Voice Picking In Retail

August 2012 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

By Kelly Ungs, sr. director global channel sales, Wavelink

In an on-demand world where customer service is key, voice picking can have many benefits for the retailer.

We have become a society that craves instant gratification — you name it, we want it, now. With the onslaught of social media, customers are enabled and given the power to voice their opinions. Be it the good, the bad, or the ugly — opinions are heard instantaneously by hundreds, even thousands, of friends and social acquaintances.

Social media have put retailers in a precarious situation when dealing with the public. To eliminate costly negative feedback, it is critical to ensure that customers are taken care of as soon as and as accurately as possible. If customers only knew what it took to make sure they got their products, they might be more patient or expect to pay more. For example, last year during the holiday season, UPS remarked that for each package it shipped, it would take a ride on a couple of airplanes, would be scanned more than 20 times, and would then take a ride on 155 miles of conveyor belts within a distribution warehouse before it was dispatched to its final destination.