In RSR’s recent report on “The Relevant Store in the Digital Age,” by Nikki Baird and Steven Rowen, the top five opportunities for retailers as identified by a survey of 131 qualified retailer respondents include:

1)Focus on a more convenient customer experience

2)Bring more of a digital/online experience to stores

3)Educate and empower in-store employees using technology

4)Add self-service customer facing technologies

5)Provide ability to locate and sell merchandise from anywhere in the company

Retailers recognize the tremendous potential for opportunity in a world where shoppers want the convenience of online, coupled with an in-store experience.  Each of the opportunities above identified by retailers, has to do with serving customers better, as well as faster, in order to deliver a higher quality and highly satisfying shopping experience. Technologies like next generation digital signage - Virtual Assistants, interactive touchscreens, queuing technology and self-service machines are all ready and available but retailers are struggling with where to start and what technologies to deploy?

One way to start is by putting yourself in the shoes of your customer.  Even if they are “just browsing” the key pain points for any consumer are finding items, finding them in the quantity and size/color they want, having an easy and smooth checkout and accessing information or helping themselves.  One of the clear reasons customers avoid stores and shop online  – especially around the holidays – is to avoid the hassles of waiting on endless lines and the difficulty of finding what they want in the color, size and style they are looking for easily or the inability to get access to information when they need it.  

As retailers head into summer planning sessions for the upcoming holiday season – now is a great time to review the following:

• Do you have enough signage and merchandising displays to guide but not overwhelm your customers?  Are they able to easily find what they need or is it more of a hunt and search mission? Is your staff easily visible, are they informed and are they available?  In larger store environments, where shoppers can get overwhelmed with choices -- a Virtual Assistant offers a highly visible and available (24/7) solution to help guide, inform your customers and to help with branding and advertising must have items.  Coupled with touchscreen interactivity, customers can get the self-help they need via the industry’s latest innovation in digital signage.  

• What is your average customer wait time?  How long are they standing in lines or queues – for checkout or in-store services? What’s acceptable – what’s not? Industry queue management experts say 3 minutes. That is the tipping point where people start to vacillate as to whether the value of the item or service is worth the wait.  If you see your customers aren’t being served in a timely fashion, if your checkout staff is  yelling for the next customer to come down or waving their arms – consider a more elegant solution for queue busting.  With an electronic call forward system that combines media, store guests can be moved in an equitable, elegant manner while being entertained or kept informed about their expected wait time or exciting new offers. Combined with in-queue merchandising, a call forward system will help increase sales and customer flow.  For in-store services, let your customers help themselves with Virtual Queueing solutions that make them feel valued, with a positive experience of 'first come first served' and the added benefit of being able to relax, browse or shop while they wait.

• Can your customers help themselves? Placed strategically, kiosks and multi service machines (MSMs) can make a significant difference in your customer relations, enabling your customers to help themselves to handy, dispensable services and items – freeing your staff to focus on more critical customer service relations.

By effectively incorporating in-store retail technology, retailers can bridge the online and in-store customer experience. With the largest range of electronic call forward systems; virtual queuing technology; digital media platforms including the Tensator Virtual Assistant; in-queue merchandising; crowd and access control solutions; display and signage devices; and self-service systems, Tensator retail experts are here to help you choose the right solution to meet your in-store customer experience retail technology needs.

Press Coverage

Tensator, the customer journey management specialist, has unveiled a new addition to its Virtual Assistant portfolio, the Tensator Virtual Assistant Ultra, which it says will revolutionise in-store promotions for the retail sector.

The Tensator Virtual Assistant Ultra has been designed with retailers specifically in mind and has the smallest footprint available on the global market. At just 20 inches by 20 inches, it can fit almost anywhere within a store, presenting retailers with endless promotional possibilities, a flexible point of difference to help increase profits and efficiency, and the ability to generate extra revenue by directly influencing consumer behaviour.

Check out Retail Bulletin to read the full article.

Tensator will be showcasing its innovative digital signage and queue management solutions for Patient Access Services and sharing real-world use cases at the 39th Annual Conference and Exposition of the National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM) being held May 15 – 18, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Press Release

MILTON KEYNES, UK, 2 MAY 2013 – Tensator, the world leader in the management of the passenger journey, has announced plans to unveil the industry’s smallest footprint, most flexible and cost effective Virtual Assistant at this year’s Airport Show in Dubai. 

The company will use the annual show, taking place 6-8 May at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center, to showcase the new Tensator Virtual Assistant Ultra on stand PE7, within the Airport Passenger Experience Area. 

With a footprint of just 50cm x 50cm, the Virtual Assistant Ultra can fit almost anywhere within an airport terminal, including check-in desks, security areas and within an aisle or as part of the aisle end caps in retail units. This creates a flexible point of difference for conveying important security messages, dealing with frequently asked questions from passengers and helping airport retailers to promote special offers and product information in an innovative way to ultimately increase revenues. 

The Ultra edition is part of the Tensator Virtual Assistant range, a next generation digital signage product line that uses cutting-edge technology to project an image and create the illusion of a real person. 

As Abdel Aziz Rahal, general manager of Tensator FZE, explains, this new product was developed to meet the specific needs of the sector:

“As a company, we take the role of solution provider very seriously. An essential factor of this is listening to the requirements of our customers.

“It’s about having an open dialogue, listening to the needs of the market and being in a position to act accordingly. This is exactly what our product development team has been able to do with the Virtual Assistant Ultra. By embracing technology, we’ve maintained our market-leading position, and reputation as innovators, by creating a product with the smallest footprint available.”

Solutions within the Virtual Assistant range are already popular at some of the world’s busiest airports, including Dubai International.

The airport, which sees over 57 million passengers passing through its three terminals each year, was the first airport in the Middle East to take delivery of the original Tensator Virtual Assistant back in 2011. In 2012, it also became the first venue in the world to house an interactive version of the Virtual Assistant. By incorporating touchscreen technology, the product acts as an innovative way-finding tool, helping passengers move quickly through the terminal and ultimately spending longer in Duty Free, helping to increase retail profits. 

Not only has the use of Tensator’s Virtual Assistant technology contributed to Dubai International’s reputation as an airport of the future, it has also helped the airport’s initiative to smoothen passenger flow by delivering important information.  

In addition to the Virtual Assistant Ultra, visitors to Tensator’s stand (PE7) at the 13th annual Airport Show will also be able to experience the eQ™ SLQ3000, which is a next generation call forward system, capable of incorporating digital media. Users are also able to manage a database of reporting information, as well as controlling advertising messages and promotions. Calling passengers forward to the next available check-in desk or service position, the solution keeps people entertained whilst helping speed up passenger flow by up to 25 per cent. 

As Abdel Aziz Rahal comments, it is about working with airport operators to ensure that the passenger journey is the best it can be from the moment the individual enters the airport terminal, until their flight takes off:

“The new Airport Passenger Experience Area is exactly what Tensator is about, summed up perfectly by the area’s slogan of experience from ‘kerbside to airside’. We’re proud to be involved in helping to create the airport of the future within the show, and showing operators the options available to them. 

“Even within our own stand, we’re aiming to show how the passenger journey can be both innovative and efficient with the use of the new Virtual Assistant Ultra and SLQ3000, as well as some of our core products such as our Tensabarrier® range and signage options. 

“Rather than seeing an airport as separate areas, such as check-in, security and departures, it is about seeing it as a whole and the benefits that can bring to both passengers and operators.”  

For more on Tensator’s range of solutions for the airport sector, visit http://www.tensator.com/uk/sectors/airports-and-transport.aspx. 

About Tensator 

Tensator is a recognised leader in the management of the customer journey. The company offers a large range ofdigital media platforms, electronic and virtual queue management, display and signage products, crowd and access control solutions, in-queue merchandising, self-service systems, and the Tensabarrier, one of the most respected barriers in the world.

Tensator empowers blue chip retailers, international airport terminals, transport providers, financial institutions, major exhibition, leisure and entertainment venues, construction sites, restaurants and hotels to speed customer flow through the queue, improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Tensator helps eliminate lost revenues through walk-aways and drives high value impulse sales with its range of queue management solutions.

Visit www.tensator.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. 

After successfully deploying “Carla,” Boston Logan Airport’s bi-lingual Tensator Virtual Assistant  to inform and guide millions of passengers quickly and efficiently through the Terminal E security checkpoint, the airport has signed on 3 additional Tensator Virtual Assistants. 

The attention captivating Virtual Assistants are being deployed at Terminals A, B and C and are all providing essential security information including messages on ID and boarding passes, federal regulations regarding liquids, garment removal and x-ray machine instructions.  Messages are delivered 24/7 in both English and Spanish, providing passengers with consistent, surround sound audio accompanied by highly visual information to ensure passengers clearly understand all the information they need to know in order to improve efficiency, passenger flow and their overall airport experience.

Carla was first deployed in June 2012, and since then the airport has seen improvement in quickening passenger throughput along with overall passenger awareness and readiness at the security checkpoint.  “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. 

People are very receptive to Carla’s bi-lingual message and are intrigued by her customer service and high-tech message delivery,” said Brad Martin, Deputy Director Aviation Customer service, Boston Logan Airport. “Passengers really pay attention and appreciate the consistency and clarity of the message – while our TSA officers appreciate that Carla’s presence prepares passengers for the security processes and frees them to focus on the screening of passengers rather than providing verbal instructions to folks in line.” 

One of the hot topics at last week’s GlobalShop conference was about capturing the attention of the connected consumer.  

Smartphones and digital technologies have become fairly ubiquitous and influential in our consumer society, but to effectively engage with the connected consumer, retailers need to look at the big picture or the customer journey in its entirety from start to finish and go for a mobile/digital and reality ‘mashup.’ 

Shoppers who are headed to the stores are doing so because they want or need an in-store experience.  Meeting or exceeding their expectations means positively reaching and engaging the connected consumer on multiple levels.  While at GlobalShop, Tensator showcased its Celebrity Virtual Assistant Ultra, next generation digital signage solution – in the form of Certified Sommelier and CEO of Wine Channel TV, Jess Altieri.  The Virtual Sommelier  stopped people in their tracks – enabling them to hear and absorb a wealth of information on “How to be a date-night hero with New Zealand wines.” 

 This human form “small footprint” digital solution which enables the placement of QR codes on the casing and near field communication for marketing information to be pushed to a smartphone, not only captivates its audience, but also educates, informs, impresses and ensures a remarkable in-store personal experience -- and placed next to a promotional item, helps ensure “a quick sale.”

Another example of blending personal attention with a mobile/digital lifestyle is Virtual Queuing -- an ideal solution if your store has services like a personal shopper or salon or multiple departments.  With Virtual Queuing, your guest is greeted by an associate with a tablet or  they can use a mobile app to queue up for service. With Virtual Queuing, the connected customer knows their position in line, time of entry and expected wait time. They can even be provided with in-store only promotions, coupons and messages – and can browse, relax or watch in-store media while they wait. Customers can also pre-book appointments via internet, mobile, in-person reception or self-service kiosks. Virtual Queuing perfectly blends the human element with today’s digital lifestyle, valuing the guest’s time, meeting or exceeding their expectations and helping ensure service and information is provided in real-time.

A perfect time to reach the connected consumer is at checkout. A proven single line call forward system like the SLQ3000 

leverages crystal clear twin LCD screens that keep customers informed on when the next sales associate is available to assist them (a much more elegant solution than a sales associates yelling “Next!”) as well as entertaining, inspiring, and providing a call to action  via video,  promotional and social media marketing messages.  The added bonus?  The system accelerates customer wait time.  Not only do you have happier customers – but you actually reduce the chance of walkaways by 30% and increase customer loyalty.

These are just some examples of how to positively reach the connected consumer. Leading retailers like Harrods, New Look, Duane Reade, JCPenney, Kohl's and UNIQLO have already selected Tensator as their queue management company of choice.  Let our customer journey experts help you explore how you can effectively reach the connected consumer. 

Press Coverage

Our Virtual Assistant Ultra is leading the way as part of the in-store technology feature in this month’s Retail Focus (p58).

Check out Retail Focus to read the full article.

Press Release

MILTON KEYNES, UK, 23 APRIL 2013 – Tensator, the world leader in queue management and customer journey solutions, continues to help independent retailers manage in-store queues and reduce stock loss. 

With the latest figures from the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) showing that just over 55 per cent of independent stores are anxious about trading in the year ahead, Tensator is showing retailers how small changes can bring about lucrative benefits. 

“Some independent retailers seem to think that queue management is something just for the big brands,” commented Kevin Hickson, general manager of Tensator. “However, making sure that the checkout process is as straightforward and efficient as possible can have an impact on any business, regardless of size.

“Take the introduction of a single line queue as an example. Replacing separate queues at each till point with a single line, where consumers are served in the order they arrive by the next available cashier, can help reduce customer walk-aways, improve customer flow by 25 per cent and reduce service times by 30 per cent.

“It also dramatically reduces the opportunity for a form of employee theft known as ‘sweethearting’, which involves cashiers exploiting their position to allow friends and family to take certain goods without paying. Common across the retail sector, this can have a particularly devastating impact on independent retailers who are not so well placed to absorb stock loss. A single line queue helps to combat this problem by making it harder for customers to know which cashier they will be served by.”

To help independent retailers take control of their own queue management, Tensator is launching an Electronic Call Forward (ECF) solution, targeted specifically at the sector.

The SLQ1000 requires no specialist installation and is designed to allow small retailers to install themselves and does not need to be linked up to point of sale systems – providing a cost-effective solution that quickly improves customer flow. 

The queue management solution features 6, 12, 18 or 24 position options, a central control unit with an amber LCD screen, allowing improved visibility to the visually impaired and an integrated speaker that has a choice of two call forward messages in seven languages. 

As customers approach the checkouts, they join a single line queue. The call forward system displays the next available till position on its screen and instructs the customer at the head of the queue to move to it. 

This not only allows for an easily controlled flow through the queue, but also avoids the frustration many customers feel when an adjacent queue moves faster than their own. 

“The SLQ1000’s low price makes it easily accessible to independent retailers, making it ideal for convenience stores, fast food outlets and local post offices,” added Kevin. 

“We believe that these businesses should be able to benefit from efficient queue management solutions as much as the multiples, and this product is a perfect solution for many independent retailers.”

About Tensator 

Tensator is a recognised leader in the management of the customer journey. The company offers a large range of digital media platforms, electronic and virtual queue management, display and signage products, crowd and access control solutions, in-queue merchandising, self-service systems, and the Tensabarrier, one of the most respected barriers in the world.

Tensator empowers blue chip retailers, international airport terminals, transport providers, financial institutions, major exhibition, leisure and entertainment venues, construction sites, restaurants and hotels to speed customer flow through the queue, improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Tensator helps eliminate lost revenues through walk-aways and drives high value impulse sales with its range of queue management solutions.

Visit www.tensator.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. 

Press Coverage

Retailers get it. Mobile is here to stay and to combat the effects of ‘showrooming,’ they know they have to create a great in-store customer experience. Part of that experience is ensuring customers aren’t stymied by a long and annoying checkout process. Vendors like Apple have used i-devices for fast checkouts, but is mobile checkout the right approach for everyone?

Retailers like Marshall’s and HomeGoods have used single line queuing in their checkout area to intelligently guide customers while simultaneously using the space to boost impulse purchases.

This article by Tensator's Keith Carpentier in Chain Store Age examines the pros and cons of different types of checkout -- Mobile, Virtual and Traditional -- and provides insight into the choices vendors need to consider.

Tensator, the leading global provider of queue management solutions, understands that in this highly challenging environment, there is growing pressure for increased passenger numbers, improved efficiencies and profit growth.

As the number one supplier for many leading airports throughout the world, Tensator’s queue management solutions are designed to meet these goals.

See our products in action at Stand PE7 in the Airport Passenger Experience arena, at the 2013 Airport Show in Dubai.

We invite you to schedule an appointment in advance of Airport Show or on-site at the show, please email info_mena@tensator.com or call +971 (4) 2997228. 

The trial of our eQ™ SLQ3000 at Warsaw Central Railway Station is proving to be big news in Poland. 

Our team has installed the single line queuing solution in the main hall of the station, which is the largest in the capital and comprises of eight passenger tracks across four platforms. 

Serving 16 cash desks, the SLQ3000 is a next generation call forward system, capable of incorporating digital media. Users are also able to manage a database of reporting information, as well as controlling advertising messages and promotions. Calling passengers forward from a single line to the next available service position, the solution helps speed up passenger flow by up to 25 per cent. 

The installation has certainly grabbed the attention of the Polish media, with news of our efforts making it into newspapers, magazines and even local radio and TV reports. 

The concept of single line queuing is a relatively new one in Poland, hence the high levels of interest. Where it is in use, it tends to be in retail outlets, such as Carrefour and Tesco, and also at airports. So for Polish Railways to bring the concept onto the station concourse is a bold move. 

As the trial continues, we look forward to helping Polish rail passengers start their journey in the quickest, most stress-free way possible. A rollout for stations throughout Poland is also on the cards, so the team is braced for a little bit more media attention. 

Autograph hunters are invited to form an orderly (single line) queue! 

Details on our full range of eQ™ products can be found here. 

Tensator Customer Journey Queue Solutions to Guide, Inform and Enhance the Retail Tradeshow “Customer” Experience

GlobalShop -- Chicago, IL  -- April 16, 2013 – Tensator, (Booth #5322) the world leader in queue management and customer journey solutions, today announced that professional wine judge, Certified Sommelier, and CEO of Wine Channel TV, Jess Altieri will share her expertise with attendees as a Celebrity Tensator Virtual Assistant at this year’s GlobalShop, the world's largest annual event for visual retail merchandising design and shopper marketing, being held April 16-18 at McCormick Place. Tensator ‘customer journey’ solutions, including a Tensator Virtual Assistant Show Greeter and the SLQ 3000 Electronic Call Forward system have been chosen by GlobalShop show management to guide, inform and enrich the retail tradeshow customer experience at registration. Tensator has been selected to provide its leading queue management solutions for the event’s registration area for the fifth consecutive year.

The Tensator Virtual Assistant is a next generation digital signage solution. It uses cutting-edge technology to project an image and create the illusion of a real person to convey a consistent brand message, impart key information and highlight products and promotions.  Designed with retailers specifically in mind, Tensator is showcasing its newest offering at GlobalShop, the Tensator Virtual Assistant Ultra which has the smallest footprint available on the global market. At just 20 inches x 20 inches, it can fit almost anywhere within a store including aisles or end caps presenting retailers with endless promotional possibilities, a flexible point of difference to help increase profits and efficiency, and the ability to generate extra revenue by directly influencing consumer behavior. 

To show off Tensator’s latest technological offering, the Virtual Sommelier “Just Jess” will wow over 12,000 retail industry professionals at GlobalShop with her wine lifestyle expertise and promotional abilities – stopping people in their tracks -- to see, hear, learn and try her recommendations on “How to be a Date Night Hero with New Zealand Wines.”  

“Our Tensator Virtual Assistant Ultra, with its distinctively smaller footprint, will undoubtedly provide retailers with unlimited product and promotional capabilities,” said Bill Vetter, SVP and General Manager, Tensator, Inc. “By offering our retail partners the ability to maximize their sales per square foot potential and deployment of staff to critical areas of product focus within their store, the Virtual Assistant acts as a genuine profit center.  By teaming with Jess as our Virtual Sommelier and with Wine Channel TV, we are providing show attendees a glimpse of the product’s revenue and promotional possibilities for sales generation and margin improvement.”  

“The Tensator Virtual Assistant Ultra is a fantastic way to build my brand, promote wine lifestyle pairings, and get people to sample several new wines,” said Jessica Altieri, Certified Sommelier and CEO of Wine Channel TV.  “Since I can’t be everywhere at once – the Virtual Sommelier allows me to be seen, heard, and to promote all at the same time. Attendees that stop by booth #5322 will get to hear all about interesting new facts about different grapes, inside scoops and secret stories about the wineries, pairing ideas and an opportunity to win a custom engraved wood wine gift box from Wine Channel TV via a QR scan. No other single digital signage solution provides this kind of engaging promotional customer experience.”

The Virtual Sommelier will be joined by the ‘live’ Just Jess on Tuesday, April 16th and Wednesday, April 17th to educate and guide attendees through their wine ‘journey.’   

In the registration area, show attendees will meet the Virtual Assistant Ultra GlobalShop Greeter, who will welcome attendees and provide directional guidance, information on the show’s history, charitable initiatives, expo floor and sessions as well as promotional content.  Tensator’s eQ™ SLQ3000 call forward system with full media capabilities and Tensabarrier® crowd control stanchions with post top signage will quickly and efficiently guide thousands of attendees through registration getting their conference experience off to a great start.  

Improving queue flow and operational efficiencies for airports and airlines throughout the world. 

If you are looking to:

• Reduce waiting times
• Engage with passengers using digital signage solutions
• Increase passenger satisfaction
• Improve efficiencies

Then book a meeting with Tensator at this year’s Dubai Airport Show to discuss your 2013 objectives and find out how Tensator can support them.

If you would like to arrange an appointment at the show, please contact us on +971 4 2997228 or email info_mena@tensator.com 

For further information about Tensator, please visit www.tensator.com

From 6th – 8th May Tensator will be showcasing a range of airport queue management and customer guidance solutions that are already benefitting many global airports and airlines including Dubai International, Gatwick, Heathrow, Boston Logan, Dulles International, London London, Condor, Emirates Airlines, Franport Airport and BAA Edinburgh Airport.

Visitors to stand PE7 in the Airport Passenger Experience arena at Airport Show 2013 will discover how Tensator has helped airports and airlines throughout the world reduce waiting times, increase passenger satisfaction and improve efficiencies with digital signage solutions such as the Tensator Virtual Assistant and electronic call forward systems.

We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you at the show and discuss your requirements in depth.

If you would like to arrange an appointment at the show, please contact us on +971 4 2997228 or email info_mena@tensator.com 

For further information about Tensator, please visit www.tensator.com

We hope to see you at the show!

Press Coverage 

The UK has always been renowned for its love of queuing.  Whilst this stereotype has stuck over the years, the way that we actually queue has changed dramatically, particularly in retail environments.

Jo Coxhill, group head of marketing at Tensator, explains how queuing is one retail trend that has evolved and developed over the years and continues to do so.

Check out A1 Retail to read the full article.