Empowering The Store Associate, Tablet PCs Enhance The Customer Experience, Guest Series Part 3

By Mary Anne Gunn, director of corporate marketing, Motion Computing

As consumers become more empowered through the endless availability of information, retailers must identify new ways to keep customers engaged. In many cases there is more data available than ever before, but if it isn’t readily accessible, and up-to-date, then its value cannot be fully realized.

Today’s consumers are often equipped with more technology than the sales associate — accessing additional options, availability, and customer reviews at their fingertips; and they aren’t interested in waiting around for salespeople. Enter the new generation of retailer — one equipped to meet its customers’ needs head on, creating unique and personal shopping experiences that benefit both the consumer and the retailer.

Sales associates empowered with tablet PCs are freed up to serve their customers anywhere in the store. Equipped with digital cameras, magnetic stripe readers, barcode scanners, and peripherals to support retail workflows, tablet PCs put powerful computing performance at the sales associate’s fingertips. Rather than head back to the stock room, a tablet-toting sales associate can quickly check inventory availability on a specific item, process mobile payments using a variety of credit options, and collect valuable consumer data; all without ever heading to a register.