Today’s consumers expect to see technology being used to improve their in-store customer service experience, and digital signage does just that.

Aside from attracting attention and increasing engagement levels, digital signage can give organisations the flexibility of deploying important individual customer communications within seconds. It can also influence purchase decisions, increase brand awareness, reduce print costs and reduce perceived waiting times whilst staff can concentrate on their organisation’s core objectives.

Some of the main uses of retail digital signage to give great customer service are:

Brand messaging/marketing

Digital signage is often used as a tool for displaying important brand messages or raising brand awareness. High-definition graphics and quality imagery can be used to attract the eyes of in-store customers.

Fashion retailers often use digital signage to display a catalogue of images for in-store inspiration and to aid the decision-making process.

Product information and assisted selling

Digital signage can be used to leverage upsells and impulse purchases at the point of sale by displaying important marketing messages associated with a specific product or service.

Signage can often be used to persuade customers into making a purchase decision through direct advertising or offering in-store discounts. Integration with back-end systems can help with stock control by pushing certain SKUs where there is a surplus for meeting in-store sales targets.

Third-party advertising

Fashion outlets can use digital signage to promote third-party advertisements and products. We see the potential for a brokerage-style system where brands can bid for advertising space, which will increase ROI on the adoption of digital signage. For example, a retailer that supplies branded products can give the different brands the option to pay to promote their brand in-store and drive sales.

Reduce perceived waiting times

David Maister, in “The Psychology of Waiting Lines,” says, “Occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time.” Retailers are employing this logic using digital signage to draw attention away from the wait itself and minimise boredom, offering more professional treatment for customers. By strategically placing digital signage around hotspots where dwell times are longest, relevant messaging can be displayed to entertain and inform customers.

Video walls and large digital displays located at till points provide endless possibilities for retailers to capture the attention of customers waiting in line. Integrating news updates, weather reports and sports events keep customers interested, whilst key business information reinforces brand engagement and company culture.

Entertainment

Digital signage is often used as a method of in-store entertainment, using high-definition animation and video to attract customers’ attention. The native video wall is ideal for displaying promotional videos and can be used as a method of entertaining the companions of in-store shoppers.

Personalisation

Nowadays, consumers expect to receive a highly personable service that is entirely tailored to their needs, shopping habits and previous buying behaviour. A customer can be recognised through facial recognition and interacting with the screen can make a customer’s experience more exciting.

Digital signage allows for content personalisation by allowing organisations to tap into all the data they have about a customer and auto-drive screen content, ultimately turning big data into smart data.