One of the easiest ways retail brands can lose customers is by making them wait forever during the shopping process. Whether they are waiting in line to make a purchase or are dealing with customer service, there are a number of ways to reduce hold times, Multichannel Merchant reports.

First, retailers should consider giving their employees more power. While management should be involved with any big decision, forcing customers to wait because employees need a trivial override is inefficient.

Second, merchants should develop a knowledge base that can be easily accessed by employees. This will reduce time spent waiting for managers to answer common or basic questions.

Finally, the source suggests retailers should "have zero tolerance for agents who put customers on hold so they can chitchat with their neighbors."

Many customers feel they already spend too long during the point-of-sale checkout process. By streamlining operations and making it quicker, retail brands are better able to keep their shoppers happy and encourage future visits.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Thursday, March 1st, 2012 at 2:30 am .