Empowering In-store staff to apply promotions with confidence and efficiency

The challenge

The goal was clear: Streamline the checkout process and enhance staff’s ability to apply and communicate promotional discounts. The team had several assumptions that guided the design:

• A clean, minimal flow would prevent staff from being overwhelmed by excessive information.

• Reducing friction in the checkout process would decrease transaction times and empower staff to confidently answer questions about promotions.

However, these assumptions had yet to be tested in a real-world setting with staff directly interacting with customers. This presented an opportunity to rigorously evaluate the proposed flow against the actual needs of staff and customers—an area where my expertise in observing human behavior and identifying decision-making patterns would be invaluable.

Understanding the staff’s needs

To ensure that the new flow would work seamlessly in practice, I led a research study that focused on in-context, real-world staff experiences. The primary goal was to understand how staff managed promotions during live transactions and to identify friction points that could arise from the new flow.

Research Objectives:

• Test the new promotions flow with staff to evaluate how well it integrated into their existing checkout workflows.

• Identify any gaps in the new process that could disrupt staff routines or slow down the checkout experience.

• Ensure staff could confidently communicate promotions to customers without confusion or hesitation.

The approach: Direct interaction and observation

I employed two key research methods to gather insights directly from staff:

• In-Store usability testing: I conducted hands-on usability tests with seven staff members who regularly processed checkouts. This allowed me to observe firsthand how staff engaged with the new promotions flow in a controlled environment.

• Live transaction observation: I observed staff in action during actual customer transactions, providing insights into how the new flow fit into real-time interactions. This approach revealed how the flow affected staff efficiency and their ability to confidently handle customer questions about promotions.

Key findings

Through a combination of testing and observation, several critical gaps emerged between the new flow and staff's established habits:

• Staff were used to explaining customer savings when handing over receipts. The new flow buried savings information in an inaccessible area, making it difficult for staff to quickly relay this information to customers.

• The order confirmation page did not display total savings or offer an itemized breakdown, leaving staff unprepared when customers inquired about specific discounts.

• Promotions were represented by vague icons that staff didn’t immediately recognize, which caused confusion regarding which items were discounted and when the promotions would end.

• When customers asked about promotions, staff had to spend additional time searching for answers, slowing down the checkout process and increasing customer frustration.

The solution: Tailored adjustments to fit staff needs

Based on these findings, I collaborated closely with the design and product teams to fine-tune the promotions flow to align more effectively with staff workflows and customer expectations. Key adjustments included:

• Clear savings visibility: The revised flow ensured that savings information was prominently displayed, allowing staff to easily communicate the discount to customers at the point of transaction.

• Itemized savings breakdown: The order confirmation page was updated to show the total savings and a breakdown by item, giving staff the ability to answer questions with accuracy and speed.

• Recognizable icons: We replaced the vague promotional icons with clearer, more intuitive symbols that staff could easily identify, reducing confusion during transactions.

• Streamlined promotion lookup: The updated flow allowed staff to quickly access promotion details with fewer clicks, decreasing the time spent searching for answers and enhancing the efficiency of the checkout process.

The outcome: A streamlined checkout process

Following these adjustments, the promotions flow underwent a seamless integration into the store’s daily operations. Staff were able to:

• Communicate savings confidently

• Quickly address promotional inquiries

• Maintain established workflows

Conclusion

This case study underscores the importance of testing design changes within the context of actual use. By involving staff early in the process and observing real-world interactions, we were able to ensure that the new promotions flow integrated seamlessly into their existing workflows. The result was a tangible improvement in checkout speed and staff confidence, leading to a more efficient and satisfying experience for both staff and customers.