Let's talk shop: Using knowledge base software to improve retail communications

I worked in retail for many years before I joined the KnowledgeOwl team. In fact, it was my role as internal communications manager for a large retail company that led me to use KnowledgeOwl in the first place. But what does knowledge base software have to do with internal communications, in a retail company no less? You're about to find out...

Most people have at some point worked in retail. We all shop - it is a necessity, and for some, even a hobby (guilty!). We therefore have a lot of exposure to the retail industry from a young age, so it is only natural that many people take a retail job at some point, and even make a career out of it (like I did!). So, whether you work part-time at the local clearance outlet during college, or as a Store Manager role at a high end store on Fifth Avenue, it is likely you know a secret about working in retail - internal communication in retail sucks.

Wow, too real.

It is true, there is no point in sugar-coating it, but there are good reasons why. First of all, retail is often fast-paced:

• New products arriving to learn about ("We're getting new leather jackets next week!");
• Current products changing ("I wonder what happens to the jackets we haven't sold yet...");
• A different promotion or event every other week ("On Sunday we need to remove all of the leather jacket clearance sale tickets and put up those signs for the trouser sale next week. Yes I'm serious and no you can't leave early");
• And all the while trying to give great customer service and knowledgeable sales advice ("Hi there! Yes, they're made of leather. What kind? Oh, um..")

And in shift-based business like retail stores, staff are always in and out. Without a good communications strategy, if a staff member is not rostered on when something new happens, they miss it. This likely results in a lost sale, an avoidable customer service issue, or at the very least a customer interaction that could have been amazing but was just okay.

But fear not! This does not have to be the case. Some retailers have gotten this right, and it often boils down to two simple things:

1. Culture
2. Single source of information

Simple? Yes. Easy? Not necessarily. Not the first one at least...

Culture - Great, I love yoghurt!

Affecting the culture of a business is never easy, especially when the vast majority of a company's employees are spread out in different physical locations across the country, or even the globe. 

However, breeding a culture of information seekers instead of information receivers is key to good communications. You want to create the kind of employee who comes into work as a fresh sponge, absorbing what has happened since they were in last, actioning anything that needs attention right away and putting aside anything that is useful for reference later. 

Single Source - Are we in The Matrix now?

You can have the most knowledge-hungry workforce in the industry, but if they have to work to seek out that knowledge, or the information they find is inaccurate and irrelevant, then the system falls apart. This is where good knowledge base software comes into play.

You need knowledge base software where multiple head office departments can pool their work together and keep all store-relevant information in one place, keeping it up to date and accurate. If a store employee needs to go to one place to check when an upcoming product launch is happening, another to see which products are being introduced or discontinued, and a third place to see training materials and product information, they will not bother.

All this information needs to be together, searchable, and accessible. Knowledge base software gives you that - it does not have to be used just to store procedures and policies! For example, you could:

• Create a single knowledge base article for each major upcoming promotion or event
• Link to other articles that contain more detail on the marketing activity for the promotion, product info like pictures and dimensions, or even a pricing page restricted only to management-level employees.
• Use a single article as a promotional and events calendar, each item on the calendar linking to the relevant promo or event page.
• Create a section in the knowledge base used purely for announcements and updates, controlling how often comms are posted here so store staff are not inundated, and organise it by date/week so staff can easily catch up on what has happened since they were rostered on last.

This is just scratching the surface of how knowledgebase software can improve retail communications - there are countless ways KnowledgeOwl can improve communications in any business.

Besides it's usefulness in an internal communications strategy, I can not stress enough how important it is to have a knowledge base in a retail company! With a naturally high staff turnover rate and often a large, distributed workforce, you need to maintain your knowledge retention and ensure operations are consistent across all locations. That's right, knowledge base software is the gift that keeps on giving.

If you ever want to ask how KnowledgeOwl can solve a problem you have in your business, don't hesitate to get in touch at support@knowledgeowl.com! We love thinking up new creative ways to use our knowledge base software, or helping implement an idea you have!

Now if you'll excuse me, I hear there's a sale on, and I need a new leather jacket.