A customer walks into a furniture store, selects a sectional, arranges financing, and completes the purchase.
Before closing the sale, the salesperson has likely already checked availability, discussed delivery expectations, and answered questions about when the customer can expect to receive the merchandise.
That information matters. The sectional might be available in the retailer’s warehouse, at another store location, or need to be ordered from the manufacturer. If the customer is purchasing several pieces, not everything may be available at the same time.
Most retailers would prefer to coordinate one delivery when the entire order is ready. But that isn’t always practical. A customer may want the available merchandise delivered immediately rather than waiting for the remaining items.
That creates another decision. Does the retailer make multiple deliveries at no additional charge to keep the customer happy? Does the customer pay an additional delivery fee? Or does everyone agree to wait until the order is complete?
Different retailers handle these situations differently, and even the same retailer may make different decisions depending on the customer, the merchandise, and the circumstances.
Whatever the arrangement, the order needs to be managed accurately so the warehouse, delivery team, and customer service employees know what was promised and what still needs to happen. The sale may be complete, but the retailer’s responsibility to the customer isn’t.
It’s why choosing retail software based primarily on its point-of-sale capabilities can create problems for furniture, mattress, appliance, and consumer electronics retailers.
The sale is only one part of the transaction
Most point-of-sale systems are designed to do the obvious things well: identify merchandise, calculate the amount due, accept payment, and produce a receipt.
For many retail businesses, that covers a substantial portion of the transaction. But consider a bedroom set that isn’t entirely in stock. The dresser might be available immediately. The bed could be coming from another location. The nightstands may need to be ordered from the manufacturer.
The salesperson can explain those circumstances during the sale. The retailer then needs to manage the items as part of one customer order, even if they become available at different times. Add consumer financing, delivery arrangements, and a possible service request after the merchandise reaches the customer’s home, and the original transaction is only one part of the work.
Retailers need systems that account for what happens before, during, and after the sale.
Product availability affects more than inventory
One of the most important questions a salesperson needs to answer is also one of the simplest: When can I get it?
That question often comes up well before the customer is ready to make a purchase. The salesperson needs to know whether the product is available, where it’s located, and when the customer can reasonably expect to receive it.
If the merchandise is in the warehouse, that’s one conversation. If it’s available at another location, there may be additional coordination involved. If it needs to be ordered from the manufacturer, the salesperson needs reliable information about expected availability.
When that information isn’t readily accessible, employees may need to call another department, check a separate system, or promise to follow up later. And sometimes, that delay costs the retailer the sale.
A customer who can’t get a clear answer may decide to visit another store. If that retailer can confirm availability and provide a delivery date, the customer may make the purchase there instead.
That’s why product availability isn’t simply an inventory-management issue. It’s a sales issue. Salespeople need accurate information while they’re working with customers, not after the customer has left the showroom. And once the sale is made, that same information needs to remain available to the people responsible for fulfilling the order.
Financing needs to be part of the sales process
Consumer financing is an important part of many furniture, mattress, appliance, and electronics purchases. A customer may be ready to buy, but the financing decision can influence the products they select and how the transaction is completed.
When financing operates separately from the sales process, employees may have to move between systems or repeat information. The same consideration applies to payment processing.
Retailers should evaluate how financing and payment technologies work with their broader retail applications, not simply whether a financing option or payment terminal is available. The goal is to make the transaction manageable for employees while giving customers a straightforward purchasing experience.
Delivery is part of the customer experience
Furniture and appliances introduce another complication: getting the merchandise into the customer’s home. Delivery isn’t always a matter of handing a package to a carrier.
A retailer may need to coordinate merchandise arriving from different locations or manufacturers, determine when the complete order will be ready, and schedule delivery based on the customer’s expectations. When items arrive at different times, the retailer may also need to decide whether to make a partial delivery, hold the order until everything is available, or arrange an additional delivery at an agreed-upon cost.
When delivery information is disconnected from the original order, employees may spend time tracking down answers that should already be available. And when something goes wrong, the customer usually calls the retailer—not the software company, warehouse system, or delivery provider.
The customer experience doesn’t end when the salesperson closes the sale. It continues until the merchandise is delivered and any outstanding issues are resolved.
Customer service doesn’t stop at delivery
Imagine a customer calling three weeks after receiving a dining table. There’s a problem with one of the chairs. The employee answering the phone needs to understand the original purchase, determine whether the issue was previously reported, and identify the next step.
If that information is spread across paperwork, email messages, and separate applications, resolving a relatively simple issue becomes more difficult. The same challenge applies to damaged merchandise, missing parts, warranty questions, and other post-delivery concerns.
These aren’t unusual exceptions in specialty retail. They’re part of operating the business. A retail system should help employees maintain the connection between the original transaction and the service that follows.
What retailers should ask when evaluating software
A demonstration of a modern POS screen can be impressive. But retailers should look beyond how quickly someone can complete a sale. Ask the software provider to walk through an actual transaction from your business.
- Can a salesperson find product information and check availability while working with a customer?
- What happens when an order includes merchandise from multiple locations or vendors?
- How are financing and payment processing handled?
- Can employees follow an order from the original sale through fulfillment and delivery?
- What information is available when the customer calls with a problem after delivery?
Pay attention to the answers, but also to how the system handles exceptions. A straightforward sale is easy to demonstrate. The more revealing test is what happens when an item is unavailable, a delivery changes, or a customer needs assistance after the purchase.
Retail software should reflect how the business operates
There is nothing inherently wrong with a generic POS system. For the right business, it may be exactly what’s needed. But established furniture, mattress, appliance, and consumer electronics retailers often have operational requirements that extend well beyond the register.
At eRetail Systems, we’ve spent years working with retailers that depend on their technology to support the entire transaction—not just the moment the customer pays. That experience helped shape the eRetail Application Suite (eRAS), which connects important retail workflows from product lookup and point of sale through order management, delivery, and post-delivery customer service.
The question isn’t simply whether your software can complete a sale. It’s whether your software can support everything your business needs to do after that sale is made.
Learn more about the eRetail Application Suite (eRAS) or contact our team to discuss your retail operation.