[{"_id":"project-settings","settings":{"translateMetaTags":true,"translateAriaLabels":true,"translateTitle":true,"showWidget":true,"isFeedbackEnabled":false,"fv":1,"customWidget":{"theme":"dark","font":"rgb(255, 255, 255)","header":"rgb(0, 0, 0)","background":"rgba(0, 0, 0,0.8)","position":"right","positionVertical":"bottom","border":"","borderRequired":false,"widgetCompact":true,"isWidgetPositionRelative":false},"widgetLanguages":[{"code":"es-LA","name":"Español (América Latina)"},{"code":"fr-CA","name":"Français (Canada)"}],"activeLanguages":{"fr-CA":"Français (Canada)","es-LA":"Español (América Latina)","de":"Deutsch","en":"English"},"enabledLanguages":["de","en","es-LA","fr-CA"],"debugInfo":false,"displayBranding":true,"displayBrandingName":true,"localizeImages":false,"localizeUrls":false,"localizeImagesLimit":false,"localizeUrlsLimit":true,"localizeAudio":false,"localizeAudioLimit":false,"localizeDates":false,"disabledPages":[],"regexPhrases":[],"allowComplexCssSelectors":false,"blockedClasses":false,"blockedIds":false,"phraseDetection":true,"customDomainSettings":[],"seoSetting":[],"translateSource":false,"overage":false,"detectPhraseFromAllLanguage":false,"googleAnalytics":false,"mixpanel":false,"heap":false,"disableDateLocalization":false,"ignoreCurrencyInTranslation":false,"blockedComplexSelectors":[]},"version":4199},{"_id":"en","source":"en","pluralFn":"return n != 1 ? 1 : 0;","pluralForm":2,"dictionary":{},"version":4199},{"_id":"outdated","outdated":{"#Ver video":1,"#hours per week searching for product":1,"#hours per week on inventory-related tasks, and an average of":1,"#Staff members spend an average of":1,"#% of retailers say inaccurate inventory is their biggest challenge fulfilling online orders":1,"#Two fifths of retailers identify inventory as their biggest CX challenge. The same number say that real-time inventory visibility would improve CX":1,"#For retailers struggling with poor inventory visibility, this creates a huge drain on profits. According to a study by SML:":1,"#Amid ongoing labor shortages and the rise of programs like Buy Online Pick-up In Store (BOPIS), having precise inventory visibility is vital. Inaccurate or limited inventory views result in lost sales and staff wasting time searching for products.":1,"#, where we delve into innovative solutions that can address these challenges, streamline operations, and fortify your position in the competitive retail landscape!":1,"#Stay tuned for Part":1,"#Cumbersome processes create more work and hinder data-driven decisions. However, many of these challenges can be addressed with integrated software solutions.":1,"#Fortunately, technology can help alleviate these challenges.":1,"#Trish Sale, Lead of Product at iQmetrix, provides a valuable perspective on these challenges. While some level of human error may be a reality that inventory managers have to deal with, our retailers tell us that when they don’t have good, user friendly tools in place these errors can become crippling to their business. They can’t afford to add more stock to stores to compensate for inaccuracies, and the result is that their customers lose faith in their local store to have what they are looking for.”":1,"#Poor inventory visibility is creating struggles for retailers.":1,"#Lack of clarity – lack of accurate inventory data makes it nearly impossible to identify trends and hampers businesses’ ability to make data-driven decisions.":1,"#Unnecessary labor costs created by the need for additional staff to complete time-consuming processes such as manual cycle counts, error correction, and searching for inventory":1,"#Picking errors such as choosing the wrong SKU quantities, or simply mistaking one SKU for another":1,"#Data entry errors, which lead to inaccurate views of product availability":1,"#Excess inventory on hand, which increases the numbers of write-offs and write-downs retailers have to make, cutting into margins":1,"#In the wider retail industry, only 12% of retailers take physical inventory counts on a daily basis. However, the conversations we’ve had with telecom industry experts suggest that daily inventory counting is much more common in the telecom space. What’s makes this practice remarkable is not just the frequency, but the fact that many telecom retailers are still using cumbersome processes that cause human error. These errors in inventory counts then create a host of problems that create extra work and cut into profits, such as:":1,"#An added complication: cumbersome processes cause human error.":1,"#When you layer in the challenge of low device availability and high cost of inventory in the telecom industry, these challenges are compounded. Retailers can’t afford to overstock on devices that might not sell in a given market, but if you don’t have the device a customer wants, you know they will go down the street to your competitor.”":1,"#According to Trish Sale, Lead of Product at iQmetrix, the challenges of poor inventory visibility and management are often compounded for wireless retailers.":1,"#21% of retailers say it takes too long to locate missing inventory items":1,"#wireline/internet/cable companies that want to get into wireless services":1,"#smartphone and tablet repair businesses that are looking to expand their offerings":1,"#the retail operations of original equipment manufacturers that sell their own-brand devices but don’t activate them":1,"#Why Your Telecom Retail Operation Needs to Offer (Better) Device…":1,"#Whether you’re already offering device activations or not, there are some key ways you can improve the customer experience, along with your bottom line":1,"#iQmetrix | Why Your Telecom Retail Operation Needs to Offer (Better)…":1,"#2023 Telecom Industry Address: Unified Activation Solutions for Carriers":1,"#national retailers — from big-box electronics to general grocery and home goods stores — that are currently selling but not activating smart devices":1,"#for more details, or get in touch with our team.":1,"#our webinar here":1,"#Want to learn more about iQmetrix’s unified activation portal, Carrier Connect? Check out":1,"#What’s more, having a single set of consolidated APIs integrated to Tier-1 US carriers (with automatic integration as new carriers come on-stream) means that you can deploy once and integrate to many. And it means not having to build an in-house activation solution, which can be very expensive and extremely high maintenance, requiring costly new carrier integration projects each time. Using a specialized activation solution such as Carrier Connect gives your in-house IT team the freedom to focus on other mission-critical projects.":1,"#and more.":1,"#bill payment":1,"#trade-ins":1,"#In today’s retail landscape, there are many businesses that don’t offer activations, but could do so. These include:":1,"#A unified activation portal, such as iQmetrix’s Carrier Connect, is fully integrated with carrier systems. These integrations automatically keep you up to date with carrier offerings, allowing store associates to take customers through all their options, including:":1,"#The answer? Use the right technology to activate devices quickly and seamlessly":1,"#Hamer explained, Online activations can be just as cumbersome as in-store experiences, and this can mean frustrating customers simply give up, creating high fallout rates. And that means that the experience of your brand that you’re creating isn’t consistent — unless we can agree that it’s consistently poor, unfortunately.”":1,"#You aren’t scaling B2B activations and other services to business customers across any channels":1,"#The customer’s experience of your brand isn’t consistent across all purchasing channels":1,"#The clunky activation experience for customers creates high fallout rates and cart abandonment":1,"#You’re also offering online device activations, but:":1,"#It’s not just the customer experience that retailers need to worry about — today’s store operators can’t afford to create a poor store associate experience either, given the massive labor shortage and high staff turnover. Retailers can easily get stuck in an endless loop of putting too much time and money into training new agents in complex systems, creating difficult work for that sales rep, only to lose them and having to start all over again.":1,"#For those retail operations that aren’t yet offering device activations, there is a host of business reasons why you should.":1,"#These long activation times and arduous experiences are another thing that drives down customer loyalty,” added Raymer. And it affects every stakeholder: the customer, the store associate, the retail operator, and the carrier.”":1,"#Hamer said, What the poor activation experience typically comes down to is that the agent has to swivel-chair between multiple complex systems. During an activation, all the systems behind the scenes — carrier billing systems, different third-party options, and so on — are very old, burdensome, and hard to use. This is what generates this extremely high-effort transaction process.”":1,"#You’re not offering online activations, therefore losing out on potential revenue":1,"#You’re stuck in a cycle of poor sales agent experience — high agent turnover — high agent training costs":1,"#Having multiple carrier portals and logins creates an employee administration nightmare":1,"#You might be losing out on revenue by offering a limited carrier service":1,"#The clunky system fosters poor sales rep behaviors of steering the customer towards the easiest carrier portal, not necessarily the right plan for the customer":1,"#Dual data entry means a very suboptimal sales rep and customer experience":1,"#It is taking too long to activate a phone — 45 to 60 minutesis the typical transaction time":1,"#You’re activating devices in-store only — and, in most cases, that probably means:":1,"#It’s no secret that there’s not much margin available in selling a device,” said Stacy Hamer, Chief Operating Officer of iQmetrix. A device typically has little to no margin. There’s some margin around the activation, and the bulk of revenue around the transaction is on the fringe — the additional fees, the additional accessories, and peripheral items like trade-in and insurance. So, you’re definitely missing out on a ton of upselling opportunities if you don’t activate, and you’re not providing that end-to-end retail journey. You want to be that one-stop shop that gives the customer everything they need, in order to create what’s ultimately most important — customer loyalty.”":1,"#You’re selling but not activating devices, which means your business is leaving money on the table by:":1,"#Here are some of the key pitfalls of not offering device activations — or doing it badly” — and what our iQmetrix experts have to say about them.":1,"#For the most part, today’s device retailers either aren’t offering activations at all, or they’re doing it badly,” said Jason Raymer, Senior Vice President of Revenue at iQmetrix. That’s not to say that the retail operations are poor, but that the systems that drive activations today are overly complicated and create a poor experience.”":1,"#But getting into wireless activations has historically been a daunting task, given the complexities of all the carrier systems and disparate elements involved. This means that, even for businesses that are already offering device activations, it’s likely a disjointed and cumbersome experience for both the customer and the sales rep.":1,"#iQmetrix | Inventory Visibility in Telecom Retail, Part 1: Pain Points":1,"#Rent: $30/device/month":1,"#With AppleCare+ and the AppleCare Protection Plan, customers have direct access to Apple experts for help setting up their device, syncing it to other devices and using Apple-branded apps. Because Apple makes the hardware, the device operating system, and many of the apps customers use, only AppleCare can provide award-winning, integrated support and service. Customers can get help online, at any Apple Store, and Apple Authorized Service Provider worldwide – they can even schedule a call and an expert Advisor will call them back.":1,"#AppleCare+ and the AppleCare Protection Plan provide customers peace of mind knowing they can get expert help direct from the people who know their products best.":1,"#The AppleCare Experience":1,"#AppleCare+ is an extended service and support plan direct from Apple for iPhone and iPad products. Your customers receive two years of hardware protection and service — including two incidents of accidental damage — and can get help from Apple’s award-winning AppleCare support group as often as they would like. With Express Replacement service, Apple can usually replace the customer’s device the next business day if needed. Because Apple makes the hardware, the operating system and many of the applications customers use, no one else can provide such an amazing service and support experience. AppleCare+ extends the AppleCare experience to the customer’s home, hotel room, or other location.":1,"#Reliable and accessible metrics: The RQ and AppleCare+ integrated solution will allow retailers to view in-depth sales details, report on AppleCare+ enrollment metrics and easily reconcile all transactions in one place.":1,"#Accidental Damage Service Fees - Canada":1,"#Apple Watch Edition and Apple Watch Hermès":1,"#Apple Watch and Apple Watch Nike+":1,"#iPad - all models":1,"#iPhone - all models":1,"#Positive bottom line impact: The inherent consumer demand for AppleCare+ with the purchase of an iPhone gives retailers a lucrative channel for increasing revenues – without exposing themselves to inventory logistics, shrinkage, and handling costs.":1,"#Any other damage":1,"#Screen Only (iPhone only)":1,"#Accidental Damage Service Fees - US":1,"#Express Replacement Service for iOS devices and Apple Watch - Apple ships replacement devices next business day with packing included to return damaged devices.":1,"#Carry in iOS devices to an Apple Retail Store or other Apple Authorized Service Provider":1,"#Mail in iOS devices using a prepaid shipping box provided by Apple":1,"#Convenient service options":1,"#Up to two incidents of accidental damage for iOS devices and Apple Watch - each subject to a service fee (see below for service fee details. Not applicable to Apple TV.)":1,"#Included Siri remote and power cord - Apple TV only":1,"#AirPort device coverage":1,"#Smooth sales transactions: Enrolling a customer’s iPhone with AppleCare+ for iPhone is just a simple step in the RQ sales process. RQ links with Apple’s systems to ensure that auto-enrollment is quick and accurate.":1,"#Including battery coverage - iOS devices and Apple Watch":1,"#The device and included accessories":1,"#Enhanced hardware coverage":1,"#Schedule a call and Apple will call you":1,"#Help connecting to Wi-Fi networks":1,"#Troubleshoot issues, or just get help with Apple developed apps":1,"#Help with your entire Apple experience - like using AirPlay, AirDrop or iCloud":1,"#24/7 priority access through getsupport.apple.com":1,"#Direct priority access to Apple exports via chat or phone":1,"#Award-winning support":1,"#Exceptional customer experiences: AppleCare+ auto-enrollment enables you to attach AppleCare+ when you sell an iPhone so your customers are covered when they leave your location.":1,"#Theft and Loss Coverage":1,"#Accidental Damage Coverage":1,"#Express Replacement Service":1,"#Accessories Coverage":1,"#Battery Coverage":1,"#Extended Hardware Coverage":1,"#✓":1,"#Amazing telephone Technical Support from the people who made iPhone":1,"#Others":1,"#Competitive Feature Comparison":1,"#AppleCare+ Solutions":1,"#About AppleCare+":1,"#Gain access to the best-in-class payment services. No-fuss integrations save you time and money with a direct connection to value-added features to boost your business.":1,"#Payment Processing Partners":1,"#While having items shipped directly to them is convenient and often preferred by customers, having to ship items back to companies isn’t. This is why a return-to-store” process is an important piece of the omnichannel puzzle to achieving higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty.":1,"#Wachstum der Mobilfunkabonnements von 55 % im Vergleich zum Vorjahr":1,"#34 % der Fachleute aus der Telekommunikationsbranche":1,"#For telecom retailers — who face the added challenge of clunky systems and processes that create poor experiences for both reps and customers — the need to implement streamlined solutions is key to the challenge of employee retention. Travis Brown of ConnectCell told us, Right now, you have to enter all the customer information into the point of sale, and then enter all the customer information into the billing system and you’re duplicating everything. Except the billing system doesn’t have payment processing. And then you have accessories and in-store purchases that are done at the point of sale. And, in terms of plan selection and feature selection and so on, we’re duplicating both of those things on both sides of the system.”":1,"#Device dimensions":1,"#Accept payments however your customers want to pay with a card reader that does it all.":1,"#Insert, tap, swipe":1,"#Connect the card reader with your preferred mobile device and attach via the built-in magnet.":1,"#Easy pairing":1,"#Built with a long-lasting battery to keep your business going through the busiest days.":1,"#Long-lasting battery":1,"#Whether you’re in-store or on the move, we have a device for all your needs.":1,"#Flexible setup for accepting payments":1,"#Buy: $99/device":1,"#Complete set including cables and power":1,"#Pricing:":1,"#Affordable pricing to get you accepting in-person payments in a flash":1,"#Complete with five-bay charging":1,"#PTC Cable USB-A to USB-C, 2M, angled":1,"#iQ Terminal (L) Protective Case":1,"#USB Power Adapter US":1,"#incl. 40x Charger TYPEB (US)":1,"#iQ Terminal Charging Station":1,"#(no power cord)":1,"#iQ Terminal Charging Base w/DC Plug Adapter":1,"#iQ Terminal Battery":1,"#(compatible with protective case)":1,"#iQ Terminal (L) Charging Base":1,"#iQ Terminal Accessories":1,"#Standalone":1,"#Offline Processing":1,"#Chip & Swipe card":1,"#A card reader for businesses on the move":1,"#Contactless":1,"#Customizable screen & logo":1,"#Customer recognition & recurring payments":1,"#Accepts e-wallets":1,"#Accepts local payment methods":1,"#Accepts debit/credit cards":1,"#Cellular":1,"#No":1,"#April 2030 (v6)":1,"#PCI Validity":1,"#Operating System":1,"#GB flash &":1,"#Memory":1,"#-bit RISC processor":1,"#GHz, ARM Cortex-A":1,"#A powerful all-in-one mobile device":1,"#Quad-core,":1,"#Wh), replaceable":1,"#Battery":1,"#lbs":1,"#g /":1,"#Weight":1,"#Power Supply (PSU)":1,"#Audio speaker, audio jack":1,"#Speaker & audio jack":1,"#40mm":1,"#Paper roll size":1,"#” Touch display":1,"#User interface":1,"#Printer Availability":1,"#″ H":1,"#″ W x":1,"#Let’s Talk":1,"#mm W ×":1,"#Device dimension":1,"#Payment Experience":1,"#iQ Terminal Features":1,"#Streamline daily workflows with a 5MP rear camera, barcode reader, and fingerprint reader.":1,"#Advanced technology":1,"#Built for speed and innovation, with a quad-core processor and Android 10 operating system.":1,"#Exceptional performance":1,"#Accept payments next to a variety of apps like your cash register, inventory, and customer order history.":1,"#All-in-one device":1,"#Buy: $833/device":1,"#Hassle-free device replacement over the first three years of the device lifecycle at no extra charge.":1,"#Fast replacement for iQ Terminal":1,"#Offline mode support so you can keep getting paid even if the POS is down.":1,"#Take payment… always":1,"#Automatically receive the latest updates remotely, with no custom firmware or software dependencies.":1,"#No custom firmware updates":1,"#Streamlined Hardware Maintenance":1,"#Store and Forward Processing":1,"#April 2031 (v6)":1,"#Camera / Barcode scanner":1,"#MB Flash,":1,"#Not included -":1,"#Buzzer only":1,"#Not applicable":1,"#x":1,"#Mobile Payment Devices For All Your Retail Needs":1,"#Payment Devices for Telecom":1,"#-Waleed Ayoub, CTO, iQmetrix":1,"#2023 Telecom Industry Address: Solving the Activations Conundrum":1,"#We are PCI-DSS and SSAE18 SOC 2 Taper 2 compliant and certified.":1,"#3. 5G’s Bridge Over the Digital Divide":1,"#announcement.":1,"#1. Apple Disrupts the Market with eSIM Only iPhone 14":1,"#years":1,"#, the past three years have seen more consolidation of wireless carriers than we’ve seen in the past":1,"#Margins out of hardware sales transformed by the iPhone:":1,"#Telecom retail is going through some dramatic changes that can seem overwhelming. As the pace of technological change has accelerated, a rapidly evolving market has become the new normal. Over the past":1,"#Trends for 2023 and Beyond":1,"#After several years of slower-than-predicted deployments, the pace of 5G network expansion is finally starting to pick up. However, with the focus shifting to next-generation networks, it’s easy to lose sight of the millions of people who don’t have access to the internet or wireless services.":1,"#2. The Telecom Space Race":1,"#carrier – T-Mobile – supported it prior to the iPhone":1,"#years, and only one T":1,"#The six major trends influencing telecom as we close out 2022 and move into 2023 are:":1,"#Prepaid carriers gained momentum:":1,"#The Need For a Unified Customer Experience":1,"#2021 saw an explosion of retail activity as consumers hungry for a return to pre-pandemic holiday traditions drove an 8.5% total increase in holiday shopping revenue—the largest annual increase in 17 years. This year, however, is seeing a net decrease in holiday spending after taking inflation into consideration.":1,"#Additionally, Verizon and T-Mobile are continuing to steal post-paid subscribers from traditional carriers. They’ve also expanded rapidly into providing internet connectivity, with approximately 69% of their internet subscribers onboarding within the last 12 months.":1,"#Ongoing supply chain disruption":1,"#Telecom carriers are also facing competition from entirely new sectors — such as wireline carriers, who have emerged as an increasing threat to the Tier":1,"#The change from fixed-term contracts to device financing required retailers to reimagine what selling and activating a device looked like, even if financing still locked consumers into their carriers meant that not a whole lot changed for consumers":1,"#years, a series of seismic shifts in telecom have forced retailers to continually evolve the day-to-day running of their business to keep up with the rapidly changing market.":1,"#The expansion of 5G networks represents an opportunity to connect people in people in rural communities and create new economies and ways of living. It also represents a new market for carriers with much lower acquisition costs; in a market where 28% of rural people remain unconnected, acquisition costs are much lower because companies can deliver net new services.":1,"#The gap is even more stark for those living outside of urban areas. Globally, people in urban areas are twice as likely to have internet access than people in rural areas, and four times more likely in the least developed economies (47% versus 13%).":1,"#Excited for this new technology and the consumer choice it offers":1,"#The State of the Industry":1,"#5G service deployments and the digital divide":1,"#MVNO as a sector is growing very rapidly; at time of writing, there are more than":1,"#Increased carrier consolidation:":1,"#BOPIS and ROPIS:":1,"#T1 carriers have partnered with wireline MVNOs for several years, but there is a growing shift in how well they’re doing in the market with companies like Cox, Altice, Charter, and Xfinity growing very rapidly.":1,"#4. Shifting Market Competition":1,"#Previously, there hasn’t been a lot of support for eSIM in North America. Only a few handsets have been eSIM only over the past":1,"#Telecom Retail in 2022":1,"#Carrier bundling begins to impact subscriber churn:":1,"#In addition to strategic carrier partnerships, we’re also seeing handset manufacturers starting to implement satellite messaging technology. Both Apple and Huawei have announced emergency satellite messaging capabilities in their latest flagship phone launches. Additionally, support for satellite messaging will be implemented as part of Android":1,"#Wireline carriers emerge as competitive threat:":1,"#. However, the expansion of":1,"#Not all emergency services can receive text messages. Apple’s Emergency SOS required workaround where messages in some areas will be intercepted and resent because of this limitation.":1,"#5G becomes network focus:":1,"#Contracts with fixed terms replaced with financing:":1},"version":4199}]