks completed. Another 28 per cent claim that it’s difficult to get information to help shoppers. Most surveyed retail decision-makers (83 per cent) and store associates (74 per cent) concur that shoppers can have a better experience with technology-equipped sales associates.

Meanwhile, only 13 per cent of surveyed shoppers completely trust retailers to protect their personal data, the lowest level of trust among 10 different industries. Seventy-three per cent of surveyed shoppers prefer flexibility to control how their personal information is used.

Jeff Schmitz, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Zebra Technologies, says, “Our study reveals shopper expectations are on the rise. While retailers are addressing fulfilment challenges, they also need to provide a more trusted, personalized shopping experience that gives customers what they want, when, where, and how they want it.”

The study also identified diverging expectations on the impact of automation between retailers and store associates. Nearly 80 per cent of retail decision-makers – compared to 49 per cent of store associates – agree that staff checkout areas are becoming less necessary due to new technologies that can automate checkout. Also, more than one-half of retail decision-makers (52 per cent) are converting point-of-sale (POS) space to self-checkout, and 62 per cent are transforming it for online order pickup.

More than one-half of shoppers (51 per cent) believe they are better connected with their smartphones than store associates. Retailers are investing in edge technologies to combat this gap. Nearly 60 per cent of retailers plan to increase their spend on handheld mobile computers by more than six per cent, and more than one-in-five retailers (21 per cent) plan to spend greater than 10 per cent on rugged tablets over the next three years.