It’s the age of information; a time in which people can discover anything with just a few taps of a screen or clicks of a mouse. Everything is right at your fingertips, but as the owner of a cellphone store, are you truly using information to your advantage? Here are some ways in which custom data can help your cellphone store grow and thrive.

What Is Custom Data?

Before you can truly understand how to make custom data work for you, it’s important to understand the definition of custom data. Simply put, it describes information stored in your POS that you collected from your customers via surveys, direct questions, or any other means. With it, you can personalize email messages, send custom push messages via mobile devices, reach out to specific customers during promotions, and even offer loyalty discounts. Some of the information you might choose to collect includes:

• Customers’ first and last names;
• Physical addresses;
• Email addresses;
• Mobile device brand preferences;
• Past mobile device and accessory purchases;
• Carrier-provided upgrade dates;
• Data needs, such as the average gigabytes used per month;
• Customers’ birthdates;
• Dates on which customers purchased devices, accessories, or repairs from your store; and
• Mobile telephone numbers for text reminders.

What You Can Do with Custom Data

Depending on the data you choose to collect from your customers, you can create targeted campaigns that will keep these individuals coming back to your store when they need devices, accessories, repairs, and more. Some examples include:

• Birthday discounts. Contacting customers a few days before their birthdates to wish them a happy birthday and offer discounts can help drive satisfaction and improve repeat business.
• Holiday promotions. Using customer email addresses, physical addresses, and mobile phone numbers, it’s easy to notify past clients about upcoming deals for holidays, as well.
• Loyalty programs. Rewarding customers for coming back to you with their cellphone needs is always a big hit, especially in an industry that tends to focus on providing discounts only to new clients.
• Plan improvements. If the data you collect includes information about the customers’ current mobile plans, you can notify them of new plans that may better suit their needs as they become available. This shows that you’re on the customer’s side and you’re willing to help them save money by being proactive.
• New device announcements. These days, it’s all about having the newest, best mobile devices. With the information you collect, you can notify customers when you’ve received shipments, and you can even create sales when you’re overstocked.
• Upgrade notifications. Depending on your customers’ carriers and the methods via which they upgrade their devices, they may be upgrade eligible once every 6, 12, 18, or 24 months. If you record this information, you can send quick reminders that it’s time to upgrade, and perhaps even offer a discount if your customers choose to purchase their devices in your store.

It pays to collect custom data from your clients every time they interact with your business. This information may seem insignificant, but a high-tech POS can keep it safe and organized and make it truly valuable. This will allow you to market far more efficiently than before and drive future sales.