Learning about Technology in Charity Retail

Getting charities to embrace digital change was a big movement in 2016. We’ve seen more charities begin to turn to technology to help improve their productivity and profitability. This year is likely to see a further push for charities to adopt technological solutions and get ahead of the game.

It is worrying to hear that 56% of charity team leaders don’t have a clear plan for the ongoing digital transformation of their organisation. Perhaps this is because almost half of those asked by Civil Society said they don’t understand it!

Remaining in the dark about the increasing digitisation of the 21st century could be more damaging than you think for the growth of your charity. Technology is now an inherent part in how we live and work and while many are understandably hesitant to this change, learning about it shouldn’t be something to fear. Nobody expects you to become an IT expert; being selective about what you focus on could make learning about the digital world easier than you think.

Opening your mind to the digital and technological sphere will develop your personal skills, ease your working life and contribute to the success of your organisation.

2017 tech trends only look to get smarter. Words like virtual reality, machine learning and big data are discussed at such a rate that it is often difficult for us to keep up. In for-profit retail, EPOS systems are commonplace and the use of tablets on the shop floor to search stock and collect customer feedback is also becoming more prevalent. In many organisations, back office operations are being digitised, data stored electronically and business intelligence software is allowing brands to engage more thoroughly with staff and customers.

Although digitally transforming the third sector is being discussed with a little more urgency, it probably still sounds a lot more frightening than it is. Taking the first step is often the hardest but there are lots of tools you can adopt at little to no cost to you. Websites such as MOOCEDX  and BBC Learning offer free online courses so you and your volunteers can brush up on your skills from home.

It’s always a good idea to collaborate with local businesses so don’t be afraid to ask them for help, hold innovation sessions and discuss any issues you may have. Creating conversations with corporate companies can open to door to meaningful partnerships and opportunities to share skills that both parties can benefit from.

To reiterate; don’t be afraid to take the first steps to incorporating digital technology into your organisation. Even small changes can lead to big results.

Complexity, often not required!

Complexity, this topic is one I find myself coming back to on a daily basis. Good and functional code does not have to be the same thing as complex code! I found a lovely example of this today.

The problem is simple; Establish a way to link Team City builds to a deployed APK or IPA.

Searching the internet showed me that this is a prime example of over-engineering at its best, with build runners flying around here and plugins flying around there. Not required!! All you need is a simple understanding of how Cordova links its version to its generated .APK or .IPA and a way to interact with this.

The config.xml file has a section in it called widget. It contains an attribute called version.

One simple Team City build step that runs a powershell script which alters this value to your desired build number before the build process generates your install files and you have a version linked to a build for all the generated outputs you just produced.

[xml] $xml = Get-Content './config.xml'
 $xml.widget.version = $version
 $xml.Save($path);

Every build process will have a way to track build numbers. So just pass in your build version in the format Major.Minor.Build and you’re all set.

Simple.

Matthew Bird, Senior Developer

5 Ways BI Improves Customer Service

One of the most important aspects of a hospitality business is it’s customer service. There’s no doubt that providing good customer service is integral to success within the sector, particularly when good reviews and referrals are so important for generating new custom.  BI helps with numerous aspects of a business, from simplifying big data to reducing fraud and can also be very useful for improving customer service.

Here’s how BI can help:

Spot trends

Being able to identify certain patterns in customer behaviour means you can know which products sell at what times during which seasons. Making sure you have the desired products available when the customer desires them (and is most likely to purchase them) is important for encouraging repeat custom, good reviews and increasing saleability.

Track stock levels

Ensuring you have the correct products in stock when the customer requires them is equally important. This prevents complaints from customers that your restaurant was out of stock of their desired products. This is most prevalent in seasonal drinks promotions such as making sure you have enough stock to make more cold drinks in the summer.

Staff scheduling

Being understaffed puts strain on your staff, leading to mistakes, slow service and unsatisfied customers. BI can tell you who your most productive employees are and what your optimum sale time is. Having the right staff and the right amount of staff working at the right times can really contribute to providing customers with the best service possible.

Prominent customer voice

Three quarters of adults in the US choose a restaurant based on online search results. Reviews are more important than ever and customers expect to be listened to. Having software that can collect feedback data makes it much quicker for the customers’ voice to get to the owner of an organisation. This makes it much easier for the owner to take feedback on board and make reactive decisions about any changes the business should make.

Deeper analysis = deeper customer satisfaction

Fundamentally, understanding your customer will allow you to provide them with the best customer service possible. Knowing what your customer wants and when they want it means you can make more informed decisions about your business and what it offers. Providing good products that customers truly require will encourage repeat custom and receive better reviews and referrals.

Combining these components and using Business Intelligence to make the right decisions about your organisation will ensure that your customer service is second to none. Data analytics can be very useful to improve many aspects of a business. If you’d like to know how else Business Intelligence can improve your business, get in touch at info@pxtech.com or 01332 921 300.

Keeping Good People

In the world of IT it can be challenging to keep good people. The demand for skilled developers and other IT professionals is booming and more companies are upping their game and offering better perks and “à la mode” cultures to match those of the bigger companies such as Airbnb, Google and Facebook, to name but a few.

With this demand come the vultures, circling outside your building ready to dive on any employee that shows any sign of doubt or itchy feet. They use all tools available to them including things like LinkedIn or even trying to smart their way past the receptionist on the phone by coming up with some elaborate story of why they need to talk to so and so.

But when an employee does plan to jump ship, does throwing more money at them in the hope of retaining them actually work? Are you just delaying the inevitable? Is money really everyone’s first priority?

Obviously money makes the world go round and it’s always going to be high on our requirements, but it’s not what drives most people. A question worth asking yourself is “would you value an employee whose only motivation was money?”

Don’t get me wrong; money is high up there on our list. Many of us live to our means and become accustomed to a certain income, having mortgages, car loans, childcare outgoings, and if like me a healthy shoe obsession to keep funded.

However, when I look at my colleagues and those that apply to work for us, there are more important factors in keeping us satisfied and happy at work.

These are:

Job stability

Recently during interviews I’ve been asked more often about what customers we have, what’s our growth strategy and what are our long and short term goals. With Brexit driving further economic uncertainty employees are looking for stability.

Sadly, I’ve heard a number of times about employees taking a new job and then finding the situation quickly changes due to buy outs, new management and redundancies.

Additionally, particularly in smaller companies the rumour mill turns quickly. Ensuring employees have visibility of change and the goals and aspirations of the company will make sure you can control the information and message that gets put out there.

 Training and personal development

Structured personal development and training opportunities are a must for most career focused employees. Annual reviews are a great time to set clear objectives that meet the employee’s career aspirations but also follow the company’s strategic goals.

Employees can get caught up in the now and sometimes objectives get set aside so monthly reviews are a great opportunity to take the time to discuss how they are getting on, adjust objectives if their ambitions change direction and renew focus.

Having this focus and structure on personal development ensure that the employee feels they own their career progression and enables them to climb the ladder.

 Poetic licence

There is nothing a developer likes more than to be given free range to tinker with new technology and get the opportunity to do new things. Finding this opportunity for them to whet their creative appetite without high costs to the customer or high risks to us is a sure way of keeping developers happy. Well, that and lots of tea!

 Working environment

Ok, so I’m not saying you need to go installing a fireman’s pole or slide in your office for employees to get downstairs but having modern furnishing and an area for employees to get away from their desks really goes a long way to promoting employee well-being and productivity.

It’s also great to build relations within the team but sometimes team building exercises can feel forced and have little impact. Instead having an optional Friday lunch at the pub or activities such as games nights, climbing, laser quest or bowling have proven to have higher participation.

Participating in charity events such as ‘Giving Tuesday’, ‘Macmillan Coffee Mornings’ and maybe the local 10K race are also great opportunities to get everyone mingling whilst also raising money for charities. One of the favourites at PXtech is the Marie Curie Charity Quiz Night that always gets a large number of people putting their name in a hat to be part of the yearly team.

Most importantly don’t forget to celebrate events such as birthdays, marriages and births with a bit of cake!

In conclusion, never forget that while money is important, basing staff retention purely on wages gives competitors an easy target to beat when attempting to poach employees. By giving people multiple reasons to stay, woven into every facet of their work life, you can operate with much more confidence that employees are building a future not only for themselves, but as part of the company on a long-term basis.

Kerry Townsend, Director of Hospitality Business

Three Ways Better Communication Can Boost Volunteer Engagement

volunteer engagement

Communication can solve a world of problems. When working in a charity shop, the best tool our engineers have at their command is being able to explain what they are doing, why, and how it will benefit the people working in the shop. Making people feel at ease and in the know ensures our work goes ahead with everyone feeling comfortable and happy with what is going on around them. Engagement relies upon communication in order to be effective.

Communicating with your volunteers on a regular basis and through a variety of mediums can help keep them engaged and motivated to work for your charity. There are many reasons why communication beyond the generic email can keep your volunteers motivated. Here are a just a few:

It makes them feel listened to, trusted and valued

Creating a two-way flow of conversation assures the volunteer that someone is always available should they have any problems. It also means they can voice ideas, opinions and suggestions that aren’t just lost in an email thread. Relaying important information to them regularly instils confidence and gives them responsibility so that they know that they’re an important member of the team. Valuing them in this way means they know they are making a real difference and the work they are doing is worthwhile.

It results in a more efficient working environment  

How often do we get to work and forget what we did yesterday? Let alone what we did last week? Updating volunteers on tasks that have been completed, tasks that need doing next and what needs doing right now means that everyone is in the know. Making sure volunteers know what is ahead of them makes them feel more confident and comfortable in the work that they are doing while also ensuring all tasks get done, are not repeated and the working day is more efficient.

You can remind them of new initiatives

Having a space for regular news updates would be beneficial to keep the latest events in the forefront of volunteers’ mind. Reminding them of your latest marketing initiatives or encouraging them to ask customers specific questions when they make a sale could seriously boost results. A prompt on your EPOS system that gives volunteers a gentle nudge to ask customers to sign up for Gift Aid or a loyalty card will likely see an increase in both of these, as well as encourage your volunteers to engage with customers.

While increasing engagement has huge benefits, there are also other positives that emerge from enhanced communication. Allowing Head Office and regional managers to have a full view of what messages stores are receiving ensures complete visibility across the organisation. In addition, happy and valued volunteers are more likely to remain with your charity and promote the organisation by word of mouth and their own use of social media. Investing some time in creating innovative ways to improve communication could well be worth your time.

Technology Isn’t Destroying Engagement

Technology engagement

There has been much discussion surrounding whether the introduction of technology in restaurants is actually positive. Many claim that using tablets or computers when taking orders lessens the need for human interaction and removes the traditional authenticity of eating out as a form of social escapism. However there are many who disagree and it doesn’t take long to find numerous people championing technology within the industry.

After all the research and work we have done for those working within restaurants, QSRs and fast-casual dining, it is difficult not to see how technology and IT solutions enhance their working environment.

In this day and age, almost all eateries will have an electronic POS. Gone are the days of noisy cash drawers and difficult calculations. EPOS provides a quick and easy service that fully favours the industry, easing working life for all involved with no disruption to human interaction.

While self-serve machines and ordering through tablets may appear as though it removes the human interaction aspect of dining out, we thoroughly disagree. Collecting information about the customer within a digital database allows us to listen, grow and learn what the customer really wants.

By analysing behavioural data, restaurant owners can engage with their customers on a deeper level than ever before. Being able to predict or prioritise customer needs means that they feel like they’re receiving a personalised service every time they dine. While good servers of old may remember regular customers eating habits, it would be near impossible to have new and relevant data at their fingertips – no matter how good their memory is!

Not only do we get to learn more about the customer but the customer can now find out more about the restaurant. With the use of mobile apps and websites, they have nutritional information, calories and values at their fingertips. They have more details than ever about the restaurant, the food it serves and the people behind it.

This means that without even having to meet, consumer and restaurant know more about each other than previously possible. And while this may sound counterproductive (why speak to the customer if we can already predict what they’re going to order?) we believe it opens the door to varying levels of engagement and interaction between customer and restaurant.

A two-way feedback stream is only one major benefit. Getting to know what items work, what doesn’t and why allows the restaurant to create a space within which the customer is already engaged before they even step through the door.

Technology is quickly becoming integral to human existence and many continue to lambaste it as ruining the authenticity of human engagement. This isn’t necessarily true. Certainly, it is changing the way we interact with one another and altering how we engage but to shun it completely in a world in which technology is becoming so intrinsic would be madness.

Five Ways to Guarantee a Good Hardware Installation

Charity Hardware Installation

Having new hardware installed can be a stressful time for volunteers and staff in a store. Closing the doors while this takes place would make things easier, but few shops will want to give up valuable trading hours for this! Here PXtech’s Service Delivery Manager, Chris Hardy, discusses five simple steps you can take to prepare which will ensure a successful install with a minimum of stress.

 1.      Make sure the decision maker is available

 It’s rare that things go exactly to plan. Having a senior person on site who can work with the engineer to decide how unexpected problems should be handled minimises delays. 

2.      Have a plan and make some space

If a new POS system is going to be installed, think about where it will go and clear a space, bearing in mind the space needed for credit card terminals, barcode scanners, etc. Being able to come straight into a prepared area means the new hardware can be in place and in use as quickly as possible.

 3.      Talk to your staff and volunteers, and make sure they are comfortable

One of the biggest obstacles to a successful deployment of new technology can be getting engagement from the people who will actually be using it. Making sure that the volunteers are briefed not only on the introduction of the new system but the benefits it will bring to the organisation and to them personally will make any training and the first few days of use go much more smoothly!

 4.      Talk to the engineer

Having a professional PXtech engineer on site can be really valuable, so make the most of his time in the shop. Share any concerns you might have, ask questions, and make suggestions on how things can be laid out to best support your shop operations. Our engineers are a friendly bunch and will be more than happy to help!

 5.  Put the kettle on, nothing breaks ice better than hot water!

 These five steps are all very simple, but we often find that the store staff are unprepared or even totally unaware of our engineers arrival. With a bit of forward planning the whole process can be made quick, easy and effective.

Engaging Restaurant Customers with Technology

Engaging Restaurant Customers with Technology

While technology can never truly replace traditional human interaction with customers in restaurants, it is starting to become intrinsic to everyday life for most. With seven in ten UK adults turning to online reviews before buying an item, it is clear how often we turn to technology to help with basic decisions.

More people than ever before seek out positive online reviews before trying somewhere new and particularly in an age so rife with social media, it is a quick and easy way to filter the good from the bad. Customers no longer react to basic marketing campaigns and quick promotions and instead turn to their peers for trusted suggestions on where to eat.

Hospitality organisations have found themselves having to go above and beyond serving delicious food to get those precious positive reviews. And although good service, speedy food delivery times and value for money are all competitive advantages, creating customer loyalty is the key to ongoing success.

So how do restaurants engage with customers to create customer loyalty and how can technology help?

Start with the staff                                                                                                 

Staff are the face of your restaurant so making sure that they know their goals and are briefed on their day ahead will mean their jobs become easier. Keeping staff happy in the workplace has been proven to increase productivity and decrease employee turnover. Fully communicating to your staff through an employee app or their EPOS system is likely to keep them engaged in the work they do. This will encourage positive working attitudes and positive experiences with customers. Good service is often reviewed and is high on customers’ lists when it comes to choosing an eatery. Ask yourself: would you dine somewhere that had good food but numerous negative reviews for service?

Self-service optimisation

Putting control in the customers’ hands makes them feel as though they are controlling their own time. Mobile ordering programs can help boost ordering accuracy and with an emphasis on convenience becoming imperative in the modern day, the ability to order at the touch of a button is more sought after than ever. If customers receive the correct order within a reasonable time, they are more likely to return to your restaurant. Further engagement could come from allowing them to track where their order is, how long it will take to get to them and giving them the ability to easily customise their meals.

Membership apps

Apps can be developed to allow varying methods of interactivity for customers. Creating a ‘membership area’ within an app opens the door to several opportunities for engaging customers with your brand. Practical actions such as ordering, quick payment, loyalty rewards and a rating service would all be beneficial to you and the customer. There are further functionalities you can include also: gamification, getting to know your customer better by tracking their orders, tailored promotions and rewards and interactive menus will all work to engage the customer on another level. Putting your branding on a device that the average user reportedly spends five hours a day on will definitely keep you in the forefront of their mind.

Don’t be afraid to try something new

3D printing has taken the world by storm recently and there are already restaurants that are experimenting with this. This is not to say you should start printing your burgers but be prepared to embrace new technologies within this ever-changing digital world. People are always looking for the next best thing so taking that leap and staying a step ahead of your competition is a sure fire way to keep customers coming back.

No matter what technology you choose to engage customers, remember not to lose focus on what your business is really there to provide. While technology is more than useful with engaging customers and easing work life, it must work alongside human interaction rather than replace it. By enhancing customer experience, you are more likely to build customer engagement and create brand loyalty.

The Importance of Embracing Change

Change. Change is one of those words we both love and hate.

We love to cause it for other people, but hate it being done to us. We know that change isn’t just inevitable, it’s desirable – an organism which doesn’t change doesn’t grow – but how can we make it less scary?
We work with experts in a variety of fields – amongst them world renowned engagement coach Richard Merrick.

Richard has a varied background of leading change in fast moving environments, and has made an extensive study of it. Richard observes that “It is easy to make assumptions, particularly in organisations dealing with the vulnerable like charities, that we can somehow protect people from change. Not only can we not protect them, we do them a disservice by trying”. If we try to protect people from change, are we limiting their opportunities to grow?
At PXtech we are in the enviable position of bringing change into many large organisations. We have experience of working with people at all levels, from the board room to the stock room, to help them come to terms with change. We find that, regardless of people’s background, what they fear isn’t change – it’s the unknown. Talk to people, engage with them, give them all of the information they need, and the fear of change evaporates. Where you have naysayers, listen to them! Their concerns are valid, and often your loudest critics can become your most vocal supporters once they understand the reasons and the drivers for change.
The assumptions that volunteers in charity shops are resistant to change is often based on people’s experiences with poorly planned rollouts, badly implemented solutions, or inconsistently designed solutions. Volunteers aren’t fools – they know that their time is valuable, and a new system which slows them down while providing no clear benefits is bound to be met with reluctance, and in some cases outright hostility.
Looking at this from the outside, it’s easy to mistake these reactions for a general antipathy toward change; it takes empathy to understand that this isn’t the root cause. As Richard says, “The most important skill we can develop is to empathise with people. Empathy is not a “soft’ skill, and it is not sympathy – it is about understanding, about walking a mile in their shoes and helping them see a way through.”
In our previous EPOS rollouts for major charities like Oxfam and Save the Children, we have had our engineers and helpdesk staff volunteer in charity shops, speak to volunteers, and role play challenging interactions – all to build empathy with the people they will be working with. Just as your volunteers are your front line, so too are our service staff. Where the two interact is of key importance. If volunteers’ first encounter with a new till was with a surly, disengaged agency engineer, they would be unlikely to go on and sing its praises. A PXtech engineer who knows the software, understands the needs of a charity shop, and believes in the solution will give a very different outcome.
As Robert Gallagher points out, “change is inevitable – except from a vending machine”. Rather than attempting to resist the inevitable, we must learn to work with it; even embrace it. Only by working

A Multigenerational Workforce Improves the Workplace

Jobs in the hospitality sector tend to be fast-paced. Perfect for someone young and constantly on the move, who want convenient working hours a few days a week to fit around studies or other such activities. With 47% of hospitality workers being under 30, it is clear that many restaurants, pubs and clubs tend to target young people, both because they’re usually the ones preferring weekend and evening work and because it generally means lower wages and lower labour costs.

However, as medicine advances, the average life-span has grown longer and there are now more over-65s than under-16s. This means the amount of older people entering or remaining within the workplace has increased significantly.

And although older people are not who usually come to mind when thinking of potential hospitality workers, it may do restaurants, pubs and Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) well to bridge the generation gap within their team.

Fast food giant McDonald’s has recently published new analysis suggesting multigenerational working led to employees being 10% happier as well as improving customer satisfaction. In a survey of over 32,000 McDonald’s UK employees, those who worked within their own peer group reported a 10% decrease in happiness levels than those who work with a variety of ages.

It’s not just staff who are happier: out of 1,000 McDonald’s customers, 84% reported that they like to see a variety of ages working within the restaurant with 60% expecting better service as a result.

With new technologies on the rise, it has also become easier for older people to work in classically physical environments. The technology in many QSR restaurants, such as digital touch-screen kiosks that allow customers to make and pay for their own orders, create jobs for the less physically fit or slower workers, as it means less running around for employees and a quicker overall delivery time.

This is just one example of how technology can open the door for various types of people within the workplace. Advanced EPoS and Business Intelligence (BI) solutions, like Axent, allow employees a smoother working shift, as orders aren’t lost and bills aren’t totalled incorrectly. Taking orders through the use of tablets at a table means that orders go directly to the kitchen, rather than waiting staff having to go back and forwards to the kitchen with tickets. BI software and live CCTV footage also makes it possible for busy supervisors, management or owners to work from home and still monitor what is going on in their organisation.

Technology is introducing new ways of working within hospitality and could open the door to completely new members of staff. A multigenerational workplace could bring a wealth of wisdom, physicality and innovation to the hospitality workplace, and with technology making it that much easier to do so, all hospitality organisations should consider employing staff from a range of ages.

For more information contact us on info@pxtech.com or 01332 921 300.