Steve Covate Of Qtrac: How To Create A Fantastic Retail Experience That Keeps Bringing Customers Back For More

An Interview With Orlando Zayas

Increase customer engagement. Two-way communication arms your team with the data they need to provide an effective, tailored customer experience. By utilizing a virtual queuing system, retailers are able to stay connected with their customers while they wait for service. Qtrac® keeps customers informed of their position in line, allows for communication between the service agent and customer, and provides the customer with visibility into current promotions. The combination of this has delivered increased basket size and reduced abandonment rates at our retail clients.

As a part of this interview series called “How To Create A Fantastic Retail Experience That Keeps Bringing Customers Back For More”, we had the pleasure to interview Steve Covate.

Vice President of Sales Steve Covate leads Qtrac’s national sales team of software executives, technical sales engineers, and inside sales support in selling, configuring, servicing, and maintaining virtual queuing solutions to leading organizations across the globe. Experienced in developing strategic sales plans that promote growth and customer retention, Steve has successfully led sales efforts in a variety of industries including retail, airline, construction, transportation, government, hospitality, banking, education, stadium and arena, healthcare, and entertainment.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

I started my career at Lockheed Martin. What I intended to be a summer job before heading to college turned into a 17-year foundation for my career. Lockheed put me through college and provided me with the ability to learn a variety of functions within the company. I was recruited by Oracle Corporation to lead the development of a new software application. Once the product was well underway, I transitioned into a business development and sales role, where I was selling the product I helped create. Desiring more entrepreneurship in my career, I searched for a smaller company where I could have an impact on many industries. I was fortunate enough to cross paths with Lavi Industries, a company that specializes in queuing solutions. I was attracted to Lavi’s broad industry reach and its product line that assists millions of people across the globe on a daily basis. Serving as the Vice President of Sales, it’s been an amazing 11 years.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?

We certainly have all made mistakes in our career. The one that I remember all too well was during my first week at Lockheed Martin. The facility is huge; there are 3,000 parking spots to support the employees’ parking needs. During my first week of employment, I pulled into the parking lot and was so lucky to see the front spot was available. I parked my car and went into the office. Soon enough I learned that I had parked in a reserved spot for the Vice President of Engineering. Wow, was I embarrassed.

The only thing I could say about lessons learned is, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

So many people have helped and inspired me along my way. I have worked for retired generals, engineers, software geniuses, and business entrepreneurs. I am grateful to so many that it is impossible to call out just one of them. However, I will say this: You can learn from every walk of life. You will never know it all, and rarely are you the smartest person in the room. The sooner you realize this, the faster you will grow because you are willing to listen and collaborate with others. I have found that high-performing teams are built on the foundation of listening and collaborating.

Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

Though I am not a bookworm, I remember after my second child was born, I came to realize the amount of responsibility that came along with being a parent. I came across Foster W. Cline’s Parenting with Love and Logic and thought the title suited my personality well. The author gave me insight on how to better communicate with my children to help them become self-confident and motivated and to enable them to take on life’s challenges and responsibilities. Interestingly enough, the book helped me become a better manager as well. I find that people want to do a good job — they just need to be provided honest, logical guidance and support along the way.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Lavi Industries is a company with a wide product array that serves thousands of businesses and millions of people across the globe. Lavi’s virtual queuing technology, Qtrac®, is a world-class platform serving thousands of people daily, but the biggest standout for Lavi Industries is its employees. The Lavi team consistently works to deliver its products and services in spite of all obstacles. It’s really an honor to work with such a team of professionals who will always go the extra mile to ensure our customers’ needs are met.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

The best thing you can do is have a balance in all things: career, diet, rest, exercise, family, and friends. Easier said than done, right? For me, I find that when I am in a healthy routine, I perform my best. Also, allow a little time to yourself on the weekend.

Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main questions of our interview. The so-called “Retail Apocalypse” has been going on for about a decade. The Pandemic only made things much worse for retailers in general. While many retailers are struggling, some retailers, like Lululemon, Kroger, and Costco are quite profitable. Can you share a few lessons that other retailers can learn from the success of profitable retailers?

Obviously, these are all very different businesses, but they share the common success of their focus on the customer. Lululemon leverages technology to gain insights about its customers’ needs and is extremely effective in promoting its lifestyle brand. A big part of Kroger’s success comes from its ability to deliver an effective omnichannel experience to its customers. An example of this is Kroger’s ability to deliver personalized coupons. And Costco is able to provide a wide array of high-quality products and services at a value, which keeps customers coming back for more. At the core of all these successful businesses is good customer service. What will be their next big move? I believe it will be to improve on the customer journey.

An example of this is to minimize the customer’s wait in line and allow that time to be spent shopping. Leading retailers are beginning to do this with Qtrac® Virtual Queuing. A national hardware retailer is using Qtrac® to allow its customers to check in with a QR code for service for a variety of its service departments, such as paint, key, and patio. This allows the queued customers to shop the store while they wait their turn. The result has been an increase in basket sizes and happy customers who are able to shop freely and forgo the dreaded “standing in line” approach.

A Canadian sporting goods retailer is using Qtrac® the same way in its busy shoe department. Customers can easily get into a virtual queue and shop the store until the service agent is ready to assist them. Customers are now using their wait time to browse the store, rather than monitoring the service agent’s efficiency and their own place in line.

Amazon is going to exert pressure on all of retail for the foreseeable future. New Direct-To-Consumer companies based in China are emerging that offer prices that are much cheaper than US and European brands. What would you advise retail companies and eCommerce companies, for them to be successful in the face of such strong competition?

A huge impact on the retailer’s customer’s in-store experience is having to “wait in line.” Many businesses see long lines of customers as a positive sign, but consider the customer’s thoughts waiting in those long lines. Their feelings might not be as positive. They might be in line for a simple customer service need and wonder why they chose this day to visit your business. They may have items in their carts but decide to abandon their purchases because they just want to get out of that seemingly endless wait.

Customer experience is as important to the bottom line as actual sales. Research shows that nearly one in three customers will leave a brand they love after a bad experience — and being in line for a long time might qualify as a bad experience. Many times, relationships with your customers depend on your ability to meet their specific needs quickly.

With a mobile-enabled virtual queuing system, you can put speed and relevance in the hands of your customers. Allow them to pre-schedule their wait conveniently from their own mobile device — for example, by “calling ahead” for service. You can also disperse waiting crowds and help the wait time feel shorter with a virtual queue system that notifies customers via their mobile device when their turn has come. Customers can reschedule or postpone their arrival if they need more time and can keep tabs on the status of their wait in real time.

What are the most common mistakes you have seen CEOs & founders make when they start a retail business? What can be done to avoid those errors?

I would say a mistake is not getting rid of — or at least minimizing — physical queues.

Virtual queue systems are capturing a lot of attention and becoming more popular. A wide range of retail businesses is discovering the many ways virtual queuing can improve their wait times and the shopper experience. Virtual queuing eliminates the need for a physical queue, instead placing each customer in a virtual line and calling them for service when it’s their turn.

In retail, virtual queue management can be used in many areas to minimize wait times, boost impulse sales, improve service efficiency, and keep shoppers happy with their in-store experience. A few ways virtual queue systems are taking hold include:

1. Elegantly Handling the Luxury Shopping Experience.

Retailers can facilitate the relationship between shoppers and associates with a virtual queuing program that allows for pre-scheduled appointments. Customers can schedule their shopping trip for the exact day and time that their favorite associate is working and ensure they get the personal attention they seek. Luxury retailers, in particular, are looking at virtual queuing as a powerful way to increase sales and customer satisfaction.

2. Facilitating In-Store Pickups.

Mobile queuing systems can improve the in-store pickup experience by giving customers the opportunity to avoid the line when they arrive at the store to pick up their goods.

In fact, when shoppers come to the store to pick up items ordered online, 37 percent make additional purchases that they were not planning on.

3. Turning Returns into Gains.

No retailer likes to witness customers returning or exchanging merchandise, but smart retailers see an opportunity to turn these interactions into new and future purchases.

Virtual queuing is a great tool to avoid long lines and facilitate returns and exchanges, freeing customers to pre-schedule their return or shop around while they wait for their turn to be served.

4. Improving Service Efficiency.

Probably the most unsung yet powerful benefit of virtual queuing relates to its ability to empower store associates. Virtual queuing allows retailers to capture information about customers when they add themselves to the waiting line. With this info, store associates can better anticipate the needs of each customer and match them with qualified team members to handle their needs.

This might be intuitive, but I think it’s helpful to specifically articulate it. In your words, can you share a few reasons why great customer service and a great customer experience is essential for success in business in general and for retail in particular?

A positive customer experience promotes loyalty and encourages brand advocacy. This is why it’s so important to provide a remarkable experience and make them want to continue doing business with you — customers are your best resource for growing your brand awareness. Customers have many choices of where to shop for most goods. Delivering an exceptional customer experience can retain those customers and keep them coming back for more.

We have all had times either in a store, or online, when we’ve had a very poor experience as a customer or user. If the importance of a good customer experience is so intuitive, and apparent, where is the disconnect? How is it that so many companies do not make this a priority?

I think nearly all retailers make customer experience a priority, but delivering it is the challenge. And I believe that the current shortage of retail workers is adding to the problem. Store staff are being asked to do more, and the customer demands for better service are growing. A key to solving some of these challenges is introducing technology that helps the store staff deliver a superior customer experience and relieves the customer from having to wait in long lines wondering when they will be served.

Just a decade ago, traditional brick-and-mortar businesses offered the same experience for every single customer (enter/shop/checkout/leave), regardless of their personal preferences, affinity for technology, or service needs. Today, we have the opportunity to tailor even the most traditional businesses and their respective customer experiences to the different kinds of customers who come through the door without sacrificing the fundamental purpose of the business in the first place.

Can you share with us a story from your experience about a customer who was “Wowed” by the experience you provided?

A great example to share would be our experience with a large national retail chain customer of ours. They wanted to reduce customer wait time, service time, and transaction time and minimize the frustration customers were experiencing with long lines.

To accomplish this, we implemented Qtrac®, our virtual queuing and appointment platform.

The platform provides its customers with a store locator that is aligned with the specific service types of the locations that can support their needs. Customers make their appointment online and are provided instructions on how to prepare for the visit.

Once the customer comes into the store, they easily check in via a QR code and are free to shop until the service agent greets them by their first name.

The results were a reduction in the customers’ actual wait time and an increase in customer satisfaction scores.

Did that Wow! experience have any long-term ripple effects? Can you share the story?

Our customer continues to expand their use of the technology to other locations and increasingly leverages digital promotions to increase sales. They are seeing broader adoption of Qtrac® from their customers and now have a tool to help their staff deliver an exceptional customer experience.

A fantastic retail experience isn’t just one specific thing. It can be a composite of many different subtle elements fused together. Can you help us break down and identify the different ingredients that come together to create a “fantastic retail experience”?

To enable a fantastic retail experience, you need to understand your customers’ needs and deliver superior service. Leveraging technology to accomplish this difficult task is essential. Technology platforms that can accomplish both provide retailers an advantage over their competitors. An example of this would be a virtual queuing platform, where staff efficiency and a better customer journey are enabled by the same technology.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things one should know in order to create a fantastic retail experience that keeps bringing customers back for more? Please share a story or an example for each.

1. Change is inevitable; embrace it. Although it’s not always easy to execute flawlessly, change leads to retaining a competitive edge and remaining relevant in your business. Change encourages innovation, develops your team’s skills, leads to better business opportunities, and improves staff morale. I have seen a national retailer dramatically reduce abandonment rates by reinventing the way its customers wait in line — eliminating physical queues. With Qtrac®, you can change the way your customer waits in line.
2. Leverage technology. All businesses need to do more to retain their existing customers and attract new ones. At the same time, there simply aren’t enough workers to accommodate the existing needs. Deploying a technology that helps both sides is a win-win scenario. A home improvement business uses Qtrac® Virtual Queuing to free up its customers to shop in the store until the specific department personnel is available to assist them. Technology is helping staff understand the customer’s needs before speaking to them, and it frees up the customer to shop while they wait for the service agent to assist them. As a result, they have seen an uptick in basket size.
3. Delivering world-class customer service requires effort. Technology is a tool for enabling best-in-class customer service, but management can also use it to help the store operate more efficiently. Qtrac® gives your management visibility into peak traffic and service times. This powerful data can be leveraged to better predict traffic patterns and align staff scheduling to put the store staff in a better position to deliver the service your customers demand.
4. Increase customer engagement. Two-way communication arms your team with the data they need to provide an effective, tailored customer experience. By utilizing a virtual queuing system, retailers are able to stay connected with their customers while they wait for service. Qtrac® keeps customers informed of their position in line, allows for communication between the service agent and customer, and provides the customer with visibility into current promotions. The combination of this has delivered increased basket size and reduced abandonment rates at our retail clients.
5. Personalize the shopper’s experience. Building rapport with your customers will keep them coming back for more. Providing customers their own personalized “wait screens” keeps them informed of their wait every step of the way. Two-way communication delivers critical information and feedback that enables a frictionless service experience. Qtrac’s® survey tool has shown us that retail shoppers are thrilled with not having to stand in line and are impressed with the tailored service they are receiving.

Thank you for all of that. We are nearly done. Here is our final ‘meaty’ question. You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

There are so many great movements: equal rights, affordable healthcare, education, support of our veterans, poverty, and hunger, to name just a few. There are dozens of movements that need our help to make a difference. My belief is that the harder part is actually supporting a movement. This is where the heavy lifting comes in and translates the movement into actual change.

My movement would be to “get on board” with an existing movement that resonates with you, dedicate some energy to it, and help make a difference. It’s the effort of the collective that turns a movement’s idea into a reality.

How can our readers further follow your work?

Check us out at https://twitter.com/qtrac_by_lavi. We are always posting new success stories and innovative ideas to improve staff efficiency and the customer journey.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!