SOTI warns retailers must put mobile technology at the heart of their customer service strategy or risk losing out

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: SOTI warns retailers must put mobile technology at the heart of their customer service strategy or risk losing out.

The presence of mobile technology in brick-and-mortar retail outlets is having a direct impact on customer experience. SOTI is today warning retailers they must ensure they place mobile at the very heart of their strategy.

The research reveals shoppers regard instore mobile technology as key for an enjoyable shopping experience, with 73 per cent of respondents stating those retailers which provide the technology offer superior customer service.

The study conducted by enterprise mobility management expert, SOTI, also found 94 per cent of those surveyed would like to see an increase in the amount of mobile solutions, including interactive kiosks and barcode scanners.

The convenience of these instore mobile technologies bring together data from different touch points, in order to provide better customer service and relationships and enable consumers to have a more informed, more efficient and stress free shopping experience, resulting in critical brand loyalty.

Gary Marshall, Director of Operations at high street retailer Lakeland, has seen the distinct benefits of instore mobile technology first hand, "As a retailer, ensuring our customers have the best shopping experience is paramount. Retail is an extremely competitive and dense market, so making the most of consumers time is a top priority. We have found the key to this is to bring the personalised experience shoppers get while online to our high street stores. For example, our staff are equipped with tablets to provide a more interactive and personal shopping experience."

Nassar Hussain, Managing Director Europe and Africa at SOTI says, "2016 is set to be dedicated to enhancing the customer experience. Brands need to connect with their customers in a natural, yet personalised way. Customers want to feel important, they want to feel as though retailers are catering for them, and mobile technologies are a key way of doing this. These important technologies can be rolled out to help with assisted selling, customer self-service as well as staff training. These trends are enabling enterprise mobility management companies such as SOTI, to unify all retail endpoints, whether consumer-facing or behind the scenes."

The battle between brick-and-mortar and online retailers has been discussed at length, with online retailers having the distinct advantage of direct access to its customers at any given time. Although web based merchants hold this advantage, consumers do still enjoy physically visiting stores, as they offer the chance for consumers to view the goods for themselves. It is therefore imperative these stores adapt to the way they run their business, to bridge the gap between the personalised online shopping experience and the high street store visit.