Today’s shoppers know what they want and they know how to get it – they no longer expect to hear ‘that’s not my department’, ‘it’s online only’ and ‘I can’t help you’. This presentation will discuss ten key in-store questions which smart retailers should be able to answer, using technology which taps into and takes advantage of both business and consumer data.

1. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
10 Customer Questions All Retailers
Should Be Able To Answer
Knowing how to handle these questions can make all the difference
to your in-store customer experience.

2. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Shoppers today
Today’s shoppers know what they want and they know how to get it – they no longer
expect to hear ‘that’s not my department’, ‘it’s online only’ and ‘I can’t help you’.
The following slides will discuss ten key in-store questions which smart retailers
should be able to answer, using technology which taps into and takes advantage of
both business and consumer data…

3. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 1
‘I’ve been looking at a few things on your
website – can I see them in the shop?’
DON’T ask the customer to show you the products on
their own phone. It’s an inconvenience for them, which
might stop them buying.
DO use a connected experience platform to unify basket
and wish list across mobile app, website and staff
devices, giving them access to all the information they
need as well as prompts for future purchase.

4. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 2
‘I can’t find my size – do you have it?’
DON’T ignore the fact that moving stock to backrooms
to free up floor-space and having different systems for
in-store, online and nearby stock can confuse the
customer, and don’t forget to replenish stock.
DO use staff mobile scanners, self-service apps and
kiosks to allow for fast, seamless local lookup.
Integrate your stock systems, and use dedicated staff
with wearables to fetch backroom stock. And, above
all, make sure there's proper attribution for online
sales in-store – this will encourage staff to go the extra
mile.

5. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 3
‘I found this in another store for £10 less
– why should I buy it here?’
DON’T forget that competitors may offer a better deal
than you. Don’t neglect to let your staff know about the
latest product news/messaging, and don’t allow complex
centralized supply chains to discourage local store
empowerment.
DO give your staff easy access to training materials and
messaging documents on tablets and personal phones.
Allow all staff to have a real-time framework for when
and how they can drop prices.

6. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 4
‘I already told your call centre this – my
order hasn’t arrived and I need it for
tonight. What can you do?’
DON’T expect shop floor staff to solve online issues if
they don’t have the information they need. Don’t be
afraid to allow online orders to be fulfilled with in-store
stock – it will delight and impress customers.
DO give staff access to good customer identification
and multichannel CRM so they can quickly pre-empt
issues and solve problems. Join up your systems in a
way which makes sense to the customer – be flexible
and think outside the system integrator’s box.

7. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 5
‘I bought a lipstick from you last year and
it’s run out – what colour was it?’
DON’T forget that customers expect to be able to find
and reorder their favourite products. Don’t fail to reward
them for loyalty.
DO give multichannel access to past orders for better
customer service and targeted upsell. Make sure the data
is fed back to your CRM tools for targeted opt-in
notifications and emails – Christmas, birthdays, special
occasions etc.

8. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 6
‘I need a gift for my wife under £200 –
any ideas?
DON’T leave shop floor staff without access to the rich
amount of product and deal information available
online – customers are looking for expert advice and
it’s down to retailers to ensure staff are trained to
deliver it.
DO give staff real-time digital access to all existing
content – it’s a quick win for everyone. Do make sure
the right member of staff speaks to the customer with
smart notifications on wearables – if there’s a TV on
their wish list, send them a TV specialist.

9. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 7
‘I have a click-and-collect order – how do I
get it?’
DON’T expect your customers to use a retrofitted click-
and-collect experience in-store. Don’t allow big queues to
build up during Christmas and other busy periods.
DO provide a dedicated digital check-in or staff with
roaming click-and-collect terminals so that queues don’t
build up. Make the most of mobile apps, geolocation and
staff wearables so that customers can be identified and
their orders prepared in advance.

10. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 8
‘I really like that shirt you posted on
Twitter this morning – where is it?’
DON’T allow a disconnect to develop between what
customers can see and what staff have access to. They
are brand advocates and the ideal audience for social
content, so it’s an oversight not to include them.
DO give staff controlled access to social posts so they
can be part of a joined-up brand experience. It also
gives early warning about the social schedule so staff
can be trained and extra stock made available.

11. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 9
‘I have a voucher – what do I get?’
DON’T base your loyalty scheme entirely on vouchers
and discounts – it may drive footfall, but it’s fleeting and
may not attract the right kind of customer.
DO encourage true loyalty through great customer
service, quality products and knowledgeable staff.
Customers want a value exchange for their personal data
– create a two-way relationship with equal benefits for
shoppers and marketing teams.

12. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Question 10
‘Are there any other products I can buy
that go with this?’
DON’T expect customers to ever ask this question. Staff
need to be reminded at every point to think about
upselling.
DO leverage your finely-tuned online upsell and cross-
sell process in-store for an easy win and make it an
integral part of the sales process. Make sure in-store
data feeds back into other sources of recommendations
for a fuller picture of customer behavior. It all helps to
build a business case for replacing antiquated PoS
systems with a direct monetary benefit.

13. © 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®
Connected experiences for smarter retailers
© 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®

14. Contact
11th Floor, 240 Blackfriars
Road, London, SE1 8NW
www.redant.com
+44 (0)845 459 3333
enquiries@redant.com
© 2015 – STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL – Red Ant®