Retail stores and agenciesOptimal appointment scheduling
Many retail stores and agencies struggle to balance customer focus with the need to keep costs low. The efficient use of relatively small teams often results in long wait times. As a result, the customer’s patience and satisfaction are being strained before they can even start a conversation. Today, intelligent appointments are replacing wait times and preparing both parties optimally for conversations. Happy customers appear on time for their appointments and meet prepared employees. ServiceOcean software improves availability on location through capacity-based scheduling.
“It’s not that the big fish eat the smaller ones –
it’s the fast that eat the slow. And ServiceOcean has the solution!”
Martin Limbeck – Germany’s most successful sales coach and speaker
Problem
Existing and potential customers often pop in for a chat at retail stores and agencies without prior notice. This inevitably results in unpleasant waits. At peak times in particular, customers waste precious time in unattractive waiting areas.
Busy waiting areas and impatient customers create a sense of unease amongst employees. This automatically results in stress for the customers and the team. After a certain wait time, it becomes difficult to start a conversation on the right foot.
Management must decide between a high level of service quality and a low-cost structure. Until now, maintaining a consistently high level of availability on location has required large, expensive teams. Retail stores and agencies need new solutions.
Solution
Now customers can schedule an appointment with the right employee based on their availability using a touchscreen in the store or agency or in advance online. Instead of waiting around bored, customers now have a window of time where they can go for a walk or run errands. Customers report to the right employee at the right time.
Employees can fully focus on their discussion with the customer and are not stressed out by large groups of people waiting. Punctual conversations with zero waiting time improve the atmosphere in the workplace. Thanks to the flexible scheduling, last-minute cancellations are not a problem.
Management benefits from improved service quality on location as well as satisfied customers and employees. Visitor numbers are easier to plan with capacity-based scheduling and there is always a solution available, even at peak times.
Use caseAdded value of the ONLINE solution
Retail and COVID-19
Das Coronavirus stellt den COVID-19 is posing entirely new challenges for the retail sector. Shopping is now defined by the need to wear masks and restrictions on the numbers of shoppers, but there is an easy solution.
Supermarkets, pharmacies, opticians and all other shops can offer customers the option to schedule an appointment on location via QR code. Customers avoid waiting in long lines, receive a reminder and arrive on time to the shop. Appointments can also be scheduled via websites and apps.
With ServiceOcean software, retailers benefit from scheduled appointments that can be precisely planned and adjusted to comply with the approved numbers of customers. ServiceOcean is offering this software solution for free during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Retail stores and agencies
From insurance agencies to bank branches to DIY stores and more: retail stores and agencies can determine their own availability with flexible software solutions from ServiceOcean.
Across all online platforms, customers can schedule capacity-based appointments for in-store consultations and consultations by phone. The available appointment slots can be flexibly determined based on team structures or individual employees’ availability.
Customers can easily schedule appointments via websites, apps, newsletters, e-mails, social media, chats or chatbots. Schedules are synchronised in real time across all channels with existing calendar systems. Retail stores and agencies receive a multi-channel solution for improved availability.
Waiting areas
Government offices and companies such as public utilities also serve existing and potential customers on location. This can result in long wait times that could be better spent otherwise, especially at peak times.
ServiceOcean software allows customers to schedule appointments directly on location via touchscreen or with a QR code for smartphones. Appointments can also be booked in advance via websites, apps and social media.
Customers receive an automatic confirmation and a reminder with further information shortly before their appointment. Customers report to the correct employee right on time. Appointments are scheduled based on the capacity of the team and the office hours.
Booking Engine
Booking Engine is a technical IT platform that works in the background and makes it possible to manage a wide range of resources. Companies use the software to automatically manage different rental products, events, spaces, etc.
Every resource can be defined as a single- or multiple-capacity item and resources can be combined to create booking groups. Groups and resources have freely definable characteristics that can be called up during booking.
The software solution was specially developed for complex use cases and is designed for the capacity-based reservation of all resources. The innovative functions and flexibility of the ServiceOcean software are able to cover all individual requirements.