While retail appears fun and bubbly from the standpoint of shoppers, it is a highly stressful industry for retail employees. Competition within teams, competition with other businesses, inventory management, reaching targets, and impatient customers all contribute to a tough work environment. Surprisingly, one tiny chip can ease the struggle. In this blog post, we will explore how RFID technology can empower retail employees and increase their work satisfaction.
Why employee work satisfaction is so important in retail?
You know that feeling when you enter a store you like but this time something is different, the store staff are not friendly, they are irritated and make you feel unwelcomed. What do you do? Usually, you leave the store upset, right?
Most of the time, a bad customer service experience is the result of a frustrated or stressed employee who has lost his motivation and positivity. Therefore, work satisfaction and staff well-being should receive attention.
Role of RFID in retail
In short, RFID is a technology employing radio frequencies. In retail, an RFID solution integrates petite RFID tags, a reader, and a platform for collecting and scrutinizing data. By tagging every item in the inventory, staff can swiftly, efficiently, and precisely count, track, and manage stock, all without the hassle associated with manual labor-intensive tasks.
Employee well-being and satisfaction through RFID
RFID technology benefits retail businesses by improving stock accuracy, increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and providing greater control across the supply chain. But here is how RFID can promote employees' work satisfaction:
RFID helps them to sell more thanks to inventory accuracy
There is nothing more frustrating than motivated employees who are eager to sell but cannot due to frequent out-of-stocks. It feels like the seller has his hands tied behind his back. Thanks to RFID’s accuracy improvement, store sellers can sell more, simply because they have more items available for sale. In addition, they can more easily increase each sale with additional items.
Eventually, the store employees wish to increase their salary and reach their targets to get their bonuses. Additionally, a client leaving the store with a smile feels way better than receiving complaints. Hence, having stock accuracy improves the store employee well-being.
Reduce stress for retail employees
RFID reduces stress caused by inventory management for store workers. On a bigger scale, RFID eliminates the need for annual/bi-annual inventory counts. Those counts take hours to the night and require manual physical laborious work. In addition, the daily tasks related to stock receipt becoming quick and hassle-free. As a result, employees can focus on providing better customer service, and their overall mood is improved.
Innovative digitized work environment
Besides the rational benefits RFID brings such as time savings and a reduction in manual work while improving accuracy, RFID also offers an emotional benefit by being cool, innovative, and engaging.
Before, validating shipments was a tedious, dull manual process involving paper sheets. Now, it's transformed into an enjoyable experience using a nifty handheld gadget (scanner) that swiftly scans without requiring a direct line of sight. It's simply fun and cool. Same with Inventory counts.
Also, they have the chance to acquire new skills and actively engage in the company's operations—not just count the items. They can visualize the goals they're striving for, fueling their motivation to achieve them.
However, it’s important to recognize that implementing changes can pose challenges for any organization, especially in the beginning. Nevertheless, with a carefully crafted strategy and unwavering support during implementation, you can guide them toward adaptation.
Understanding that Chainlane aids companies with training materials and sessions to guarantee seamless transactions, it soon becomes evident that they'll question how they managed without it. After deployment store managers usually say one thing: "Please don’t take RFID from my store".
In conclusion, In the dynamic world of retail, where employees navigate through competitive landscapes and demanding customer expectations, the introduction of RFID technology emerges as a transformative force. This blog explored how RFID not only streamlines inventory management but also significantly impacts employee satisfaction and well-being. By enhancing stock accuracy, reducing stress associated with manual tasks, and fostering an innovative work environment, RFID empowers employees to excel in their roles. It's clear: RFID isn't just a technology upgrade; it's a catalyst for a more fulfilled and efficient retail workforce.