Most retail outlets are either small brick-and-mortar counterparts to a larger corporate chain, or are run by a sole proprietor who manages all operational needs of their boutique. While it may seem as though these two business models would have vastly different operational styles, they both have the same Achilles’ heel: communication breakdowns
Whether you’re a major retail chain or a local mom-and-pop shop, communication is essential to effective operations and marketing. Communication issues often arise when the corporate liaison or owner is unaware of issues on the floor, and store employees are not informed of marketing, operational, and other directives from higher up, impacting your bottom line.
If you want to improve your retail store’s performance, follow these simple communication tips:
Centralize communications.
Retail employees are often much more active than office workers, which means that email communications are not your most effective option. You don’t want to have too many options either, as some stores will prioritize certain types of communication over others. A mobile-friendly communication system that is used by in-store employees, as well as the corporate team or ownership, will make sure everyone is on the same page at all times.
Skip meetings for virtual connections.
In-person meetings are becoming somewhat old-fashioned as more businesses are embracing virtual communication more and more. Online meetings and group chats can save you time and ensure that everyone remembers important details of discussions by providing a written log of meeting notes in real-time.
Integrate communications with partners and vendors.
How you communicate with the outside world is just as important as how you communicate with each other. By investing in a communication platform with vendors, service providers, and partners, you can ensure that important information is relayed and your ground floor employees aren’t left without proper resources to perform at their best.
MaintenX offers a streamlined communication platform to help you manage service requests and preventative maintenance with ease. We make it simple for your employees to put in requests for service and for you to schedule upgrades, renovations, and annual maintenance on a schedule that works for you. To learn more about how we manage communications using our automated work order management system, contact your local MaintenX today.
