We always talk about the customer experience, but how can we use XQ and RQ (and all the skills we try to impart to employees) to create the ultimate customer experience? This session will examine what it’s REALLY like to be a customer in your stores. Like a “secret shopper,” we will visit dealer stores of various carriers, RQ and non-RQ retailers, core carrier stores, big-box stores, XQ stores, and multi-carrier stores. We will identify how we were treated, which experiences stood out, which retailers truly shined and why.

1. The Reality of the
Consumer Experience
Nick Palazzo and Anne Forkutza

2. Introduction

3. Agenda
!
!
!
!
!
Attract
Engage
Educate
Purchase
Reason to Return

4. 5 Stages of the
Consumer Pathway

5. 1
Attract
2
5
Engage
Reason to
Return
3
4
Purchase
Educate

6. Example
I’m happy with the product
I’m buying! Long line-up at
the till though…
This store looks
interesting – I’ll go in
and check it out!
The sales rep
doesn’t seem to
know much…plus
he’s trying to push
me on a product I
don’t want…
No one acknowledges me
when I come in. I skim some
dummy devices and brochures
while I wait.
Time to upgrade! What
was the name of that
store again?

7. Example

8. Example

10. Our Approach

11. Methodology
!
!
!
!
“Secret Shopper” store visits
Industry best practice research and examples
In-store observations
Store walkthroughs with Envirosell

12. Personas
Nick
Knows what he wants
and is ready to get in
and out of the store

13. Personas
Anne
Likes to browse and
needs guidance before
buying

14. Types of Stores Visited
throughout USA and Canada
!
!
!
!
!
Dealer locations
Carrier stores
Multi-carrier stores
Kiosk locations
Electronics store with wireless department

15. Food for Thought…

16. Now for the good
stuff…

17. 1
Attract
2
5
Engage
Reason to
Return
3
4
Purchase
Educates

18. 1
Attract
First impression of store
• Exterior
• Just as we walk in

19. J Bright Lighting

20. J Bright Lighting

21. J Bright Lighting

22. J Bright Lighting

23. J Bright Lighting

24. L Window and
Screen Reflection

25. L Watch for Reflection

26. L Watch for Reflection

28. L Clutter

29. L Clutter

30. Minimize Clutter with Browse

31. Minimize Clutter with Browse

32. 1
Attract
Come play inside
“What’s in it for me?”

33. J Clear Signage &
Messaging

34. J Clear Signage and Messaging

35. J Clear Signage and Messaging

36. L “What a sad lil’ sign…”

37. L Don’t give us the finger

38. J Movement using Digital Signage

39. J Digital Signage Allows for Versatility

40. L However we can’t see anything while
we’re passing by
people passing by

41. J Best Window Display. Eva.

42. J “Little Finishing
Touches”

43. J “Little Finishing Touches”

44. J “Little Finishing Touches”

45. Key Takeaways for Attracting
! Bright lighting brings instant attention to your
store
! When it comes to messaging
! Let customers know what’s in it for them
! You want them to WANT to come in
! Place signage perpendicular to people passing by
! Watch out for reflection and clutter

46. How does your store rank?

47. 1
Attract
2
5
Engage
Reason to
Return
3
4
Purchase
Educates

48. 2
Engage
First impression of staff
Are we acknowledged or greeted when we first
walk in?

49. J Say “Hi”
(even if it’s with your eyes)

50. J Say “Hi”

51. L Don’t do this

52. 2
Engage
Perceived vs. Actual Wait Time
Are there items to keep us busy while we wait for a
salesperson?

53. J Have
“Shiny Things”
to Play With

54. J “Shiny Things” Decrease Perceived Wait Time

55. L Use your Imagination…

56. J Browse products and plans while waiting

57. How to decrease perceived wait time?

58. J Localize Content

59. J Localize Content

60. J Localize Content

61. J Localize Content

62. J Localize Content

63. And now iQmetrix presents…
Driving Growth!

64. ®

65. too long, it can be fatal for both sales and the customer
experience. Actual wait time is less important than perceived wait
time, though, so the key is to engage the customer and offer value
while they wait.
that kind of time.
Well, you do now.
Enjoy. Don't get too
attached to Jack though.
Oh... for
how long?
1
1
Waiting upon arrival
2%
Attention to
In-Store space
All the sales associates are
currently helping other
customers. The risk of
walkout at this point is high.
98%
Attention to
His Phone
3
2
6min
Actual Waiting
Time
2
Therefore..
So, the 3 very common scenarios...
Waiting with a friend or with
family in tow
30% of consumers arrive at the
store with a companion2: spouse,
child or friend. These are potential
customers too and if they’re not
engaged, they make the primary
customer anxious to leave.
Sales staff or a dedicated
concierge should
acknowledge customers
waiting and point them
toward the in-store
activities. 1
Waiting at checkout
There is nothing to do here but
stare at the sales rep. This is the
end of the in-store experience
and therefore the most
memorable. 3
Forever
Perceived Waiting
Time
This issue is brought to you by iQmetrix team members: Tara Bartlett, Allan Pulga, Cole Ecklund and Alen Puaca.
References: 1Why We Buy Paco Underhill, 2according to Canadian wireless retailer Jump.ca, 3 Thinking Fast and Slow Daniel
Kahneman, 4In-Store Technology: Delivering the Shopping Experience Customers Want iQmetrix
In order to keep people in the store,
you should offer a place to sit as
well as things to do while waiting,
which shortens perceived wait time.
6min
Actual Waiting
Time
3
Dad!
Can we stay here
longer? Please!
Interesting content on screens (both touch and
non-touch) will keep customers engaged and
can be a great opportunity to educate them
about your products and solutions while they
wait.4
iQmetrix is a leading provider of end-to-end retail solutions, including RQ Retail Management and XQ Interactive Retail.
We also have kick-ass clients that love to use our software and/or just hang out with us.
CC BY-ND, 2013 iQmetrix | iQmetrix.com | 1.877.iQmetrix

66. Key Takeaways for Engaging
! Have a dedicated staff member to greet and
acknowledge people coming in
! Offer “shiny things” for people (and their family/
friends) to play with while they wait
! Live devices
! Interactive touchscreens
! Cater content that is current and local to the
neighborhood

67. How does your store rank?

68. 1
Attract
Engage
2
5
Reason to
Return
3
4
Purchase
Educate

70. 3
Educate
Staff Education
• “I want to speak to someone that knows their
stuff”
• “Ask me the right questions to narrow down
products that suit my lifestyle?”
• “I don’t want an iPhone. Why do you keep
referencing the iPhone?”

71. L Flip a Coin

72. Another excerpt from iQmetrix’s
Driving Growth Series…

73. J Easy Access to
Information

74. J Easy Access to Information

75. J Ask the right
questions (like a
Doctor)

76. J Doctor Analogy

77. 3
Educate
Self Education
• “Can I learn about products and services while I
wait? Is it current and entertaining?”
• “Can I take those resources with me?”

78. J Speak the
Consumer’s Language &
Over-Communicate

79. J Speak their Language & Over-Communicate

83. J Educate – Nick’s Story
! Recommendations
! Prepared me when I returned to port my
wife’s number – info I would need to know

84. Key Takeaways for Educating
! Staff
! Easy access to information
! Train your staff to “play doctor”
! Customers
! Speak their language and over-communicate
! Offer them resources to take home

85. How does your store rank?

86. 1
Attract
Engage
2
5
Reason to
Return
3
4
Purchase
Educate

87. 4
Purchase
Purchase
We are ready to buy the goods

88. J Offer Solutions to
Capture the Purchase

89. J Offer Solutions to Capture
the Purchase
Inventory Availability

91. without offending the customer?
ain product to the customer...
14% Do I really
need this case?
You can get both
for a bundle price.
Therefore..
“You’ve got kids who you’ll need to
entertain with Angry Birds sometimes.
They will drop your phone, for sure,
that’s what kids do… mine for sure… ”
1 Focus on customer needs – not yours.1
Don’t try to sell the customer something you
wouldn’t buy if you were in their shoes. That
perspective2 enables you to upsell genuinely
and effectively, helping to create trust and a
long-term relationship with the customer.
86% Really like
how it fits...
3
ing to
ell...
“So, these cases are great protectors, but
they are not bulky, they are so elegant you
can barely see them. Fit your style... ”
2
Begin the upsell with a brief benefit.
Emphasize the perceived value. Then if
possible, add something unique about what
you’re selling.
3
“Let me show you how they fit on your new
phone. Actually, here. You try it... “
“These Bluetooths earpieces have similar designs and damn* good audio
quality. You can get them cheaper than online if you bundle them with the
phone and the case. But, if you don’t drive a lot**, you might not need it.
Up to you.”
Hands-on demonstration in the use context.
Group related products.
One of the most effective upselling techniques is getting the customer
to use the product in your location. Let the customer feel it, use it, put it
in his/her pocket, let them feel like it already belongs to them.3
It’s a good idea to group similar add-ons and offer
them as an upsell at a package price. The customer
saves money and you make two upsells at once.

92. What if we want
something that you
don’t have?

93. Virtual Shelf + Dropship
Showcase and sell a wide
variety of unique, luxury and
specialized items without
having to invest in physical
inventory.
Virtual Shelf + Dropship will
enable you to:
!
!
!
!
Provide consumers with an
extensive selection of unique
products
Educate consumers about
those products
Streamline the sales and
fulfillment process
Increase revenue

96. L “Why didn’t you
ask me for the sale?”

97. L No sale for you

98. J Mobile Checkout

99. mobile

100. Key Takeaways for Purchasing
! Offer solutions to capture the purchase
! Virtual Shelf + Dropship can showcase and sell a
wide variety of unique, luxury and specialized
items without having to invest in physical
inventory.
! Mobile checkout can reduce long waits

101. How does your store rank?

102. 1
Attract
Engage
2
5
Reason to
Return
3
4
Purchase
Educate

103. 5
Reason to Return
Reason to Return
Build my loyalty

104. Collecting Customer
Data J or L

107. L Come back
tomorrow

108. L Should be here tomorrow…

109. J Say Thank You

110. J “Little Finishing Touches”

111. J Say Thank You

112. J Personal Mailer

113. Key Takeaways for Reason to Return
!
!
!
!
Understand your customer for their next visit
Say “thank you”
Person Mailers “thank you”
Offer umbrellas

114. How does your store rank?

115. In a Nutshell…

116. Bright lighting brings instant
attention to your store
Have a dedicated staff to
greet and acknowledge
people coming in
Staff
- Easy access to info
- “Play doctor”
Offer solutions to capture
the purchase
Say “thank you”
Re: messaging
- Let the customers know
what’s in it for them
- You want them to WANT
to come in
Offer “shiny things” for
people (and their family/
friends) to play with while
they wait
- Live devices
- Interactive touchscreens
Customers
- Speak their language
- Over-communicate
- Over them resources to
take home with them
Virtual Shelf + Dropship
can showcase and sell a
wide variety of unique,
luxury and specialized
items without having to
invest in physical inventory.
Wish people “happy birthday”
Place signage perpendicular
to people passing by
Cater content that is
current and local to the
neighborhood
Mobile checkout can
reduce long waits
Offer umbrellas
Watch out for reflection and
clutter

117. Example Revised

118. Example Revised
I’m happy with the product
I’m buying! Mobile checkout
is fast and easy.
This store looks interesting –
and they have a special holiday
promotion right now!
John the sales rep asks
all the right questions to
I’m greeted with a smile. narrow down products
that suit my lifestyle.
Live devices and
interactive screens to
play with while I wait.
Oooh $20 off on my
birthday? Maybe it’s
time to pay John a visit
again J

119. © 2013 iQmetrix. All right reserved. iQmetrix, the iQmetrix logo, RQ4 and other trademarks, service marks, and
designs referenced in this material are the exclusive property of iQmetrix Software Development Corp. and/or its subsidiaries.