Tech Tip – An Alternate Look at Artificial Intelligence in Retail
This month’s Tech Tip is a little different. I typically cover a software application or digital tool to help leaders be more productive in their quest for finding a balance between their personal and business life. Today, I am looking more at a macro level for the future use of artificial intelligence for businesses with a workforce that is spread across many locations.
Artificial intelligence, or AI as it is commonly referred to, is not just a buzzword but a reality in many different industries. There are a lot of predictions and articles written about how AI permeates the retail industry. Most concentrate on how this will impact customers and provide additional information to them without the need for people to interact with. On the one hand, this is both accurate and welcome. There are many roles AI can play in supporting an improved customer experience that eliminates the need to interact with a human. As a consumer, I appreciate this to a point.
However, on the other hand, and I have written on many occasions that I feel that retail has been and always will be a human-driven business. Even in a fast-paced, low-patience world, customers still want to speak to other people who can tell them about products or services that may help them solve their problems. Continuing to train and supply front-line associates with the most current and relevant information is ultimately the best way to ensure a positive customer experience when human-to-human contact is involved.
When you research artificial intelligence for retail, almost all the information is dedicated to the side of the equation I mentioned above – how customers would engage with AI. Very few discuss how AI might support the associate and leaders within the business.
In the past five years, most people have become accustomed to speaking to their phone or a device in their home to get information about something they want to know. That could be the current weather, future weather, knowing where your package is, what time it is, or random facts that you need to know the answer to at that moment. Alexa, Hey Siri, and Hey Google would have sounded foreign ten years ago. Now, everyone knows what those mean. And with those magic incantations, a wealth of knowledge and control is suddenly available to us. Controlling our lights, the temperature in our house, or knowing our schedule is only a question away. What if similar options were available to the retail associate?
“Hey magic box, who is scheduled this afternoon?” This could be a question from a Manager-on-Duty to know what staffing looks like this afternoon. The possibilities become pretty interesting when you think about placing sales information, new communication, and other helpful data only a voice request away from managers and associates alike in any retail environment. Push notifications and reminders about waiting digital orders (BOPIS, Curbside, Delivery) could be in the associate’s ears exactly when they need to be. Enabling better person-to-person communication could be an option as well with technology that exists already.
Communicating from a central place to groups of associates also becomes much easier. Imagine an associate after punching in for a shift, asking, ‘magic box, give me the daily update.’ And with that request comes an update from the local District Manager on promotional opportunities, a message from the Store Manager with today’s goals, and a reminder about this Sunday’s store meeting. All of that makes it much easier for today’s associates to get information similar to how they receive information outside the work environment.
Most retail environments have a ‘pull method’ of information sharing. Anything that is pushed to the store associate level is usually via a member of management – they are the messenger for new training programs, new product information, or general information. Communication centers and even company portals do a good job of housing this information, but it still requires the associate to seek out that information. Putting it at their fingertips with a mobile device they are likely already using for their role makes the ability to push information that much easier. Even with a bring your own device (BYOD) option that some businesses use ensures there is the possibility to reach a far greater number of associates than has historically been available.
A new company, AVoice is working to bring these concepts and ideas to life. A recent article (Today’s New Hourly Retail Associate: 5 Questions All Retailers Should Be Asking) published on LinkedIn by the founder and CEO of AVoice, Steve Levy, introduces the idea and concept as a reality for retailers. The article provides a starting point for the possibilities in this space. At a minimum, it is a new way to communicate to your entire organization using a modern technology approach.
As people get more and more comfortable using technology, and specifically AI, as a way to bridge parts of their life, using it for front-line retail associates only makes sense. Putting product information, promotions, and data about the business a voice request away can save steps, level the playing field with the data customers have, and ensure that everyone has the same current information about the company at any moment.
How could you see artificial intelligence supporting retail store associates?
Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive FREE leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills all at no cost. JOIN NOW!
No spam ever – just leadership goodness.