The modern retail business owner knows these facts: their customers expect an experience that’s efficient, effortless, and caters to their preferred way of buying. As consumer shopping habits continue to evolve — expedited in part due to the global pandemic that forever changed how we buy — retail operators must remain at the forefront of customer experience or risk being left behind.
Like many other industries, this means investment in technology and innovation. Whether it’s the more generic, there-for-convenience offerings like touchless pay, self-ordering kiosks, or sensor technologies for in-store promotions, these technologies are changing the way people purchase products. For the consumer, simplicity is preferred. On the retail side, automating some processes to empower human workers to be more productive and focus on revenue-driving tasks is essential.
What many retail businesses tend to forget when they’re looking at ways to level up their tech is one of the most fundamental things required to keep those gadgets and gizmos running: reliable Wi-Fi. From point-of-sale systems, credit card machines, and kiosks to back-of-house supply chain software and security systems, the majority of these technologies run on Wi-Fi and can suffer severe business interruption if the network goes down; and in most cases when it does, a worker is left to call a manager or an internet service provider to try and solve an issue that falls far outside of their training and expertise — all while the customer stands frustrated.
Artificial intelligence-powered autonomous Wi-Fi optimization technologies solve this challenge by proactively monitoring networks for issues and alerting IT with the information needed to fix them before anyone knows there was a problem. Below are three areas within retail where Wi-Fi interruption can drastically impact business, and where AI Wi-Fi automation safeguards businesses’ reputations.
Fast-Casual Dining
Fast-casual restaurants rely increasingly on in-store ordering kiosks to improve efficiency and let employees focus on the execution and delivery of orders, thereby getting food served to customers quicker. Wi-Fi reliability can make or break that goal. Should any issues take the business network offline, workers will have to return to manual ordering processes, ultimately slowing down service, all while forcing a worker to either call a manager or spend time on the phone with the internet provider to find a solution.
Wi-Fi automation can proactively identify issues within the Wi-Fi network before anyone is impacted and offer immediate solutions on how they can be fixed, keeping burgers flipped and burritos wrapped faster than ever.
Brick-and-Mortar Retail
Today’s consumers have an endless supply of stores to choose from, meaning brick-and-mortar locations are becoming ever more reliant on their unique shopping experiences to stand out from competitors. Many times, this means trusting technology. Interactive dressing rooms are making try-on experiences that much more personalized. Employees are equipped with their own personal tablets to check stock and assist consumers with locating items. Virtual reality has opened the door to test driving your dream car on the Autobahn no matter where you live.
These technologies may serve different purposes, but they all require reliable Wi-Fi to operate as intended. While you may think you’ll have to hire an expert to find a suitable solution for ensuring your specific business network keeps up with the times, Wi-Fi automation is ingrained with the ability to do just that. Similar to how chatbots can get a feel for your personality through just a few text messages, the AI engine that drives Wi-Fi automation will learn your business’ network behavior as well. So, if your in-store experience is tricked out with all the bells and whistles or you’re keeping plain and simple with a mobile POS system, your Wi-Fi’s integrity will be monitored and upheld 24/7 through a tailor-made lens.
E-Commerce
Whether your entire retail business is online or it’s just one of its sales channels, you’re going to be working with people that aren’t in your immediate vicinity. From overseas manufacturers to out-of-house marketing agencies to inventory specialists and more, the ability to stay in constant contact is at the core of an online store’s success. A reliable business network ensures online businesses never miss a beat on shipments, can track sales in tandem with promotions in real time, ensures their product inventories are always accurate, and provides assurance that someone is always available to tend to customer service inquiries.
Since Wi-Fi automation solutions can be downloaded across both business and personal devices tied to the company, their network optimization abilities aren’t bound by a singular location and will go wherever you or your employees go.
Though these are examples from specific industries, the nondiscriminatory benefits of network automation are clear. No matter your retail business model, the innovations you implement for customer experience are only as good as your Wi-Fi network. Make sure it’s always there for you.
Roger Sands is the CEO of Wyebot, an AI-driven WiFi automation solution.
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