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Do I Need a Customer-Facing Display for My Business?

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Last editedMay 20222 min read

A customer-facing display screen is an optional part of a point of sale (POS) system offered by providers such as Square and POS Solutions. In this post, we’ll discuss some of the advantages of having this display feature at checkout, so that you can decide whether it’s a good investment for your business.

What is a customer-facing display?

Customer-facing displays have become fairly popular in Australia and you’ve likely seen them yourself at checkouts. They’re essentially digital screens which display order and payment information to customers. This means customers are able to view their own order, tax and discount information throughout the checkout process.

What information does the customer-facing display show?

A customer-facing display shows customers information related to their order, such as:

Pricing information - As each item is scanned by the cashier, the price will appear on the customer-facing display.
Discounts and promotions - Details about any discounts or promotions a customer is eligible for will be shown.
Advertisements - Some POS systems will allow businesses to display ads and notices on their customer-facing screen.

How can customer-facing display improve sales?

While an investment, customer-facing displays can lead to improved sales figures for the following reasons:

Improves checkout experience - Seeing relevant pricing, order and transaction information clearly allows for full transparency for customers. Errors can be immediately identified, and there will be no surprises for the customer at the payment stage. This transparency builds a sense of trust from customers, and creates a calmer and more pleasant checkout experience.
Can lead to greater customer loyalty - Small businesses often depend on customer loyalty. While, as outlined above, a smooth and pleasant checkout experience can improve customer satisfaction, the display of discounts and promotional information on the customer-facing screen can also keep customers coming back. Being fully aware of how much they’re saving and what discounts they can access often boosts loyalty. You can capitalise on this by offering special loyalty discounts too.

How can customer-facing display improve the checkout experience?

Improving the checkout experience for customers should be a priority for retailers and small businesses. This is because efficiency and transparency at checkout can make the difference between satisfied and dissatisfied customers. Investing in a POS with a customer-facing display screen can help improve the checkout process in the following ways:

Speed - As customers can see all information pertaining to pricing, discounts and promotions, they don’t need to spend time checking with the cashier. Trimming off a few seconds in this way may seem insignificant, but when there are long queues, it can make a big difference.
Keep errors to a minimum - Efficiency isn’t just about speed, it’s also about accuracy. While customers might make errors when totalling up the cost of their items in their head, the POS system won’t. As customers can see the price of their items and the accumulating total in plain sight, there won’t be any surprises at the payment stage. Indeed, with complete transparency, there will inevitably be fewer misunderstandings and mistakes.
Engages customers - As trivial as it sounds, the customer-facing display can be a source of entertainment for customers while they’re at the checkout. Much like commuters read the advertisements on the walls of the bus or city rail train, customers will likely be drawn to watching the screen as their items are scanned. For this reason, it's a good tactic to display promotional offers or advertisements on the screen, as it’s likely that a number of your customers will take note of them.

Is customer facing display a requirement for Australian retail?

For now, customer facing display is not a mandated part of retailers’ POS systems. You can keep up to date with rules and regulations around operating your business on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission website.

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