Does Online Ordering Really Help Your Business?

I have a question for my network in the retail industry. But first, I would like to share what happened that prompted this question.

Earlier today I was in line to return a purchase at Target. While servicing another customer Employee #1 asked if I had an online order, I said no. By the time he finished servicing the customer, Employee #2 offered to assist me and also asked if I had an online order, I said no, so she began processing my return. A few seconds later, I heard the sound of a car horn. Employee #3 immediately said he would take the order to the car. Almost simultaneously another customer walked up with cell phone in hand and Employee #1 asked if he had an online order. The customer said yes, and Employee #1 began servicing this customer, while Employee #3 heads to the parking lot. It was chaotic, but surprisingly, the staff was very pleasant and attentive and all appeared to focus on making sure everyone was being serviced. (While other merchandise continued to pile up).

So, my questions to retail leaders, were you able to gather data to determine if these services (online ordering with in-store or parking lot pick up) are what customers really want? Do you think you would lose sales and/or marketshare if you didn't offer these services? How do you measure employee morale? Do you engage employees before implementing a new policy? What type of follow up do you perform to know if it’s working to increase sales and customer satisfaction? Finally, are you properly staffed to service the potential increase in activity for the upcoming weekend?

#CustomerService #IndustryTrends #RetailSales