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January 2011
Start a Rich Customer Relationship ... more
Put the Brakes on Return Fraud ... more
Who's Who at KWI? ... more
Joie to the World ... more
Short Cuts - Fast, Helpful Hints ... more
Come visit us at the NRF Show, January 10-11, 2011, at the New York City,
Javits Convention Center Booth #2211
Thanks for partnering with KWI. Your comments mean a lot to us. Please email us — we love to respond!
KWI is concerned about your privacy. We do not rent, sell or exchange email addresses. © 2011 Kliger Weiss Infosystems. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective holders.
January 2011
Start a Rich Customer Relationship ... more
Put the Brakes on Return Fraud ... more
Who's Who at KWI? ... more
Joie to the World ... more
Short Cuts - Fast, Helpful Hints ... more
Come visit us at the NRF Show, January 10-11, 2011, at the New York City,
Javits Convention Center Booth #2211
Thanks for partnering with KWI. Your comments mean a lot to us. Please email us — we love to respond!
KWI is concerned about your privacy. We do not rent, sell or exchange email addresses. © 2011 Kliger Weiss Infosystems. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective holders.
January 2011
Enrich Your Business with Advanced CRM
Are you fully leveraging the power of your customer database? Many retailers already have a great tool to cultivate store growth and build brand loyalty -- simply by communicating better to their existing customers! Building profitable relationships between your brand and your customers is the key to building a business with richer returns. Knowing your customers equals knowing your business. So let's start digging into your database!
In the data flow above - the CRM process starts when the 'consumer' makes a purchase via any channel. A transaction is only the beginning! From this point, a retailer should be cleansing the record, analyzing transactions, communicating to
the customer, gathering even more information, and finally ... enticing to the customer to repeat shopping!
Studies show that if you increase your customer retention by as little as 5%, you can increase your profits by as much as 75%. Retailers who entrust their information technology management to KWI have a rich data history. We can then help you mine that history to uncover extremely useful information that will help build a more profitable relationship between your brand and your customer.
KWI-CRM is a full service outsourcing program designed to meet your complete needs in this specialized area, as follows:
CRM provides
● Acquisition/Retention ● Capture Rate at each level of communication and customer status (loyalty,
preference, etc.) ● Store Trade/Market area ● Customer Segmentation ● Customer Loyalty ● Recency/Frequency/Monetary analysis ● Cross Shopping analysis (If a customer is purchasing a sweater, what else
is he/she likely to purchase?)
CRM manages
● Customer database - build and maintain ● Add/Update customer information daily ● CASS Verify/Standardize postal addresses ● Verify/Standardize phone numbers ● Verify/Standardize email addresses ● Identify and merge duplicate records ● Maintain point balances for loyalty programs ● Allow customized loyalty programs such as 'Double/Triple your Points
weekend!'
CRM reports
● Report on CRM campaigns at any communication level ● Estimate ROI where appropriate and compare actual ROI to projected ● Measure lift over control ● Coordinate with marketing department for message, timing & customer
count ● Integrate/Communicate with fulfillment house. Let KWI do the work with
your vendors to push/receive necessary campaign files! ● Enhance the file with appended data (email address, phone, demographics,
etc)
Remember, CRM is a continuous process of segmentation, testing, monitoring, revising and implementing. Use the tools already at your disposal via KWI-CRM for enriched customer relationships and a richer bottom line!
For more information, please email [email protected] or call Claude Johnson, President, KWI-CRM, at (321) 259-2286.
January 2011
Post-Holiday Turn-Around:
Make Those Returns A Positive Experience!
With another Holiday season accomplished, the season of returns begins. No matter how hard shoppers search for that truly "perfect gift", it is common to see a spike in return rates this time of year. Retailers must be conscious of the downside, and the upside, this new influx of store traffic will bring.
The downside: return fraud. NRF studies estimate annual return fraud in excess of $9 billion dollars in losses, with $2.7 billion of those losses occurring during the holidays!
You can help protect your business with a strategic return policy: one that honest customers can live with, and dishonest customers can't get around. Here are some "best practice" suggestions:
● Conspicuously post your return policy. Some municipalities detail where this policy must be posted.
● Use receipts to communicate your return policy. ● Require receipts for returns. ● Issue the same form of tender used for the original transaction. Always
issue refunds to the original tender used. If a credit card was used, always issue the credit to the same credit card to remain compliant with your credit card processing agreement.
● Refund split tender purchases in the same denominations whenever possible.
Additional return fraud deterrents:
● Offer store merchandise credits or equal exchanges to limit cash returns. ● Provide gift receipts to expedite returns and increase customer satisfaction. ● Consider time restrictions as part of your return policy. ● Require ID for returns. ● Make sure employees understand your return policy, and how to address
different situations.
Don't forget your KWI reporting capabilities: use your POS capabilities to track returns, identify fraudulent returners and deny repeat offenders. You will be amazed at what these reports can reveal.
The upside: relationship building. While it may seem difficult to distinguish between a legitimate return and a fraudulent attempt, be encouraged by the fact that an estimated 87.2 percent of Americans feel retailers' return policies are fair! So use the return as an opportunity for CRM. Be diligent with policy but as fast and accommodating as possible when customers present proper documentation. Attention and care during the return process not only discourages the fraudulent returner, but will help you retain good customers and attract new ones - such as when customers return gifts to a store they don't normally shop!
For many happy returns, use this opportunity to upsell, and impress customers with your store's friendly efficiency.
For more information on preventing return fraud, please contact Kimberly Bloomston, Vice President, Loss Prevention Operations, at [email protected] or (516) 625-0006, ext. 406.
January 2011
Meet the KWI Client Services Team
From left: Patty Wisniewski, Michael Enxuto, Teresa Rosato, Cory Abrams, Robert Schaffer, Gary Stein, Sabrina Jackson.Many of KWI's dedicated employees work behind the scenes, and may be known to our clients only as voices, if at all. But members of our Client Services team enjoy frequent interaction with our valued clients, both on the phone and in person.
Their mission is to provide the proper one-on-one attention your company deserves, with special focus on each business operation's unique needs. Working hand-in-glove with other KWI divisions, Client Services deploys the latest, most innovative and best-of-breed technologies, with open lines of communication to assure you receive the industry's most responsive service. Via regularly scheduled conference calls, members of the team stay in close touch with clients, providing timely information on new capabilities.
The wide variety of Client Services functions includes:
● Assisting with new client implementation and ongoing customer support. ● Meeting regularly with clients to discuss projects, issues and initiatives. ● Overseeing business process engineering; utilizing in-depth knowledge of
retail industry and superior knowledge of system functionality to enhance
the client's business. ● Auditing of feature usage, sharing industry best practices and training on
general functionality to optimize the client's KWI system usage.
The team is lead by Rob Schaffer, Vice President of Client Services. With his 23 years experience on the client side (Estee Lauder), Rob brings exceptional insight and knowledge to the KWI commitment: superior retail solutions backed by outstanding service.
To learn more, please contact Rob Schaffer, Vice President, Client Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 310.
January 2011
KWI Welcomes Joie
The Latest Addition to our Client List
For contemporary designer garments, shoes, and bags with a Southern California feel, consumers turn to Joie.
Since 2001, Joie has been providing modern, fashion savvy customers with a global wardrobe. This distinguishes Joie from other brands which are classification driven and focused on single items such as denim or graphic tees. In addition to its signature cargos Joie is best known for
offering feminine tops, dresses and cashmere sweaters. All designs fulfill the Joie concept of "Casual, Comfortable, and Luxurious".
Operating from its Los Angeles headquarters, Joie's goal is to continue its success while progressively evolving the brand. As the next phase in its evolution, Joie is planning on opening its first store early in 2011 in New York. Additional store openings will follow.
To make the shopping experience as enjoyable as the brand, Joie has contracted with KWI to provide full service retail solutions for its planned stores, encompassing:
● KWI POS systems ● KWI Back Office Merchandising system ● KWI Merchant Services for credit card processing
Rounding out the rollout is a planned integration to an e-commerce platform in the near future.
KWI is pleased to help this successful retailer spread the Joie!
For more information, please contact Gary Brill, Vice President, Business Development, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 325.
January 2011
This Month's Short CutsThis Month's Short Cuts
Time-saving ideas from the staff of KWI.
1. KWI Merchant Services Tip of the Month ... from David Drucker and Phyllis Gricco
What to do when "System Unavailable"
No matter how much you plan and prepare, the world of computers and networks is not a perfect environment. The successful Merchant must be ready for an occasional
outage in credit card processing.
Voice authorizations are the solution when Merchants can't process through normal channels because:
● the communication technology (i.e. Internet) is down ● the transaction amount is too high to be approved ● or, transaction declined without a specific reason
Every location that accepts credit cards as a normal means of payment should have the phone number and other specific information that enables the Merchant to place a voice authorization call on a transaction.
A "knuckle buster" should be present, as well as the authorization slips, to take a manual imprint of the card and retain the customer's signature with the transaction. Be sure to notate the voice authorization number obtained from the call center on this slip.
For more information on credit card processing, please contact David Drucker, President, KWI Merchant Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 720.
2. CRM Tip of the Month ... from Jubin Thomas, CRM Services Manager
Delving Deeper Into CRM
This is an age when every retailer needs to make the most of every single customer relationship. At KWI, we help you achieve that through our advanced CRM. We help our clients maintain a continuous learning process of segmentation, testing, monitoring, changing, implementing and then doing it all over again in order to effectively manage their customer database. This process of continuous improvement consistently builds and maintains ever deepening relationships with your customers.
Knowing your customers well allows you to modify your retailing and marketing components with intelligence. Wouldn't it be great to know what facets of your brand are working, and which ones are not? You can! KWI-CRM is at your fingertips if you are willing to cultivate the customer database within your reach. And if you don't feel your database is sufficient, we have ways to help you develop it into all it should be.
To learn more about the KWI-CRM process, see our feature article in this month's issue. Or, reach out to us directly - we're standing by to help!
You can contact Jubin Thomas, Manager, CRM Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 367.
3. LP Tip of the Month: from Frank Antonetti, Operations Coordinator, The Zellman Group, LLC, a division of KWI.
Employee Confidentiality - Part II
In the previous issue, we discussed the employee's responsibility to treat as private all information received via business operations pertaining to clients, customers or workplace issues. But remember, privacy in the workplace is a two-way door. The company has a responsibility to protect each employee's confidential information.
While there is no single federal law regulating privacy issues for employers on a broad basis, there are a number of federal laws that pertain to specific aspects of employee privacy. There are also state and common law (court-created law) considerations that impact workplace privacy.
Be aware that there are important employee privacy ramifications in all of the following areas:
● Personnel Records/Files ● Medical Information ● Credit and Financial Information ● Education Information ● Wire, Oral and Electronic Communications
● Alcohol and Drug Abuse diagnosis, treatment or other information ● Alcohol and Drug testing ● Personal History Questionnaires ● Surveillance and Investigations ● Using an employee's name and/or likeness without their written permission ● Employment Application ● Responding to requests for employee information by third parties ● Searches (body, personal property, or company property) ● Anti-Trust Law Compliance ● Disclosure of Union Activity ● Off-duty Activity or Behavior (i.e. Smoking) ● Business Ethics ● Confidential Information Leaks
When in doubt, we recommend a "best practice" approach: Advise employees to keep questionable information confidential until an immediate supervisor is consulted. It is everyone's responsibility - and in everyone's best interest! -- to maintain an honest and confidential work environment.
For more information on privacy concerns and other Loss Prevention practices, please contact Kimberly Bloomston, Vice President, Loss Prevention Operations, at [email protected] or (516) 625-0006, ext. 406.
January 2011
Enrich Your Business with Advanced CRM
Are you fully leveraging the power of your customer database? Many retailers already have a great tool to cultivate store growth and build brand loyalty -- simply by communicating better to their existing customers! Building profitable relationships between your brand and your customers is the key to building a business with richer returns. Knowing your customers equals knowing your business. So let's start digging into your database!
In the data flow above - the CRM process starts when the 'consumer' makes a purchase via any channel. A transaction is only the beginning! From this point, a retailer should be cleansing the record, analyzing transactions, communicating to
the customer, gathering even more information, and finally ... enticing to the customer to repeat shopping!
Studies show that if you increase your customer retention by as little as 5%, you can increase your profits by as much as 75%. Retailers who entrust their information technology management to KWI have a rich data history. We can then help you mine that history to uncover extremely useful information that will help build a more profitable relationship between your brand and your customer.
KWI-CRM is a full service outsourcing program designed to meet your complete needs in this specialized area, as follows:
CRM provides
● Acquisition/Retention ● Capture Rate at each level of communication and customer status (loyalty,
preference, etc.) ● Store Trade/Market area ● Customer Segmentation ● Customer Loyalty ● Recency/Frequency/Monetary analysis ● Cross Shopping analysis (If a customer is purchasing a sweater, what else
is he/she likely to purchase?)
CRM manages
● Customer database - build and maintain ● Add/Update customer information daily ● CASS Verify/Standardize postal addresses ● Verify/Standardize phone numbers ● Verify/Standardize email addresses ● Identify and merge duplicate records ● Maintain point balances for loyalty programs ● Allow customized loyalty programs such as 'Double/Triple your Points
weekend!'
CRM reports
● Report on CRM campaigns at any communication level ● Estimate ROI where appropriate and compare actual ROI to projected ● Measure lift over control ● Coordinate with marketing department for message, timing & customer
count ● Integrate/Communicate with fulfillment house. Let KWI do the work with
your vendors to push/receive necessary campaign files! ● Enhance the file with appended data (email address, phone, demographics,
etc)
Remember, CRM is a continuous process of segmentation, testing, monitoring, revising and implementing. Use the tools already at your disposal via KWI-CRM for enriched customer relationships and a richer bottom line!
For more information, please email [email protected] or call Claude Johnson, President, KWI-CRM, at (321) 259-2286.
January 2011
Post-Holiday Turn-Around:
Make Those Returns A Positive Experience!
With another Holiday season accomplished, the season of returns begins. No matter how hard shoppers search for that truly "perfect gift", it is common to see a spike in return rates this time of year. Retailers must be conscious of the downside, and the upside, this new influx of store traffic will bring.
The downside: return fraud. NRF studies estimate annual return fraud in excess of $9 billion dollars in losses, with $2.7 billion of those losses occurring during the holidays!
You can help protect your business with a strategic return policy: one that honest customers can live with, and dishonest customers can't get around. Here are some "best practice" suggestions:
● Conspicuously post your return policy. Some municipalities detail where this policy must be posted.
● Use receipts to communicate your return policy. ● Require receipts for returns. ● Issue the same form of tender used for the original transaction. Always
issue refunds to the original tender used. If a credit card was used, always issue the credit to the same credit card to remain compliant with your credit card processing agreement.
● Refund split tender purchases in the same denominations whenever possible.
Additional return fraud deterrents:
● Offer store merchandise credits or equal exchanges to limit cash returns. ● Provide gift receipts to expedite returns and increase customer satisfaction. ● Consider time restrictions as part of your return policy. ● Require ID for returns. ● Make sure employees understand your return policy, and how to address
different situations.
Don't forget your KWI reporting capabilities: use your POS capabilities to track returns, identify fraudulent returners and deny repeat offenders. You will be amazed at what these reports can reveal.
The upside: relationship building. While it may seem difficult to distinguish between a legitimate return and a fraudulent attempt, be encouraged by the fact that an estimated 87.2 percent of Americans feel retailers' return policies are fair! So use the return as an opportunity for CRM. Be diligent with policy but as fast and accommodating as possible when customers present proper documentation. Attention and care during the return process not only discourages the fraudulent returner, but will help you retain good customers and attract new ones - such as when customers return gifts to a store they don't normally shop!
For many happy returns, use this opportunity to upsell, and impress customers with your store's friendly efficiency.
For more information on preventing return fraud, please contact Kimberly Bloomston, Vice President, Loss Prevention Operations, at [email protected] or (516) 625-0006, ext. 406.
January 2011
Meet the KWI Client Services Team
From left: Patty Wisniewski, Michael Enxuto, Teresa Rosato, Cory Abrams, Robert Schaffer, Gary Stein, Sabrina Jackson.Many of KWI's dedicated employees work behind the scenes, and may be known to our clients only as voices, if at all. But members of our Client Services team enjoy frequent interaction with our valued clients, both on the phone and in person.
Their mission is to provide the proper one-on-one attention your company deserves, with special focus on each business operation's unique needs. Working hand-in-glove with other KWI divisions, Client Services deploys the latest, most innovative and best-of-breed technologies, with open lines of communication to assure you receive the industry's most responsive service. Via regularly scheduled conference calls, members of the team stay in close touch with clients, providing timely information on new capabilities.
The wide variety of Client Services functions includes:
● Assisting with new client implementation and ongoing customer support. ● Meeting regularly with clients to discuss projects, issues and initiatives. ● Overseeing business process engineering; utilizing in-depth knowledge of
retail industry and superior knowledge of system functionality to enhance
the client's business. ● Auditing of feature usage, sharing industry best practices and training on
general functionality to optimize the client's KWI system usage.
The team is lead by Rob Schaffer, Vice President of Client Services. With his 23 years experience on the client side (Estee Lauder), Rob brings exceptional insight and knowledge to the KWI commitment: superior retail solutions backed by outstanding service.
To learn more, please contact Rob Schaffer, Vice President, Client Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 310.
January 2011
KWI Welcomes Joie
The Latest Addition to our Client List
For contemporary designer garments, shoes, and bags with a Southern California feel, consumers turn to Joie.
Since 2001, Joie has been providing modern, fashion savvy customers with a global wardrobe. This distinguishes Joie from other brands which are classification driven and focused on single items such as denim or graphic tees. In addition to its signature cargos Joie is best known for
offering feminine tops, dresses and cashmere sweaters. All designs fulfill the Joie concept of "Casual, Comfortable, and Luxurious".
Operating from its Los Angeles headquarters, Joie's goal is to continue its success while progressively evolving the brand. As the next phase in its evolution, Joie is planning on opening its first store early in 2011 in New York. Additional store openings will follow.
To make the shopping experience as enjoyable as the brand, Joie has contracted with KWI to provide full service retail solutions for its planned stores, encompassing:
● KWI POS systems ● KWI Back Office Merchandising system ● KWI Merchant Services for credit card processing
Rounding out the rollout is a planned integration to an e-commerce platform in the near future.
KWI is pleased to help this successful retailer spread the Joie!
For more information, please contact Gary Brill, Vice President, Business Development, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 325.
January 2011
This Month's Short CutsThis Month's Short Cuts
Time-saving ideas from the staff of KWI.
1. KWI Merchant Services Tip of the Month ... from David Drucker and Phyllis Gricco
What to do when "System Unavailable"
No matter how much you plan and prepare, the world of computers and networks is not a perfect environment. The successful Merchant must be ready for an occasional
outage in credit card processing.
Voice authorizations are the solution when Merchants can't process through normal channels because:
● the communication technology (i.e. Internet) is down ● the transaction amount is too high to be approved ● or, transaction declined without a specific reason
Every location that accepts credit cards as a normal means of payment should have the phone number and other specific information that enables the Merchant to place a voice authorization call on a transaction.
A "knuckle buster" should be present, as well as the authorization slips, to take a manual imprint of the card and retain the customer's signature with the transaction. Be sure to notate the voice authorization number obtained from the call center on this slip.
For more information on credit card processing, please contact David Drucker, President, KWI Merchant Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 720.
2. CRM Tip of the Month ... from Jubin Thomas, CRM Services Manager
Delving Deeper Into CRM
This is an age when every retailer needs to make the most of every single customer relationship. At KWI, we help you achieve that through our advanced CRM. We help our clients maintain a continuous learning process of segmentation, testing, monitoring, changing, implementing and then doing it all over again in order to effectively manage their customer database. This process of continuous improvement consistently builds and maintains ever deepening relationships with your customers.
Knowing your customers well allows you to modify your retailing and marketing components with intelligence. Wouldn't it be great to know what facets of your brand are working, and which ones are not? You can! KWI-CRM is at your fingertips if you are willing to cultivate the customer database within your reach. And if you don't feel your database is sufficient, we have ways to help you develop it into all it should be.
To learn more about the KWI-CRM process, see our feature article in this month's issue. Or, reach out to us directly - we're standing by to help!
You can contact Jubin Thomas, Manager, CRM Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 367.
3. LP Tip of the Month: from Frank Antonetti, Operations Coordinator, The Zellman Group, LLC, a division of KWI.
Employee Confidentiality - Part II
In the previous issue, we discussed the employee's responsibility to treat as private all information received via business operations pertaining to clients, customers or workplace issues. But remember, privacy in the workplace is a two-way door. The company has a responsibility to protect each employee's confidential information.
While there is no single federal law regulating privacy issues for employers on a broad basis, there are a number of federal laws that pertain to specific aspects of employee privacy. There are also state and common law (court-created law) considerations that impact workplace privacy.
Be aware that there are important employee privacy ramifications in all of the following areas:
● Personnel Records/Files ● Medical Information ● Credit and Financial Information ● Education Information ● Wire, Oral and Electronic Communications
● Alcohol and Drug Abuse diagnosis, treatment or other information ● Alcohol and Drug testing ● Personal History Questionnaires ● Surveillance and Investigations ● Using an employee's name and/or likeness without their written permission ● Employment Application ● Responding to requests for employee information by third parties ● Searches (body, personal property, or company property) ● Anti-Trust Law Compliance ● Disclosure of Union Activity ● Off-duty Activity or Behavior (i.e. Smoking) ● Business Ethics ● Confidential Information Leaks
When in doubt, we recommend a "best practice" approach: Advise employees to keep questionable information confidential until an immediate supervisor is consulted. It is everyone's responsibility - and in everyone's best interest! -- to maintain an honest and confidential work environment.
For more information on privacy concerns and other Loss Prevention practices, please contact Kimberly Bloomston, Vice President, Loss Prevention Operations, at [email protected] or (516) 625-0006, ext. 406.
