Retail businesses heavily depend on customer experience and in-store customer service is a big part of that experience. Shoppers like to go to retail stores that have good staff, quick POS, quick returns, and easy ways to access any kind of information. QR code technology can help with that. It is a great tool to share any kind of information, even in retail.
QR codes have carved a market of their own. With the rising use of smartphones in almost every country, QR codes offer increasingly high access to information and digital services for everyone which wasn’t just possible not so long ago.
More importantly, advancements in internet and IoT technologies are facilitating a higher degree of automation in day-to-day business processes in almost every business setting. Various IoT like RFID, BLE, and NFC devices can be seen now more than ever. As a matter of fact, we now have more than 15B IoT devices connecting the world to the internet, and this no. is expected to double by 2030.
QR codes have also become ubiquitous post-pandemic and there are several reasons for that but primarily it is because people don’t want to get in contact with other people for information that can be easily accessed by scanning a QR code. That is truer for retail businesses than any other business.
For things like restaurant menus, bill payments, product details at a grocery store, and item discounts in retail shops, etc., people want the information but also don’t to ask anybody about it. Well, QR Codes can do just that.
Let’s see how QR codes can help with customer service needs and can enhance the overall customer experience in retail stores.
What is a QR code and how it Work?
QR, short for Quick response, codes are a matrix barcode that are capable of storing data in both vertical and horizontal formats allowing it to be more versatile than traditional 1D barcodes or UPC-12 barcodes.
Unlike UPC barcodes, QR codes can hold up to 220 words as text, numbers, URLs, images, google forms, PDFs, etc.
When you scan a QR code with your smartphone camera (It was Apple Inc. integrated QR scanning features in smartphone cameras in 2017), the alignment zone quickly helps it align with the QR code and shows the results pretty quickly by converting the binary data into user-friendly language.
QR Codes for Customer Service in Retail
QR codes have a great ability to contain data and can act as information sources for varied needs. In retail stores, QR codes can be used to provide customers with necessary product details, discounts, membership benefits payments, and returns.
Apart from that QR codes can be used to send customers customized emails regarding new products, sales, and discount opportunities.
Let’s see how QR codes can improve customer service and in-store customer experience-
1. QR codes can be used as a marketing and advertising tool inside the retail store.
2. It can also be used in email ad campaigns to inform customers about new products and discounts.
3. QR codes can be used to help customers become members by enabling easy sign-up through a URL.
4. QR codes can also be used to engage customers with brands by linking them with social media landing pages.
5. As an asset tracking and identification tool, a QR code can be used to take inventory counts and prevent “out of stock” scenarios.
6. QR codes can be used to create video messages about products and their availability in different sizes and colors.
7. It can also be used to inform customers about particular products and the story behind those products to create a unique experience for shoppers.
8. QR codes can also be used for creating store maps, enabling customers to explore various sections of the store, on different floors.
9. QR code-based personalized membership cards can improve the shopping experience for shoppers.
10. Brands can offer QR-based gift cards as well.
How QR Codes can be implemented in Retail Businesses?
QR Code technology has proven to be transformational for retail businesses, offering various avenues for information broadcasting in a user-friendly manner. So, how can retail businesses implement QR Codes, integrating them with daily retail activities, be it inventory, customer services, or point of sale?
Here’s a list of ways to implement QR Code technology in retail:
1. QR Codes can be encoded with information on upcoming sales and can be plastered on the walls and columns in the retail store.
2. QR Codes can also be encoded with quick membership programs and exclusive discounts being offered to members. Such QR Codes can be placed at various locations such as entry and exits, exclusive sections with high-end merchandise, POS, products on sale sections, trial rooms, etc.
3. QR Codes can be integrated with POS, allowing shoppers to easily pay for the items so that there is no crowding and no long queues. This adds to the efforts of offering better customer service.
4. QR Codes can be part of email campaigns, newsletters, and sales offers being sent to members over emails.
5. Retail businesses can use QR Codes to offer added information on products, and product history, like alcohol manufacturers use QR Codes to tell the story behind a particular wine, etc.
6. QR Codes can also be used in retail stores to help shoppers find another retail store by the same retailers in the form of Google Maps.
Conclusion
QR codes clearly offer a great degree of advantage over traditional 1D barcodes with actual bars and the ability to hold more data and quick and accurate read-rate make it a great tool for helping out customers with the information they need, in retail or elsewhere.
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