The Vital Role of Employees

If customers can complete the shopping process on their phones from start to finish, will retail stores still need their staff? Read on to discover the role employees play in brick & mortar stores with a mobile self-checkout solution in place.

Contrary to the popular belief that self-service technology aims to make employees in retail stores redundant, the floor staff actually remains a vital part of most strategies around mobile self-checkout. Even though the regular shift at the cash register is no longer necessary when customers use Scan & Go, there are still a number of duties employees are indispensable for. 

Employee tasks

When retailers decide to implement a mobile self-checkout solution, they also decide to give their employees more time for tasks like 

• consultation,  
• customer service,  
• restacking of products, and  
• re-scanning and spot checks

Employee app against shrinkage

The last point in particular is an essential part of mobile self-checkout technology and depends on well-trained and alert employees, to keep loss and shrinkage at bay. With an additional, tailor-made app for the staff, they are able to keep track of customers in need of help as well as perform re-scans in the most efficient way possible. 

Improving the customer experience

Furthermore, the additional time that has been created for customer service and consultation represents an invaluable asset to the shopping experience. This is especially true for retail stores in sectors with complex products. 

Keeping this in mind, for retailers whose goal it is to reduce labor costs, a Scan & Go solution will allow them to reduce the number of staff, depending on the size of the store and the customers’ need for consultation.