How often do you go to a store, only to leave it because you're not getting timely answers from customer service reps on the products you want to buy?

Since patience, unfortunately, is not one of my virtues (despite years of trying to change this), this happens to me more often than it should.

In trying to break down the cause for the problem, I’ve concluded there are a few possible reasons I don’t get what I need:

1. The employees don’t know the answer, nor do they know how to find it.
2. The employees don’t know the answer, do know how to find it, but can’t access the people or systems that can provide said answer.
3. The employees are too busy texting their friends and don’t care about helping their customers.

Yeah, I know - reason No. 3 happens more than it should! But reason No. 2 is all-too-often the culprit.

That's why a new solution from Avaya piqued my interest. Note the word “solution.” This truly is a new solution, rather than a new product or technology. Avaya is coming out with various offerings under its “Avaya Intelligent Branch Solutions” heading.

For the retail offering, customer service reps, say, in a home-improvement store, would carry a Motorola CA50 compact wireless device. From the device, they can communicate with others via walkie-talkie, phone, or electronically. They can scan an item, and connect via Wi-Fi off of Avaya Communications Manager to a specialist at a local store, or even at the manufacturer’s site.

This way, if customers have questions about color options, pricing, inventory, warranties, or other such things, the service rep can retrieve immediate answers right in the aisle. The devices cost about $700; making them more affordable (not to mention portable and functional) than the large, old radio devices retailers have used.

Bottom line: Retailers and service-type organizations should consider this solution as a way to improve customer service and revenue.

Robin Gareiss is executive vice president and senior founding partner of Nemertes Research. Click  here for the newsletter archive.