How Retail Businesses Can Benefit from Unified Communications

According to data from frontline engagement experts YOOBIC, 71% of retail industry staff cite communication problems as their biggest challenge. This issue affects communication between retail staff and company HQ alike.

As retail businesses grow, the need for consistent and reliable communication tools increases. Without them, businesses risk missing key messages, stagnating operations, and creating disconnects between staff at all levels.

Without modern communication tools, businesses can quickly fall behind competitors who have embraced more efficient systems.

Unified communications (UC) platforms provide a solution by streamlining communication and boosting productivity. But what exactly is UC, and how can it revolutionise the day-to-day operations of retail businesses while improving customer experiences? 

At Elite Group, we specialise in business communications and cloud systems, helping businesses (including retail) implement the tools they need to succeed.

Speak to Elite Group today about onboarding unified communications in your retail establishment, or keep reading to learn more.

What is Unified Communications?

Unified communications (UC) is an all-in-one cloud communications solution that consolidates all essential communication tools into one easy-to-use platform. These tools include:

• Voice calls
• Text
• Email
• Instant messaging
• Video conferencing
• File transfers
• Digital collaboration tools

Cost savings are a key motivator for businesses adopting UC. 

According to Elite Group research, 42% of employees believe saving money is the main reason their company chose this technology.

By switching to a single platform, businesses eliminate the need for multiple tools and subscriptions, resulting in significant savings.

How UC Solutions Can Raise Standards for Retail Teams

By moving away from outdated communication methods and embracing modern UC solutions, retail businesses position themselves to improve operations and enhance their relationship with customers.

Retailers relying on legacy systems may face slower response times, decreased customer satisfaction, and more frequent operational errors,  ultimately losing out to more agile competitors.

Modern consumers expect a seamless, fast, and personalised experience, impossible without effective communication tools. Failure to adopt UC may result in frustrated customers and lost sales.

1. Improved Customer Service

Elite Group research also shows that 38% of employees from large corporations believe UC is key to improving customer service efforts. This highlights the effectiveness of UC in benefiting the customer.

For retail businesses operating online, seamless communication channels are essential for handling customer queries and maintaining a professional, approachable image.

Automated chatbots, a popular tool for answering basic queries, relieve customer service teams from routine tasks. As AI advances, the capabilities of these chatbots continue to grow.

Many UC solutions now incorporate AI-driven chatbots, allowing businesses to handle more requests automatically while enabling staff to focus on more complex issues.

AI-powered chatbots can address customer inquiries instantly, allowing human staff to focus on more complicated cases, improving service speed and exceeding customer expectations.

2. Better Collaboration Across Teams and Departments

Retail businesses often consist of teams working across different locations and performing various roles. Without an effective communication system, operations can suffer, disrupting customer service and slowing down progress.

Given the ever-changing nature of retail, businesses need real-time communication to keep up with shifting demands.

UC facilitates collaboration by providing a single platform for sharing important updates (e.g. stock levels, sales figures) and collaborating on ideas or tasks, ensuring everyone is on the same page regardless of location or position in the company.

For instance, store managers can quickly communicate with HR about staffing shortages or with logistics about supply chain delays, using live data to inform decisions.

3. Raised Efficiency

When communication is spread across multiple platforms, retail operations struggle to keep up with tasks and solve issues quickly.

Unified communications streamline this process, enabling retail staff to share updates via any communication method within the UC platform, ensuring timely responses and improved efficiency.

For example, a sales associate can request stock replenishment directly from the warehouse without leaving the sales floor, while a customer service agent can resolve an issue in real time, referencing the customer’s order details during the call.

UC platforms can also automate mundane tasks like data input and analysis, allowing staff to focus on their core responsibilities, which enhances employee satisfaction and productivity.

4. Cost reduction

As noted earlier, retail businesses can significantly reduce costs by consolidating their communications tools into one UC platform.

Many businesses rely on separate services for email, phone apps, conferencing tools, etc, each with its own subscription fees. By integrating these functions into a single platform, businesses cut down on subscription costs, reduce administrative overhead, and improve ROI.

5. Improved Remote and Hybrid Working

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses adopted flexible remote and hybrid working arrangements – an attractive feature for employees seeking a good work-life balance.

To support this model, businesses need reliable, cloud-based tools that ensure staff have access to everything they need to perform their roles effectively, regardless of location.

UC solutions facilitate seamless communication for remote and hybrid teams, providing easy access to shift schedules, holiday requests, and off-site updates.

Furthermore, UC platforms allow real-time communication between stores, offices, and home-based workers, ensuring all teams stay aligned and up-to-date.

Looking to onboard a UC System in your retail enterprise? Elite Group is here for you

If your retail business is in need of a communications upgrade, Elite Group is here to help.

With our experience in helping businesses adopt new technologies, we can guide you through the process of implementing unified communications tools that will improve your productivity and customer experience.

To find out more about unified communications in retail, speak to us today.