Digital communication and marketing dominate the retail industry these days. Phone companies are saying goodbye to obsolete systems related to landline technology and now offer a wider variety of alternative services with mobile and cellular service.
Most people understand this shift because they’ve already made the switch themselves to using their smartphone for everything. New telephone networks and online platforms have become the preferred channels for customer interaction, browsing product lines, and even making purchases.
Brick-and-mortar retailers need to operate within the same balance of Internet commerce and high-tech communication as any other business. Let’s dig a little deeper into why and how commonly accepted technology and consumer preferences are fueling the rapid decline of landline phones.
Are landlines going away? Landline services by the numbers
The simple answer to this question is, “yes.” It’s already been a full 10 years since cell phones have taken over in popularity from traditional landline service. Today, nearly 72% of all households in the United States only use wireless phones for their personal and business communication. This number is only going up as time goes by. Reliance on landlines alone simply isn’t a thing anymore, so it makes little sense for shops to cling to them as their main method of contact.
From a retail business perspective, the switch to solely mobile phones or Internet connection devices follows the same trajectory. In fact, the primary businesses who still use wired connections do so because the infrastructure is integrated with their security or fire detection systems. Even when this is true, they usually don’t use landlines for customer communication or marketing.
The main problems with relying on landline phones
Even the quaintest, small-town brick-and-mortar shop needs to move with the times to stay competitive and profitable. When deciding whether to ditch landlines completely, consider the following reasons why this traditional tech is quickly becoming obsolete.
Unsupported tech
Landline infrastructure doesn’t get the attention it used to, and isn’t even required in some states or cities these days. In the coming years, any wired phone may simply fail, and no one will be around to fix it.
No special functions
You can make a call with a landline phone, put someone on hold, and allow them to record a message if you are away from the desk or helping a customer in the shop. But that’s it.
Even with the top-of-the-line landline setups, you’ll never be able to send a text, access the internet, check inventory sheets, or record customer data at the same time. Mobile phones and digital retail CRMs can do all these things and more.
Reduced customer engagement
The limitations of landline phones affect how you interact with customers. Relying on foot traffic alone doesn’t work, and people don’t want to give you their home address or numbers if they think you will call them at any time of the day or night. If you don’t give them options, they simply won’t bother engaging with your brand at all.
Brand reputation
One less than obvious negative of using landline phones is the impression they make on people who visit your shop. Unless you’re going for a pure vintage or historical field, the sight of a bulky and out-of-date phone sitting on the counter will show shoppers your company doesn’t stay with the times. For most target demographics, this is a bad thing that may affect their interest or ongoing loyalty—especially for younger shoppers like Gen Z.
The benefits of switching to mobile phones at your retail store
If you’ve always used a landline phone at your store, making the switch may seem daunting. But the advantages to your business, customers, and employee experience is well worth the effort. Let’s dive into just a few of the benefits you’ll notice.
Cell phones save brick-and-mortar stores money
Because of the overwhelming popularity of cellular and Internet-based networks, mobile phones are much more affordable than maintaining and using landline services. The phones themselves may cost less over time, there are no physical utility changes needed, and maintenance is quite infrequent and cheap.
If something goes wrong, many problems get solved remotely. You don’t have to shut down to have a technician arrive and fiddle with wires and gadgets. Scalability also matters, especially if you have more than one brick-and-mortar storefront.
More specialized and personalized communication
The function of digital communication methods makes connecting with customers much more personalized and flexible. Modern solutions allow shop owners to call just like landlines do, but they can also handle texts, emails, and all social media interactions with ease. There’s no need to switch to another device or head to your desk to get this type of work done.
Also, because of the interconnectivity, you’ll never miss an important message or opportunity to reach out to potential or current customers with a thanks, special offer, or an answer to their question.
Easy software integrations
One of the huge reasons for improved results is how easy it is to integrate the content and collected data from telephone networks to online platforms. Smart brand owners use fully featured customer relationship management and marketing assistant apps these days.
You can’t directly gather information from your landline chat like you could from a web-based option. If that wasn’t enough to abandon landlines already, newer tech allows for a high degree of automation, which saves time and introduces amazing efficiencies.
Customers want and expect digital channel communication
The primary reason to find a suitable replacement for your landline phones comes down to customer expectations and desires. People no longer want voice calls interrupting their busy day. They prefer SMS marketing, social media interactions, and other forms of online contact.
A lot of this has to do with efficiency and access. They can control the content they get from the brands they buy from and communicate using their preferred methods. And for most customers, that’s text: more than 75% prefer texts.
Conclusion
In these fast-paced, modern times, it simply makes sense that more advanced technology is taking over from landline phones. Digital solutions like mobile phones and CRMs are not just a suitable replacement—they’re an essential one.
Smart phones are the obvious option, but from the perspective of business owners, it makes more sense to have a unique platform that takes care of customer management and marketing for you. Clientbook offers so much more than an effective communication option. The data collection, analysis, strategizing, and contact options can streamline your busy business tasks and make each one more powerful than ever before. Book a demo to get a free look at our software today.
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