• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jul 5, 2022
  • Startup
    • Creating a Plan
    • Funding a Startup
    • Franchise Center
    • Getting Your Office Ready
    • Making Your Business Official
    • Marketing Your New Business
    • Personal Readiness
  • Run & Grow
    • Customer Service
    • Human Resources
    • Innovation
    • Legal
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
  • Leadership
    • Best Practices
    • Communication
    • Green Initiatives
    • Open Culture
    • Strategic Planning
    • People Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
    • Advertising and Lead Generation
    • Marketing Innovations
    • Marketing Plans
    • Online Marketing
    • Relationships
    • Sales Activities
  • Finance
    • Budgeting and Personal Finance
    • Payments and Collections
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Pricing Strategy
    • Working with Investors
    • Working with Lenders
  • Tech
    • eCommerce
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Security
    • Tech Reviews
    • Telecom
  • Shop

SmallBizClub

Helping You Succeed

Home / Leadership / How to Speed Up The Checkout Process For Your Customers
How to Speed Up The Checkout Process For Your Customers

How to Speed Up The Checkout Process For Your Customers

2234 Views

Apr 1, 2020 By Gary Wilkinson

One thing that’s absolutely certain when it comes to running a retail operation is that customers hate waiting in long lines. This is especially true during the Coronavirus social distancing guidelines, when people prefer not to stand too closely to one another.

The checkout process should be short, simple, and efficient. If your customers have to wait in line for more than just a few minutes, it’s time to take a closer look at why your checkout process isn’t working.

It could be that you’re just lacking the right tools, your employees need better training, or your store needs rearranging. Here, we’ll take a look at some common checkout problems and their solutions.

Use a POS System

POS systems are abundant in today’s markets, and for good reason. These simple but powerful modern business tools can help transform so much more than just your checkout process. From better inventory management to improved customer relationships and greater awareness, POS software and checkout speed are linked.

Better Inventory Management

One of the most important features of a POS system is its ability to help track and manage inventory in real-time. Don’t get stuck in the past by manually tracking inventory and struggling with outdated inventory software. With real-time tracking, you won’t have to worry about customers getting stuck at the registers asking if their favorite products are available.

Speedier Checkout

POS systems can process payments very quickly, which speeds up the entire checkout process and makes everyone happy. Not to mention, they can accept dozens of payment methods, from credit and debit cards to cash and even touchless payments.

You can also collect customer information at the checkout counter, which makes for better service later on.

Mobile Terminals

POS systems have a unique advantage over static registers; they’re often mobile. Operating on mobile devices, your POS software can go with you on the sales floor, and yes, you can perform a checkout on the floor!

If you’re processing payments directly on the sales floor, you’re getting customers checked out as soon as they’re ready, potentially saving a few minutes.

Rearrange Your Checkout

Sometimes, the problem with the checkout process is simply how the store is set up. Making your store more organized can help improve checkout times. If your store is crowded and the registers are located behind a maze of impulse-buy products, you’re likely setting yourself up for longer checkout times.

Simplify your set up in order to maximize your space and improve the overall efficiency of your checkout process.

Use the BOPIS System

Using BOPIS (buy online, pickup in-store) is a great way to reduce your checkout time. Customers can buy any of your in-store products on your website and have them waiting at the checkout counter when they arrive. Since the product is already paid for, you’re skipping 2/3rds of the checkout process!

If you’re going to start using the BOPIS system, ensuring you have good inventory management software is the key to a successful transition. You want your inventory management software to accurately track inventory being purchased from the store via your website, as a mix-up could cause all kinds of problems with your inventory counts.

Better Training

Your staff are on the frontlines of customer service and are crucial to the efficiency of your checkout process. If your staff isn’t trained properly, checkouts can take up to twice as long to complete, leaving everyone frustrated and the customer dissatisfied.

If you find your employees are struggling at the checkout counter, it’s time to enact some better training practices. Train employees to be polite and courteous, but also to keep things moving along; especially when the store is at its busiest.

Remind your employees that customers don’t appreciate long wait times and that problems should be addressed ASAP.

Email Your Receipts

A great way to reduce your business’s checkout wait times and your carbon footprint is by using email receipts instead of printed ones. The receipt will still look the same and serve the same purpose, but you won’t be paying for paper and ink to print receipts, and you’ll increase your checkout efficiency and reduce wait times. Those extra 30 seconds it takes to print a receipt can add up throughout the day!

The maintenance and ink/paper costs also add up over the months, costing your business thousands per year. With one simple change, you cand save money, increase efficiency and speed, and make your customers that much happier.

Final Thoughts

Speeding up your checkout process only serves to benefit the business and the customer in the long run. This should be the focus of any retail or sales operation, as long lines often cause customers to either walk out of the store or not come back at all. Consider the switch to a modern POS system if you’re looking to upgrade more than just your checkout process!

Filed Under: Customer Service, Leadership, Strategic Planning Tagged With: Inventory, Point of Sale

Gary Wilkinson

Gary Wilkinson

Gary Wilkinson is a 28-year internet marketer from the UK and is CEO of the Link Kings Agency.

Related Posts

  • Why Your Pizza Business Needs a Custom Ordering System
  • What are the EFTPOS Fees for Small Businesses?
  • Forecasting Demand and Sales Post Pandemic

Primary Sidebar

Random

5 Reasons Why The Office Still Matters

May 10, 2021 By John Moran

How to Choose a Location for Your Small Business

Oct 3, 2016 By SmallBizClub

Protecting Your Company: Asset Control

Jun 7, 2017 By TaxConnections

The Most Admired Entrepreneurs Are Servant Leaders

May 16, 2013 By Marty Zwilling

The “Chaotic” Buying Process

Nov 5, 2018 By Dave Brock

Random

11 Employee Benefits Millennials and Gen Z Value Most

Jul 4, 2022 By SmallBizClub

freelancers-are-the-new-entrepreneurs-for-services

5 Benefits to Using Freelancers for Your Small Business

Jul 1, 2022 By Lending Tree

6 Evergreen Content Ideas to Inspire Your Editorial Calendar

Jun 30, 2022 By Eleanor Hecks

Custom Pop-Up Tents for Events: Pros & Cons

Jun 29, 2022 By SmallBizClub

Want To Deliver Better Customer Service? Follow These Tips

Jun 29, 2022 By Jeremy Bowler

Footer

About Us

Small Biz Club is the premier destination for small business owners and entrepreneurs. To succeed in business, you have to constantly learn about new things, evaluate what you’re doing, and look for ways to improve—that’s what we’re here to help you do.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 by Tarkenton Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Privacy