Merchants today are using innovative technologies to improve the customer experience, giving the buyer more power and more control over the POS process. Customers are responding with increased enthusiasm to improved POS systems, and with renewed interest in the way they buy. This can be seen at retail leaders like Apple, in the everyday buying experience with online retailers and even when ordering a sandwich from tech savvy restaurants.
Using New Tech to Revolutionize POS
We can look at a few examples to see how merchants are leveraging technology, merchant services options and smart sales techniques. They use what they have available to make their jobs easier, improve sales and excite customers. Consider the following:
Apple iPad Checkout
Apple stores are famous for having numerous “Geniuses” available to guide customers through the purchasing process. It is easy to get help there when you need it, and no customer is left in the dark on what is available and what will work best for him or her. But Apple goes one step further by giving the control back to the customer–and highlighting one of its flagship products, the iPad.
When customers want to start choosing what to buy, customizing and adding different components, they are given an iPad to do it on. They can enjoy the tactile feedback and high quality visuals offered by the iPad, and choose exactly what they want to add to their shopping carts. It’s a great idea, and may even lead to an additional iPad sale. Credit card processing can be initiated on the iPad as well, making the process a complete experience.
Online Countdown Deals
Many ecommerce retailers have discovered a way to get shoppers more involved and active while perusing their stores. These merchants offer limited time deals that are tied to a countdown clock. The shopper has the option to review the deal, but is only given a limited time to decide whether or not to buy. Smart merchant services providers make this easy, giving merchants quick and painless credit card processing options and the technology to customize the shopping experience with things like countdown deals and customized shopping experiences.
Self-Checkout Sandwiches
Even certain restaurants are getting on the technology wave, using mobile merchant accounts and iPads to let customers do their own ordering. These restaurants display a menu, give a written explanation of how the system works and then allow customers to order exactly what they want on an iPad. Instant online payments and credit card processing through modern merchant services providers make customer payments a breeze as well. This also makes customized ordering–no mayo, add mustard, hold the pickles–painless for the buyer.
Customers Love Innovation and Control
Consumers enjoy using innovative technologies like touchscreens to enhance their buying experience. They also appreciate the control that these tools give them. Granted, there will always be a few people that dislike what’s new. Returns, complaints and chargebacks will still occur. But overall, these revolutionary approaches to POS and customer experiences offer a better way of doing things, both now and in the future.
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