Is Loyalty Alive or Dead?

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New POS Terminal by Radiant Sysems Offers Superior Performance

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Referral Program

The Gold Support Service Advantage

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Most Retail Companies Are Dead Wrong About Customer Service

Is Loyalty Alive Or Dead? 
By Rick Segel

In almost every speech I make I say that loyalty is dead, but keeping the customer interested is in.
 
What I mean by that is due to the amount of competition, customers can easily be lured away from a business that they have patronized for years.  Examples are the jeweler that learns that one of his oldest customers bought a $10,000 diamond bracelet while she was on an anniversary cruise in the islands.  Or the local book store whose best customer buys an expensive book online from Amazon.com because she read the review online and said to herself, "Why not place the order?"

My point is that customers, regardless of how good they are, will just drift away if we don't do something to constantly keep their interest.  As bad as that might be, it gets even worse.  You have, or you think you have, a very loyal customer and you make a mistake with them.  How long will they stay loyal?

Two things happened to me that made me write this tip.  First, I was the opening keynote speaker at an economic summit in Colorado.  Another speaker who followed me contradicted my assertion that loyalty was dead. He said it's alive and well.  OK, so we disagreed.  It's probably just his interpretation and he is entitled to his opinion, even though I have never had anyone really question my premise before.

I had almost forgotten the discussion of loyalty when my wife experienced something that destroyed the loyalty she had with a retailer.  Two-and-a-half years ago we bought a spa for our home on Cape Cod.  I met a wonderful spa dealer when I spoke at the Aqua Pool and Spa Show.  He was not the closest dealer to where we lived but we did include them in our short list of potential dealers.  We drove about 45 minutes to get to the store but we saw what we liked, the prices seemed competitive, and the people were wonderful.  So we bought the spa from them.

To read the rest of the article please press here.

New POS Terminal by Radiant Systems Offers Superior Performance   Source: Radiant Systems Inc.

Fit-for-purpose Solution Offers Greater Uptime and Longer Life

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Expanding its line of innovative point-of-sale products for the hospitality and retail markets, Radiant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: RADS - News ) announces the launch of the Radiant P1520 Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal.  The Intel®-based, solid-state, wireless-ready system offers operators a powerful, reliable and flexible hardware solution designed for non-stop performance in demanding restaurant and retail environments.

The launch of the P1520 POS continues Radiant's track record of success in delivering POS systems that combine leading technologies, superior ease-of-use, fast return to service and low total cost of ownership to restaurant and retail operators of all sizes.  Key value-added features of the Radiant P1520 POS include:

• Intel mobile architecture for high performance and faster speed of service
• Bright 15-inch color touch screen display with a wide range of tilt motion for improved ergonomics and ease-of-use
• Solid-state fan-less electronics, offering quiet system operation, durability and a longer useful
  life 
• Support for five different customer display options, including multimedia displays and
  interactive displays 
• Up to 13 peripheral ports, allowing restaurant and retail operators to connect the POS to virtually any device needed to run the business
• Rugged, solid-state power supply designed specifically for the harsh demands of POS applications

In addition, the P1520 POS system's optional built-in wireless networking allows for flexible terminal placement.  Restaurant and retail operators can station the POS wherever they need it to be without the constraints of network cables to optimize staff productivity, service speed and customer throughput.

"Restaurant and retail operators are applying more sophisticated software applications, multimedia and a variety of supporting devices in their ongoing efforts to enhance customer service levels and grow revenue," said Carlyle Taylor, president of computer products at Radiant Systems.  "It is critical for operators to have POS hardware that can support these complex requirements and stand up to hours of continuous operation in a demanding environment.  The Radiant P1520 POS addresses these needs in an innovative, compelling way, combining leading technology components, unmatched flexibility and adaptability, and exceptional reliability - all at an affordable total cost of ownership."

Radiant POS Terminals have been tested and approved to work with Retail
Pro Version 8.  For more information contact Bob Evans at (303)738-1800
Ext. 303 or at bob.evans@armsys.com.

Tech Tips

How to set up and to use a gift receipt in Microsoft Point of Sale. 

You have 2 options.  Option 1 does not list the items. 
Option 2 does list the items.  Option 2 is the recommended method for setup.

OPTION 1 - Gift receipts that do not include a list of purchased items

To set up the standard gift receipt that is supplied with Microsoft POS, follow these steps:

1. On the Store menu, point to Registers, and then click Receipt
    Formats.
2. Right-click the current receipt format, and then click Edit. 
3. Click the Sales tab, scroll to the end of the list of options, and then
    locate the Print Gift Receipt option. 
4. In the Value column next to Print Gift Receipt, type False, and then
    click Save and Close. 
5. Restart Microsoft POS. Every receipt will now start with the gift receipt.
    The gift receipt will be followed by the standard receipt.

The gift receipt will contain the following information.

The following standard store information:
? Logo
? Store name
? Address
? City
? State
? ZIP/Postal Code
? Telephone number
? Gift receipt in bold letters
? Date
? Time
? Cashier
? Register
? Transaction number and bar code

Note Items, prices, and transaction totals are not printed on this gift receipt.

Referral Program

Receive $250 credit on account or 2 Client Service hours every time you refer a new customer that purchases Microsoft Retail Management System*. Microsoft Retail Management System has grown to be the premier Inventory Control/POS software for small to mid-tier retailers.

Whether you know a single store or a 20-store chain, Microsoft Retail Management System provides the technology for retailers to excel.

Call your sales person today at 800-305-0461 or complete the form below to refer another retailer and start earning valuable rewards!

Call your sales person today or click on the link below to refer another retailer and start earning valuable rewards!  http://rms.armsys.com/reqreferral.htm

*Minimum purchase of $10,000 required .

The Gold Support Service Advantage

Whether you are an existing Gold Support customer or a customer considering our premier support plan, we wanted to make sure you were aware of the benefits of Gold Support Service.  In addition to support during regular business hours, Gold Support Service has the following added benefits:

Emergency Technical Support (ETS):  Gold Support includes ETS at no additional charge.  ETS is available 365 days-a-year, during the week after-hours and on weekends and holidays.  The hours for ETS during the week are: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  The hours for ETS on weekends and holidays are 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Mountain Day Time).  ETS is offered for emergency support. Examples of ETS are customers who have data corruption, when a system is down, or when you cannot make a sale at POS.

Courtesy Calls:  Gold Support Service includes courtesy calls.  In the past short training questions and questions on your hardware were considered Client Services.  Courtesy calls are now included with Gold Support Service at no additional charge.  A courtesy call is typically 15 minutes or less and could be a training question or any type of general assistance on your Retail Pro system.  Keep in mind formal, scheduled training is still tracked as Client Services.

Key Features of Gold Support:
     *Toll free 800 number to call for support 
     *Unlimited support incidents for 12 months
     *Available during regular business hours 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain
       Time
     *Includes Emergency Technical Support (ETS) at no additional charge     
     *Includes Courtesy Calls for training questions and general assistance.
     *Priority response time - calls are typically responded to within 1 hour
     *Includes unlimited access to ARMS' Online Support Services:
            Log a call online
            Search AnswerBook
            Review open calls online
            Downloads

If you are interested in signing up for Gold Support Service please contact Marta Witt (303) 738-1800 ext 323 or email her at marta.witt@armsys.com

Sales Tip

Help People Treat Themselves. 

When finding out who is on your customer's shopping list, don't forget your customer! According to BIG Research/NRF data (reported in Specialty Retail Report, Fall 2006) "last year consumers planned to spend an additional 17.7 billion on themselves. Men were most generous to themselves, spending $108.87."

So, when thinking of ways to expand sales, remember to make the offer to your customer. Have a BOGO or  similar multiple item offer? Recommend one or more as gifts and one for the customer. Or once the customer has selected an item simply ask, "How about treating yourself to one of these too?"

Meet Our Staff

Cathy Shields - Inventory Control

Cathy is the newest member of ARMS Accounting Team.  She has been with the company for 2 ½ months.  Cathy manages all of ARMS inventory and is responsible for shipping and receiving.  Included with this Cathy also handles Accounts Payable.  Working with ARMS is an enjoyment for Cathy.  "I like the atmosphere and teamwork." 

Her background before coming to work at ARMS was as an operations manager for a large distribution facility in Denver.  She worked in this field for 16 years.  Prior to this she was an office manager for a medical collections company in Boulder, CO. 

When not at work Cathy spends her free time bicycling, walking and enjoying family activities with her three daughters.  Originally from Iowa, she has called Colorado home since she was age 5. 

Most Retail Companies are Dead Wrong about Customer Service! from Anne M. Obarski

Strive for a POSITIVE 5

The service a customer expects and what they actually receive can be two totally different things. I have noticed recently, that more companies are marketing that they offer great customer service but in reality what they are delivering is merely the efficient services of a team of "clerks" or at best, order-takers.

I define the outdated word "clerk" as someone who completes the transactional part of the sale as quickly as possible and is on to the next customer. Their communication skills are poor at best and the need for those who are efficient at multitasking is high on the priority list.

Schedules have been trimmed so much that the time required to actually build a relationship with a customer is almost non-existent.

I often wonder where the time needed to actually "politely wait on a customer" fits into the daily priority list?

That question was very apparent to me the other day. I had just taken the last picture on my "old style" 35 mm camera and needed to take the film in to my "favorite" pharmacy to get developed. That routine now sounds rather prehistoric in the scheme of digital cameras and fancy color printers.

My camera uses a special type of film that can only be developed in one hour at certain stores. I wanted the film developed in a hurry as it was for my daughter who was leaving town and she wanted to take copies of some of the pictures with her. I drove to my "favorite" pharmacy where I know they can process them quickly because they just added a special machine to handle my type of film.

As I approached the front door of my "favorite" pharmacy, which by the way has only three letters for a name, I noted a new "sign" that I had not seen before. It said "We Strive for Five; If our employees don't score a "Perfect Five" feel free to ask to see a manager. " I assumed, before entering the store, that the employees must have been through some type of customer service "training" program and that the customers were allowed to be the judge of whether the employees were putting to use what they learned.

I approached the photo counter and started to fill out the envelope for my film and heard the following words from a sales associate I had yet to make eye contact with. "We are really busy and won't be able to get to your film today and someone called off for tomorrow so I don't think tomorrow is a good possibility, why don't you take them to the grocery store across the street?"

Well, how is that for striving for customer service?

The sales associate then glared at me over her "half-eye" bifocals and I responded by looking her square in the eye and said, "I will wait until the pictures are ready because I don't have any other choice. You see, the store across the street doesn't process this type of film and my only other choice is Wal-Mart and they are twenty-five minutes away!!"

She still looked rather miffed that I was still standing there and she quipped as she took my envelope, "Well, I can't promise they will be done tomorrow but you can try after 3 p.m."

I think this employee failed the training program.

What I expected when I came in and what I actually received was a huge disconnect. She certainly didn't make the connection between good customer service and her need to let me know how overworked she was! Big mistake!

I look at good customer service like a light switch. You can turn it off or on and but it is all about the energy flowing between two sources that is required to make a positive connection.

So I am going to re-write their training program and call it, "Strive for a POSITIVE 5"!

Part 2 will appear in January 2007