Product spotlight: NTS welcome manager – our efficient queuing and customer engagement solution
In our recent blog post, we shared insights from our research project exploring the potential of digital queuing solutions for telco retail settings. The findings from this research project have led to the creation of a dedicated software solution named NTS welcome manager, which was designed to streamline queue management processes specifically for telco stores. One of the key findings in our research was that customers’ perceived waiting times can be influenced positively by introducing a welcoming and queuing system.
The issue: barely manageable waiting times and highly diverse requirements
Telco stores, probably more than any other retail environment, are challenging because customer expectations and needs differ so strongly. On any given day, store employees might be required to solve a customer’s configuration issue, upgrade a subscription, give advice on current and upcoming devices or send a device off to manufacturer repair services. Amidst all that, they have to empathize with the customers, listen closely, anticipate the customer’s needs and keep track of the individual customer, their stories and requests. This creates high levels of stress for customers and consultants during peak hours and makes it difficult to predict consultation times.
The solution: a digital queue management solution with great user acceptance and flexibility
The challenge is to provide a welcoming environment, which makes customers feel well taken care of while also handling their requests as efficiently as possible. In order to be able to do so, store employees require a dynamic overview of the tasks at hand, so they can prioritize and assign customers to staff according to their specialties. As some requests, like picking up repair orders, can be handled immediately, other more time-consuming tasks (e.g. comprehensive product consultations) might better be scheduled for a different time.
How NTS welcome manager works
The software solution comes with a pre-selection of typical customer support workflows such as changing SIM cards, handing over devices for repair or providing product-specific consulting. Store managers use the intuitive interface to assign tasks and link them to individual customers. It’s even possible to take a customer’s picture (with their consent), so other employees can easily identify them when they show up for an appointment. This way, the customer immediately feels personally engaged instead of just like another “number” in a queue. This was another major takeaway from our research, which was continuously reconfirmed by our experiences during daily operation: customers really value personal contact and being referred to by name impacts the perceived customer experience.
Learn more about NTS welcome manager
So far, using NTS welcome manager has been a success story for our clients, as their store employees and customers alike show great acceptance for the solution and appreciate its positive impact. We are still looking into making our product even better and are researching additional use cases. Sign up for our newsletter and check back on our blog to keep up-to-date!
