by Cari Palmer, Enterprise Sales Consultant, Apex Order Pickup Solutions
I’d like to think that one of my top skills is knowing when to ask for help.
We can’t do it all, right?
So, when it comes to my car, if it’s not a basic jump or “press the button” situation, I get help.
Recently, my car battery died. Being the proud, tech-forward individual I am, I went straight online and—after entering a few pieces of information—selected the right battery from the in-stock recommendations at my local auto parts store.
While waiting for the alert that my order was ready to pick up, I coordinated a jump from my neighbor. I also lined up a friend who, thankfully, was at home that day and said he could help me swap the old battery out for the new. All I had to do now was grab it from the store.
It was a perfect plan: I’d leave my car running at the auto parts store while I ran in and grabbed the new battery. I’d then take the new one over to my friend’s house, swap the two out, and be on my way—minimizing my time away from work.
When I received notification that my order was ready for pickup, the plan was in motion. My neighbor jumped my car. I alerted my friend I was headed to the store for a quick pickup and that I’d be there soon with the new battery. It was go time!
But when I arrived at the store, the parking lot was crowded. Several hoods were up with people standing around, waiting.
As planned, I left my car running and went inside only to be met by another crowd. It was a long line of people and no one at the counter to help.
I began worrying about my still-running car out in the lot. A few tense minutes passed. Where was everyone? How much longer would we have to wait to checkout?
I noticed my battery sitting behind the counter and was tempted to just grab it when someone from line went outside. They flagged down an employee and asked if anyone was available to check us out.
“No problem,” the employee said. But we’d have to wait until they were done helping the other customers in the lot who arrived ahead of us. Then we would be checked out.
After 20 more minutes, with my car still running and my stress rising for being away from work for so long, I went online to find another auto parts store.
This time, I called to confirm they had a battery in stock and told them, since it was close by, that I’d be there in 5 minutes to pick it up.
I could have bought it online again, but I was already running late and couldn’t wait around for a pickup notification. So, my new plan was to drive to the other store, walk in, find my battery, have an employee check me out, and go meet my friend to swap it before more time passed.
So, I abandoned the line at my original pickup and raced to the other store.
To my delight, when I arrived at the new store, an employee was available. He immediately grabbed my battery, checked me out, and even offered to install it. He said he could have me out in under 15 minutes.
What a relief!
I texted my friend who was standing by at his house, waiting to help me. I thanked him for his kindness and told him his services were no longer needed.
However, the customer behind me in this new line wasn’t happy. He was in a hurry.
And, like me at the first store, he had ordered a part online, but now had to wait to pick it up while I was being taken care of.
Unfortunately, this customer made no attempt to hide his frustration from the kind employee who was helping me.
I couldn’t help but think that had both stores offered automated order pickup, the first one wouldn’t have lost my business (i.e. a sale and customer) and the second wouldn’t have had to deal with an angry, in a hurry customer who just wanted to grab their order and go.
As an employee of a company that specializes in automating the “last inch order handoff” with intuitive technology, you can imagine how this experience struck a chord.
Apex smart locker solutions make a quick, no assistance needed pickup possible.
They free up employees to help their in-store customers, while DIY and ecommerce customers (like me in my dead battery saga) grab what they need, when they need it, and are on their way.
That means no more waiting in will-call lines before someone can help. No more employees rushing service with in-store customers to meet online pickup demands.
And no more frustrated customers bouncing to a competitor.
With our solutions, customers know they can place an order for in-store pickup and, once they receive the text with the pickup code, do a quick grab-n-go of the order. No waiting, no frustration.
It’s a net positive, all the way around!
The good news is that we’re all becoming more conditioned for self-serve pickup in our lives.
So, it’s comforting to know that there are companies out there listening to their customers, considering what they want and adopting these solutions, as a result.
Because they make us all—customers, employees, owners—more efficient, more productive, and less frustrated.
Discover how Apex Smart Locker Solutions can help you create the best order pickup experience for your customers by eliminating unnecessary crowds and wait times at the will-call counter.