Running a business has always come with challenges, and you have always been able to rise above them. Tackling them head-on, you have created a business plan that is crafted to keep you nimble and flexible regardless of the circumstances. But even the best business planning could not have seen or addressed some of the instant challenges that arose with the coming of COVID-19. How can a small business quickly adapt to operating under these new restrictions?
There is an exciting trend that has emerged largely in part to COVID called click and collect. If you’ve been wondering, “What is click and collect and how do I use it?” let us turn to Walmart as a prime example. For years, Walmart has been rolling out an initiative, primarily marketed around groceries, that allows customers to order groceries online and then pick them up from a store. The big selling point of this was that a Walmart employee would emerge from the store with your items, and load them into your vehicle.
Click and collect is a service that will benefit both you and your customers. In addition to remaining safely open, you will protect your staff while still largely operating normally. Customers will appreciate the safety that your click and collect services provide, and will enjoy knowing that when they arrive to collect their purchases, they will know that their favorite items are in stock, enjoy the zero wait times in line, and not have the additional cost of delivery to factor into the budget.
Is Click and Collect Good for Any Business Model?
You may be thinking, especially after the above Walmart example, that click and collect is only meant for retail settings. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as building a click and collect strategy is a useful tool in almost any business setting. Here are some common business examples of how click and collect is flexible enough to fit into almost any business model:
- Restaurants can utilize online ordering to offer click and collect services in the form of curbside meal pickup.
- QSRs and cafes with drive-thru or takeout windows are already engaged in a form of click and collect. Those without can easily transition to this model by blending online ordering capabilities with some outdoor organization, such as assigning stall numbers to customers for pick up.
- Hands-on businesses, such as salons and pet groomers, can use click and collect for the fulfillment of ordered supplies and coordinate drop-offs, pickups, or times to enter the business.
- Food trucks get even faster with click and collect. Customers place an order online, then arrive at the scheduled time to pick up orders.
The only limitations that come with a click and collect model are your imagination and the technology you use. Many modern POS solutions are already equipped with the ability to accurately turn online orders into customer satisfaction. However, if you find that you are missing seamless integration across all areas of your business, then it is time to consider stepping up your POS game a notch to enjoy the full benefits of offering click and collect services.
How Can a POS Solution Help Support a Click and Collect Strategy?
Possessing the ability to safely continue to engage customers with your business brand through click and collect can be a crucial win. Making this possible requires that you have the best supporting technology behind you driving accuracy and putting forward a feeling of safety in all staff/customer interactions. You need to have your POS system at a high enough level technically to help you effectively manage your click and collect service.
Supporting click and collect through your POS solution requires having versatile cloud-based POS tools in place. Leveraging these cloud-based POS features gives you the ability to integrate your online presence into the rest of your business. From here, you will be able to effectively manage the additional channels that emerge as a result of a click and collect strategy, as well as to gain the confidence needed to rapidly change directions in the midst of evolving rules around COVID.
Can POS Tools Help Manage Click and Collect Orders?
An innovative POS platform can help you manage click and collect in almost any business while giving you the necessary tools to promote your brand. There are some vital tools that must be included in your POS software in order to gain the most automated help for click and collect, including:
- Seamless integration of your web presence into your POS system.
- Advanced data management to track and analyze your new data sources.
- Inventory controls that monitor stock levels and trends while relying on integrated sales and inventory data.
- Mobile device and app support, so your staff and customers can enjoy the best flexibility possible for the reduction of direct contact when needed.
Leaning on the powerful tools of a cutting-edge POS solution equips you with the resources required to promote sales even in a downward trending economy. You will be well-equipped to proactively adjust inventory in response to changing consumer demand and can promote your business as a safe seller of both the products you carry and the exceptional customer service that you are already known to provide.
Your Answer to What Is Click and Collect Will Vary from Other Businesses
Continuing to sell your business to customers does not end with the addressing of any COVID-related safety concerns. How you address these concerns and any operational limitations that apply to you will be presented in full view to your customers and the general community, making it imperative to have a well thought out click and collect strategy in place. And unfortunately, the uniqueness of how you operate will make it unlikely that a similar business model exists that you can imitate.
Click and collect gives you the opportunity to present safe, engaging options to your customer base. Knowing how to exactly incorporate this model into your business may yield inconclusive results unless you engage an expert. You deserve a POS consultant like those at talech who has their finger on the pulse of emerging POS technologies and yet possesses a wide spectrum of business experience that can be applied directly to your unique business situation.
