If you knew your time would be up in a year, I bet you would work much less if at all, but statistically speaking, we will not die next year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the average life expectancy of a new-born in the late 1990’s is 77 years for a male and 82 years for a female so working and building our asset base is part of our long term strategy.

So assuming we are the 80% of people who live to the new retirement age of 67 (Which may just change again before we reach 67) then the questions we must ask ourselves is how do we get the most out of our lives and what is our optimal work life balance?

There is no doubt that life in general is busier than in prior generations, my dad likes to remind me of that every time we speak. There are more “things” to buy, more mod-cons to assist us to be time efficient, although I am not convinced of that as an outcome and yet as a society we are claiming to be time poor.

We work more total hours, spread out over more days, and for many every day of the week is a working day. And yet the suicide rate is climbing steadily, again according to the ABS. Does this suggest that we work more and are less satisfied? Are the two linked?

Maybe the answer is individual.

Whatever your answer is, you may need to alter the amount of time you dedicate to the following areas of your life, to truly achieve your work/life balance.

Work/life Balance Wheel

This is so true with quick service retailing.

We have all experienced the customer service representative that ignores us in favor of their computer or POS screen. Trying to make eye contact or just get a response from someone absorbed in data entry can be annoying.

But here’s the thing most retailers don’t realise.

Even if a customer doesn’t remember being ignored, they may (subconsciously) associate your business with an (unknown, but felt) sense of frustration, distance or lack of ‘connection’. Those feelings will build up unbeknownst to the client and they may eventually take their patronage elsewhere.

Customer Service With A Smile

The sad part of all of this is it all happens without conscious knowledge or intent. The client simply has no compelling reason to want or desire to return so he or she simply doesn’t.

That’s a killer for a retailer.

So what can you do to optimise the necessary POS data entry while offering outstanding customer service?

POS Customer service Tip #1:

Explain what you’re doing to the customer while you so it. That means as you’re typing, you say “I’m pulling up your account file to make sure our records are up-to-date” By doing that, the customer is INVOLVED in the process. Engaging the customer in the task CONNECTS you to him/her. As the information comes up, you can mention something like “Just to make sure, you’re still at 123 Main Street right?” You can then add a personal anecdote “I used to live near there, the dog park was great when I had my golden retriever…” Adding a personal anecdote builds rapport within the process that otherwise alienates the customer. Of course, if you’re really systemised, you’ll start to input your customer’s tastes and predispositions such as “ dog or cat owner, single, has children, tennis player, classic car enthusiast, etc. That will help you become more specific in your marketing campaigns.

POS Customer service Tip #2:

This customer service tip is obvious, but needs to be repeated – look up from the screen and make frequent eye contact with your customer. It may slow down your typing, but this is a key component to establishing rapport and a personal connection.

POS Customer service Tip #3:

A savvy customer service person will use the time the computer takes to load or perform a transaction to chat with the customer. This needs to be systemised within your sales process. The more natural it is, the better the outcome, but it does need to be part of the process as much as getting a credit card slip signature.

So there you have it, 3 simple customer service tips that can help you make a difference to your retail sales – especially the valuable repeat sales that are a must for any retailer to build a profitable business foundation for the future.

This question is almost impossible to answer, because technology is changing at such a rapid pace and the bad news for you if you were planning to predict the future trends; the velocity is increasing at an exponential rate.

Terms such as “Social media”, “Facebook”, “Blogging”, “iPhone Applications”, “Convergence technology” which didn’t exist 5 years ago are now commonplace. A bevy of so called “Social media experts” are only a click away should your business need assistance and/or advice in this realm.

What did we do without this technology, and do we really need it? Is it an indulgence?

Take the Domino’s Pizza iPhone Application for example:

It’s a Pizza store in your pocket!

Ordering pizza pastas desserts and sides for pick up or delivery has never been easier, and most of all it’s fun. Order it anywhere anytime. It’s that simple. No registering online first, just download the app and you’re ready to go. Whether you are using it for the first time or the hundredth time placing an order is easy.

It’s your choice. Hot pizzas, pastas and salads or extras such as drinks and desserts. Fancy a pizza? View your pizza selection easily with the turnstile function. Found one you like? Tap the pizza to choose. A different screen will show you more details about the pizza.

In this screen you have the choice to select the number of pizzas you want, as well as the options to change the pizza base sauce, crusts or toppings, don’t want tomato but would like olives instead, no problem!

Finished customizing tap add to order and you will be taken back to the main menu to continuing ordering or complete your order. Your order details will update at the bottom of the screen in the ‘my order’ icon and will show how many item’s you’ve ordered and what the price is so far.

Finished, did you get everything?

Once you’ve finished, placing your order is easy. Select place your order and you’ll be taken to the payment page. Will it be cash or credit? Once you’ve selected place your order now your order will be sent to store and an order confirmation page will appear.

Once your order’s been placed with the store, you can track your order using the pizza tracker. See exactly when your order is being made when it’s cooking when it’s ready for pick-up is or when it’s on its way to your door. Keep your iPhone handy, track it and enjoy it.

What’s next, and will you and your business be at the forefront of technology or scratching your head wondering what the phone number for your local pizza shop is?

This app is only available at Domino’s Pizza thru iTunes.
For more information visit www.dominos.com.au