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4 Ugly Truths: Signs You’re Using the Wrong POS for Your CA Cannabis Delivery

The truth will set you free…

There’s no doubt that California cannabis delivery services are the future of the industry. With their ability to act efficiently and integrate in a seamless way for the end consumer, cannabis delivery services are shaping the future of business-to-consumer relations. Not only do delivery services get cannabis products to the end consumer in a fast and painless way, they take advantage of the paradigm shift in the digital age.

In a world where everything can be bought from your iPhone or mobile device, cannabis certainly fits into the mold of technology. It’s no surprise that delivery services are taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity in the California marketplace and absolutely crushing it when it comes to convenient business models. But what keeps a delivery service on its feet? Partnering with the correct point-of-sale system.

Related: 7 Questions to Ask When Purchasing Software for Your Cannabis Delivery Service

I. Lacking METRC integration!

METRC is the chosen platform for California’s CCTT.

METRC is the State of California’s seed-to-sale, track-and-trace system. All businesses in the cannabis industry need to utilize METRC in order to track seeds, clones, individual cannabis products, and batches from the time in which they are conceived to the time in which a consumer buys them. Your point-of-sale system should automatically report to METRC as soon as the system goes ‘live” in California (said to be in January of 2019). This means that partnering with a point-of-sale that lacks METRC certification and does not have the capabilities of automatically tracking batches as they enter your inventory is not maximizing the potential of your business.

Let’s be clear here—keeping a culture of compliance is everything in a regulated market. METRC integration is absolutely necessary. Without metric integration, the state of California‘s Bureau of Cannabis Control has no way of ensuring that you are keeping track of all sales and has no way of acknowledging that your product has been laboratory tested per BCC regulations. Make sure that when you are partnering with a point-of-sale system, that METRC certification is fulfilled.

Related: A Definitive Guide to Compliance – California Dispensaries 

II. Not capable of automatic delivery dispatching.

Two-communication and automated dispatch is made easy by using Tookan on WebJoint’s platform.

Delivery services are mandated per the BCC to have automated GPS location on each and every single delivery vehicle that is utilized within the business. What this means is that all drivers must be able to be tracked in real time and the location of each driver to be recorded as deliveries are completed. That’s not only to keep you compliant, but is an accurate way to ensure that the safety of your drivers and customers is well taken care of. The cannabis industry is certainly a dangerous one considering the fact that cash is the only method of payment that is technically allowed currently.

With the lack of central banking systems available for the cannabis industry in the state of California, delivery services are forced to not only except large amounts of cash from consumers but also carry this large amount of cash with them throughout the duration of their delivery. New regulations state that a minimum of $2000 worth of cannabis product must be pre-ordered prior to dispatching of any delivery driver.

A point-of-sale system that does not alert you of this mandatory minimum and allows you to dispatch orders prior to meeting this requirement is simply putting your operation at risk. Making sure that you partner with a point-of-sale system that keeps you up-to-date with your dispatch limitations and dispatch requirements could make a world of difference to the success of your cannabis delivery service.

Related: 4 Things to Look for in a Cannabis Accounting Firm

III. Lack of proper inventory management? Big problem!

 

A sleek & intuitive back-end makes inventory management a breeze!

Poor inventory management is one way to make sure that your California cannabis delivery service fails to operate within maximum potential. This is to say that keeping inventory is one of the most important aspects of delivery service success. Operating a delivery service is not an easy task nor is it a model for everybody that is interested in the cannabis industry. Being able to account for all of your inventory prior to a BCC inspection through the best practice of inventory reconciliation at least every two weeks can help make sure that your inventory or stock rooms fall under compliance.

The latest BCC regulations only require inventory reconciliation once every 30 days. Although this is a rather new regulation, it is a firm belief that inventory reconciliation and inventory management should be completed as often as possible. Having a point-of-sale system that automatically pulls and live-syncs inventory as sales are made is one way to impress customers as you never have to let them down due to lack of inventory. The most powerful POS systems are the workhorses of delivery services. As sales are made, your inventory should adjust on-the-fly and sharing that you can satisfy customers by being able to give them the product that they are looking for as quick as possible.

Related: 4 Obligations of a California Cannabis Delivery Service Inventory Manager

IV. Confusing & inaccurate sales reports!

Sales reports don’t have to complicate your California cannabis delivery service.

What’s the point of partnering with a POS system if you are not getting the mandatory analytics and necessary tools that are needed to successfully run your business in an optimal way? With this being said, it’s ultimately up to you as to which analytics and metrics are the most important to track for your California cannabis delivery service, but basic reports such as daily sales reports, tax reports, inventory & staff management, and performance reports and number of customers Serviced on a daily basis, are all examples of reports that can shift and optimize the operations of your delivery service.

Partnering with a point-of-sale system that automatically generates these reports for you at the click of a button instead of manually entering CSV data eliminates the possibility of costly errors. Make sure that your point-of-sale system can generate these reports and offer various options for illustrated reports. Such illustrations and forms of reports include, but are not limited to: bar graphs, pie charts, and bell curves. These reports should be easy to understand, aesthetically pleasing and ultimately give you any in-depth look at your day-to-day operations.

It’s ultimately up to you!

Choosing a point-of-sale partner to use for your California cannabis delivery service is no easy task. If you are partnered up with a delivery service POS that doesn’t include the features listed above, you might want to reconsider the method in which you are processing sales. It’s important to note that all-in-one cannabis solutions for delivery services do exist. WebJoint is one of those solutions. Schedule a demo to see how WebJoint can take your business to the ultimate level of success!

Related: The Future of Cannabis Banking by Aviva Spectrum

5 Questions Customers Will Ask That Your Cannabis Delivery Service Staff Should be Able to Answer

Spread your knowledge –

A new customer’s first time using a cannabis delivery service can be overwhelming. There is a huge variety of available products, different methods of growing, and quality factors to consider when buying products. New customers might use your website to search for interesting products and end up with questions. Delivering a satisfactory answer can make a world of difference in the customer’s experience.

All customers should be taken care of with clear attention and given the best information to make educated purchases of cannabis. An informed answer that is constructed with the customer’s best interest in mind lays the foundation for an important understanding of how cannabis works.

Make sure your staff is ready to answer the following 5 questions!

How are you sourcing your products?

Henry’s Original takes transparency to new heights.

Some customers care more than others about where cannabis products come from. These mindful customers may just be curious about more information on what they are buying, who grew their plant material, where it was grown, and techniques used to make sure that what they are purchasing is both safe and effective.

Being capable of explaining a company’s ethos or core values can really bring value to your customer’s experience.

You should have the knowledge on this and your staff should be able to clearly explain how your company sources product. This shows that you as a business not only cares about your customers, but also helps consumers understand why a product is best for them.

Pointing out organic products that are grown in small-batch farms might appeal to a more mindful customer whereas mass-produced and popular strains might appeal to those looking at the scale of the industry. A stark juxtaposition gives your clients the ability to gather an idea of just how many aspects of cannabis there are to consider!

Perhaps, it might be an interesting “homework” assignment to give to your delivery drivers or in-house support staff to task them with due diligence on the products. But in doing so, this includes the backstory of brands and the core values that brands feel are important to spread. Not only do brands appreciate the due diligence, but your customers are sure to appreciate an experience that takes their questions into attentive consideration.

Being knowledgeable about the core values of a company help make a sale and take the customer’s interest into consideration.

Related: 7 Questions to Ask When Purchasing Software for Your Cannabis Delivery Service

What are THC and CBD ratios?

The major difference between THC and CBD is a critically important piece of information that can make or break the decision-making process for customers. Explaining that THC is the active molecule that creates psychoactivity while CBD is known to be used for its medicinal benefits is a must!

At the end of the day, cannabis is a substance that has been historically put into context in negative ways. Riding this wave and flipping the script starts with educating the customers on the advantages or disadvantages of using THC and CBD-dominant products.

Explaining how THC and CBD work in combination with one another educates your customer and opens the discussion to the effects of varying ratios.

Not everyone is looking for psychoactivity and being able to explain THC and CBD ratios is a unique way of laying out the options! Here’s something to think about—how bad would a customer’s experience bet they’re looking for CBD and are misguided to consume THC products by a rep of your company?

Is this going to get me high?

An incredibly common question, this is oftentimes a main concern for people that want to experience cannabis the “right way.” Time and time again, people have a story about being too high after not using cannabis in the proper way and having a negative experience that has produced some hesitance.

Take the time to explain that cannabis should be used slowly to begin with, slowly increasing doses as needed. This protects your customer and is a way of preserving the integrity of your cannabis delivery service while giving necessary education on potency, dosages, mg, etc.

Simply breaking down the fact that products vary in THC content is a way that can provide a framework for your customers to work with. For those looking to avoid a large psychoactive effect, products with low THC levels might be the way to go!

Customers should understand the experience they are going to get from each product and your staff should focus on making suggestions based on the needs of each client.

Related: 5 Regulation Changes for California Cannabis Delivery Services

What is that pine smell? Terpenes in a nutshell.

 

The first thing your customer will do is smell flower – educate them on what makes that smell special.

The first thing that people do when handed a cannabis product like flower is put it to their nose and inhale. Oftentimes pointing out familiar smells such as pine or lemon, customers talk about terpenes without realizing they are essential to cannabis.

So spread the beans on terpenes!

Giving your customers a base level of understanding terpenes not only provides a fun fact that they can take to their friends, but paves the way to an enjoyable purchasing experience in the present and future. In the world of cannabis, terpenes are everything.

Terpenes are complicated so a good way of providing information on them is to offer handouts and graphic illustrations that break down the information slowly. Give your customer a terpene hand out and be prepared to follow up the discussion the next time they place an order!

How do I consume this?

Kiva Confections is known for their wide variety of infused chocolates, gummies, and mints!

With a variety of delivery methods offered to the community by brands in the cannabis industry, each with a different focus and effect, it’s easy to understand how a consumer can be confused about the method of consumption that is needed for each product to be effective. The various methods such as inhalation, ingestion, topical, and sublingual are all aspects of cannabis consumption that your budtenders should be well-versed in.

There is a huge amount of customers that look to use cannabis for its comparability to a health & wellness supplement, but are worried about testing positive on a drug test.

The answer to this question can be a tricky one and unless you can guarantee an answer that you are confident is sure to maintain the customer’s best interest, shouldn’t be used to influence a sale. A customer’s livelihood and job is oftentimes the source of this question as some simply can’t afford to fail an employment drug test.

One way of answering this question might be to acknowledge the fact that cannabis products come in different formulations and with different amounts of THC and CBD. Some trace amounts of THC are known to fly “below the radar” while CBD isn’t typically what is tested for in drug tests.

Giving autonomy to your customer and providing an honest answer that admits to the possibilities of testing positive is perhaps the best way to go abut answering this question. Customers should feel like they understand this possibility and make choices based on the information you give them.

Education. Really. Matters.

James Henry SF takes pride in being a thought leader in the cannabis industry.

Your employees are oftentimes the only source of information that customers have on cannabis. Staff needs to be able to answer these questions in a satisfactory way.

Educating someone on cannabis is a marathon, not a sprint. This is important to point out to your customers as people in this industry are constantly learning something new and collaborating to share information with one another. Years’ worth of accumulated knowledge simply can’t be given to customers in a single visit so provide them with the necessary resources to gain information on the topic as they wish!

Related: A Definitive Guide to Compliance — California Cannabis Dispensaries

What are some of the common questions we missed? Comment below!

7 Questions to Ask When Purchasing Software for Your Cannabis Delivery Service

Your Point-of-Sale Eases Operations

If you own a delivery service, you need to protect your investment by adhering to the set of guidelines provided by the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC). One way of doing this is by selecting a Point-of-Sale (POS) system that gives owners the ability to manage inventory in real time, track sales, and ensure that delivery drivers are located in an efficient manner.

In an industry where cash is (forcibly) king, POS systems can accurately keep a count on the amount of revenue being brought into your cannabis delivery service while holding management and drivers accountable. What’s more is that POS systems aid in streamlining the amount of manual work, resulting in a decreased probability in compliance violations. This gives you, as a delivery owner, the ability to focus on what’s important—sustaining cash flow and building solid relationships with your customers. Delivery drivers stay on the road longer while freeing up your time to enforce relationships with brands and potential customers.

With over 15 different POS companies offering cannabis software, choosing a single POS can be difficult, but it is important. Here’s 7 crucial questions to ask when shopping around for a POS to ensure you choose the best software for your cannabis business.

How are you staying compliant?

Source: METRC, Franwell

Are you METRC Certified?

There’s no faster way to receive fines, have your license suspended, or completely lose your right to operate than by avoiding the important task of staying compliant with METRC. One aspect of staying compliant is fulfilling the mandatory METRC-integration. The POS system you choose must be capable of sending live reports for inventory adjustments, reconciliation, and your sales to keep you in good legal standing.

METRC is the state-mandated track-and-trace system that all business owners must report to. POS systems that don’t integrate with METRC should not be on your radar. One mistake with METRC reporting can land you in hot water with the BCC, threatening your business.

Without POS, manual reporting is time-consuming and can invite countless errors. Inventory management eases the pressure of maintaining your stock rooms. With pre-packaged cannabis goods adhering to new package and labeling regulations, it’s especially important to keep your packages in order. Packages left behind in stock rooms can negatively affect your overall income and skew inventory adjustments. Batches that stay in your inventory are potential money-makers being wasted and product that might be in demand; keep track of it with an automated POS.

Data doesn’t lie. Avoid inventory adjustment fines by choosing a POS system that automates reporting and provides you with the necessary reports. These include, but are not limited to: 14-day inventory reconciliation, sales breakdowns, and customer info reports. Think about it! No more CSV files for sales reports, customer data, or inventory.

Related: 3 Reasons Cannabis Delivery Services Fail to Retain Customers

Can you automatically dispatch deliveries?

WebJoint’s integration with Tookan gives California cannabis delivery services the tools they need to keep a culture of compliance.

What about tracking driver inventory?

Maintaining a live ledger of the driver’s kit in real-time is not only a BCC regulation, but is an essential way of streamlining operations. What’s more is that your point-of-sale partner should be able to automatically dispatch orders to drivers as they are placed, resulting in no orders being missed and overall sales increasing on a day-to-day basis.

Delivery dispatch is also one aspect of the new-era cannabis industry that allows for convenience to take a front and center seat as things develop. Companies like Tookan enable businesses and consumers to have real-time communication with drivers while providing a platform that allows for deliveries to be tracked on-the-fly. This is an increase in safety while reinforcing that cannabis is moving in a legitimate direction. The result is cannabis delivery that looks and feels like a legitimate transaction while putting a consumer’s mind at ease!

Be sure to cover all aspects of your delivery service by choosing a POS that provides automated delivery dispatch and a live inventory ledger.

What do you do with my business and patient data?

WebJoint takes pride in protecting our client data and will never market to your consumer database.

You’re not marketing to my customers, are you?

Your data is a collection of years’ worth of accumulated reports and transactions. It’s valuable; not just to you, but also to your point-of-sale partner. It needs to be protected. Partnering with a POS that doesn’t utilize your data to their own advantage by marketing to your customers is incredibly important. Your data can be used to redirect marketing from POS systems and in-turn, cause your business to suffer by converting your customers to one of their own.

POS systems that stay under the radar, respect your data, and help you utilize it to your advantage are the easy no-brainer winners of the bunch. Be sure that your data is being kept within your business.

Storing your data isn’t only important for METRC reporting and integration, but also for sake of your own business records. Data storage comes down to 2 categories: cloud-based and local storage.

Cloud-based storage provides a virtual way of storing your records. Capable of being accessed from just about any internet-activated device, storing your files on a cloud offers a convenient method that gives you unlimited possibilities of access. Security for your delivery service files is another method of protecting your overall investment. Cloud-based storage is centralized on a virtual server which is hosted by external companies that make adding reports easy. Convenience takes a new approach by decreasing the amount of physical hardware needed to ensure the safety of your records.

The second method of saving data to consider when buying a POS is by using a standard, physical hard drive. Although not as convenient as being able to access your information from any location, physical hard drives allow for worries surrounding the volatility of virtual technology to dissipate. Being able to plug in your hard drive directly to your POS allows for physical storage and transfer of files to take place.

What is onboarding like?

Getting onto WebJoint’s point-of-sale is a fast & easy experience.

How easy is your POS to use for our employees?

A simple user experience not only saves time by streamlining commands, but also increases the rate at which you conduct business. Reducing time allows for your delivery drivers to make drop-offs quickly and efficiently. Customers can be impressed by a frictionless system which not only shows appreciation for their limit on daily time, but by being courteous in simplifying the purchase process.

Driver efficiency is key to customer satisfaction and provides an overall better customer experience.

Related: Using Data to Maximize Cannabis Delivery Service Efficiency

Drivers are the backbone to a delivery service and are the intermediary between customer cash and cannabis goods.  Friction equals more effort and more effort equals time lost. Reducing the amount of time it takes to process orders “on the go” creates a steady stream of income and places priority on what keeps you afloat—increasing sales.

Be sure that your POS system makes the best of your time and moves your business in a way that promotes improvement. Simple to use and easy to learn keeps the attention on helping customers and moving product.

E-Commerce and Online Ordering

Moxie 710’s eCommerce is built by WebJoint and can take orders directly from consumers.

The Power of E-Commerce

Maximizing your business’ potential by creating a simple-to-use e-commerce website that can take online orders is an asset to your business. Professionalization of your cannabis business will increase orders, generate additional revenue, and ultimately create delivery service loyalty.

Texting a delivery service to place orders not only makes your business look illegitimate but makes it a hassle for your customers to get what they want, when they want it. In an expedient world where just about everything takes place on a mobile device, tapping into this realm of business should be central to selecting a POS system.

Websites that are integrated directly with your menu items, product descriptions, and different categories of cannabis products are essential for delivery success. There’re fewer ways to make customer experiences more intuitive than to give them access to your full available menu. With a point-of-sale that processes mobile orders, delivery services can capitalize on marketshare.

Online consumption of goods and services takes your business to the next level and legitimizes your company while keeping the offering process to a minimum. Partner with an all-in-one point-of-sale that gives you this freedom!

How reliable is your point-of-sale?

Your point-of-sale should ease the pressure of daily operations.

Don’t lose time to problem-ridden software!

Few things are worse than dealing with unreliable software. Putting your business at risk with faulty hardware and “down time” to fix the issue is something that no business owner should have to deal with. Customer support is a huge part of point-of-sale system integration that should be considered. The purpose of using a point-of-sale is to make money, not lose it. Look out for faulty software that’ll waste your time and your customer’s.

Is your server secure enough to run your operation?

Server reliability is a mandatory asset of point-of-sale systems that needs to be closely examined. Your POS should be incredibly stable and be able to guarantee an “uptime” that can guarantee the success of your business. As a point-of-sale is your breadwinner and main method of reporting sales, tracking inventory, and managing staff, you can’t afford to deal with a broken system. Make sure your system is on a secure server such as Amazon Web Services that also encrypts your data to increase security and increase guaranteed “uptime.”

Hardware Selection

Maintaining records of your sales history is not only important for legal purposes, but also for reviewing your business’ reports.Your POS system should offer a simple and intuitive way of reviewing sales, tracking deliveries, and ensuring that inventory adjustment take place in an efficient manner.

Hardware that makes purchases easier includes, but is not limited to: barcode & ID scanners, tablets, and label printers. Be sure to choose a POS system that seamlessly integrates with hardware of your choice.

Sales Tracking

Revenue reports are a way to make sure your business is staying profitable. Tracking sales is by far one of the most important ways of tracking performance. Tracking sales performance by customer and the overall amount of income they bring to your business, can be a vital tool to assess inventory and adjust your options to the demand of customers.

Look for a POS that allows you to instantly access sales reports at the end of the day and influence your decision-making skills with the ultimate goal of maintaining a solid relationship with your customers.

Compliance Alerts

Daily limits on the amount of cannabis goods that can be sold to individuals can help keep compliance in order. POS systems that offer this have your best interest in mind. Other compliance alerts to consider are age verification, medical recommendation validation, hours of operation, and laboratory results.

Related: 4 Obligations of a California Cannabis Delivery Service Inventory Manager

What is the cost of your software?

Economic viability keeps you in business, right?

POS systems should make you money, not break the bank! Monthly payment structures or yearly payment plans are amongst the most common. Ideally, software should consistently work in your favor.

Aside from curating an enjoyable experience for your drivers and customers, your job as a delivery service owner is to generate revenue.

It’s no secret that an increase in revenue allows you to strategically expand your outreach.

POS systems don’t have to be outright expensive and they certainly shouldn’t add stress to your daily operations due to price. Consider options that don’t hurt your business, but instead want to be part of your success!

Free software like WebJoint’s, takes your best interest into consideration and works to make you money!

WebJoint takes pride in connecting the cannabis industry by offering software to delivery and dispensary owners alike. Generating revenue and curating a seamless experience for customer access to cannabis goods takes a top priority.

Simplifying the user experience and administrative duties such as reporting to METRC, tracking sales, and providing real-time delivery driver location, WebJoint is a frontrunner in available choices for POS systems.

Be Part of the Conversation!

What are some ways that point-of-sale systems have made running your business successful?

Comment below!

Using Data to Maximize Cannabis Delivery Service Efficiency

Your data will carry your business to new heights.

Delivery services are founded on the ability to provide an efficient way of purchasing cannabis products. Short on time? The expedient nature of our society has placed mobile devices literally within arms reach at all times, allowing for deliveries to take place almost anywhere at anytime.

The idea that you can pull out your cell phone, open an app, place an order for cannabis, and have it delivered to your location is at the forefront of social acceptance. It’s the future of the industry. And what better time to take advantage of this than right now?

Dive into the world of data for delivery services and discover ways that using data can work to your business’ success!

Related: 7 Questions to Ask When Purchasing Software for Your Cannabis Delivery Service

Sales Reports

Data doesn’t lie. Use POS reports to optimize day-to-day cannabis operations.

  1. Probably one of the most important pieces of data that you collect, sales reports not only allow you to asses the current state of your delivery service’s income, but also creates a fool proof way of identifying purchasing habits.

Daily sales reports are to be integrated with METRC, but aren’t only used to figure out the amount of sales that you complete on any given day.

Using sales reports to make informed decisions on your inventory management techniques relates to the ability to increase profitability by adjusting stock of products that are moving quickly. Products that are flying off shelves should be seen as an opportunity to capitalize on the demand of the market while liquidating stock that is holding up the potential for revenue to be made.

Data can reveal some shocking patterns as to what products are holding up profit and need to be moved in a way that effectively promotes your business’ success.

Geographical location and patterns associated with the purchasing of products give you the upper hand in making future projections on inventory decisions like what product to stock more of, product that needs to be liquidated, and future trends. Stocking your favorite brands and best selling product is one way to make sure you’re on the right track!

Related: Breaking Down CA Cannabis Taxes to Your Customers

Do your driver kits include everything that might be needed?

Cannabis delivery service driver kits can have a maximum retail value of $5000 in California.

It makes no sense for delivery drivers to be unprepared for any given situation they might encounter.

Making sure your delivery drivers are ready to complete orders as they come in can be made simple with the ability to track common patterns in purchase orders by geographical location. This also helps you diversify your inventory in ways that are appealing to customers by are. What’s more is that tracking common purchasing patterns can help generate an idea of the way in which cannabis goods are priced to sell. Economic basics of supply and demand take a more-than-literal approach to solving the issue of being readily prepared.

Tracking metrics that relate directly to the amount fo sales being made and the category of each sale creates a wide database of numerical value that can be turned into monetary value should your drivers be prepared for all deliveries.

Surely you’ve experienced a situation where an order has been placed and your delivery driver doesn’t have the necessary product to fulfill the order successfully. This stops when data is taken from a main source and broken down into valuable bits of information.

The result is the ability to automatically dispatch divers with the necessary goods, placing special emphasis on proactive efforts, not react ones.

Make sure your driver kits are ready on a daily basis and have what your customers are asking for.

Tracking Customer Information

Breaking down consumer purchasing habits is made easy with WebJoint’s daily reports.

Demographics can play out to be an important point of data that should be looked at to adjust the total bandwidth that your delivery service can cover. Details from time of deliveries, geographical location, and purchasing habits of repeat customers can be used to make decisions that take your company’s best interest into consideration.

A complete breakdown of your customer’s demographics can give you a better idea of the marketing tactics that should take a front seat in your daily operations. Customer data gives you an idea on age, location, and spending habits. Use it!

With drivers able to spend 30 minutes of free time away from your central location, you can accurately project where purchases are going to be made based on the time of day. Staying ahead of the game by dispatching drivers to the area that orders are coming from gives you an advantage of servicing an area in a quick and efficient manner!

Related: 3 Reasons California Cannabis Delivery Services Fail to Retain Customers

Data opens countless doors.

At the end of the day, your goal is to generate profit in an efficient manner. This can be done by using the tools at your disposal and by far one of the most important tools at your disposal is the data that your business collects on a daily basis. Recent market trends shift and being able to capitalize on these shifts when they occur is a key to success!

Related: A Definitive Guide to Compliance — California Cannabis Dispensaries

3 Reasons Cannabis Delivery Services Fail to Retain Customers

Your competitors make mistakes –

As a delivery service, curating an experience that streamlines the purchasing process for your customers is a great way to stay ahead of your competitors. It’s apparent that brands are taking over the industry with a high demand and being able to provide the customer with the products they are looking for can help you maintain a central position in the game of delivery services. The race to the top is “on” with the consolidation of businesses and the limited amount of market share that California has to offer.

Make sure you avoid the following 3 mistakes to be the best delivery service in your area.

Not being able to communicate with drivers in real time.

Tookan’s demo interface highlights unique features such as dispatch management, driver communication, and real-time tracking.

As a consumer, it makes little sense to use a delivery service if you have to guess when your delivery driver may arrive with the product that you’ve ordered. Eliminating the issue of not being able to communicate in real-time with drivers can truly be the deciding factor as to whether or not a customer chooses to use your business again.

Safety is a large concern for an industry that has been deemed a “cash-only” industry. The comfort and safety of your customers and staff should take a central position in the way that you choose to run operations. Real-time communications between consumer and driver allow for safe transactions to take place with the guessing game being eliminated from the process.

Is this an issue you’re trying to fix?

Check out what Tookan has to offer! Tookan gives dispatch centers the ability to see delivery driver locations in real-time and track each delivery vehicle as it progresses on routes. Decreasing the risk by way of providing a means to communicate with drivers and create a consumer-driver dialogue, Tookan has changed the way that cannabis delivery services operate. Adding to that, the software company puts a date & time stamp on every order received as well as each completed task which makes staying compliant that much easier.

Related: 7 Questions to Ask When Purchasing Software for Your Cannabis Delivery Service

Driver kit is not sufficiently kept!

Let’s cut to the chase with this one—your driver inventory kit should NEVER let down a customer. This means that drivers should keep a live inventory ledger of the product that they are carrying not only to be sure that they can fulfill the requested order but stay compliant by making live adjustments to the quantity of products being carried. Delivery services that ignore this simple part of being in business are ultimately the ones that lose customers just as fast as they were gained.

Customers that aren’t capable of being serviced due to a driver lacking stock in their driver kit is a blatant “no-no” that can be easily avoided. Unfulfilled orders clearly result in a loss of revenue and influence customers to find a delivery service that consistently delivers on their promise.

Make sure your drivers are always stocked with your best selling product as delivery service customer loyalty comes down to blowing your customer’s expectations out of the water!

Not offering a loyalty system!

Rewards programs are a vital asset to customer retention for cannabis delivery services.

Establishing a rewards system in the form of a customer loyalty program is a common way of retaining customers that is oftentimes overlooked.

Try offering tiered rewards systems that have realistic and tangible prizes for returning customers. Loyalty points give you the opportunity to engage customers in a way that is personal and builds upon an established relationship between your business and clientele.

Providing realistic and tangible rewards in order to promote a sense of urgency makes loyalty systems pay for themselves. The premise of rewards systems is not only to retain customers, but do so in a way that provides value for the customers and centers a customer’s autonomy to redeem the points that they have earned. For additional details on the types of rewards systems that you can offer your customers, check out our article on Successfully Implementing a Rewards Program for Your Cannabis Delivery Service.
Loyalty programs have the ability to maintain the relationship you have previously established with your customer in ways that others can’t!

Deliveries are the true winners!

Cannabis delivery services are the future of the industry. Being able to provide your customers with a satisfactory experience is no easy task, but can be completed with each sale processed by establishing a clear method of communication, ensuring that driver kits include what customers want, and offering a loyalty system that users can easily understand.

Give us some of your delivery service “best practices” by commenting below!

Customer Service Best Practices for Your Dispensary

Customers that like you spend more money –

Customer satisfaction is the driving force behind your retail location’s success. Going above and beyond the expectations of your customers is sure to keep your dispensary as a standout choice, which creates customer loyalty while increasing the overall outreach of your location. Word-of-mouth marketing is highly effective and top-notch customer service will definitely spark the conversation between customers and friends.

Make sure that you’re creating an experience that’s tough to forget by implementing these 5 customer service best practices into your daily operations.

Fun facts, solid information.

WebJoint’s resource guides keep everyone from operators to consumers up-to-date on regulation changes.

Providing your customers with the brands they want at your dispensary is one way to make sure they come back. The other is by ensuring that you have consistent branding throughout the entirety of your operation. Having a team that carries forward an attitude that looks to blow your customer’s mind each time they walk in is one way to rise to the top. Operating with the attitude of being able to provide your customers with accurate and new information every time they visit, not only shows your attention to detail with recent developments, but can make your location a centerpiece for educational content.

Providing your customers with information on where the product they are interested in comes from, who grows it, extracts it, and the brand’s core values is important to providing a customer experience! Facts on the brands you carry are easy to attain and show a deeper appreciation for the impact that a product may have on an individual’s life.

Customers go to dispensaries for a particular experience as much as they visit to purchase their favorite brand’s product. Being able to improve their connection to the industry in a way that provides them with some sort of educational value goes above and beyond seeing them as a means to an end—and believe me, they’ll know it!

Create a customer relationship, not just a transaction.

Repeat customers are the backbone of your CA cannabis dispensary.

Providing your customer with new information that’ll either improve or reinforce their understanding of the way the cannabis industry works is one way to stat to build a relationship with that customer. Other ways that are effective, begin with understanding why they are in your retail location to begin with. Is it a medical reason? Recreational enjoyment? First-time consumership that looks to dive into the world of legal cannabis?

Customer retention gives your dispensary the upper hand as you have the ability to track purchase habits and follow up with the results or improvement of conditions the a customer may be treating in a medicinal way. In recreational cases, a customer relationship might touch upon new products that align with the customer interests.

Stay on top of it and keep notes on customers in order to engage them in a raw, human-to-human way

Maintain a welcoming environment.

Customer success comes down to consumers feeling like they are a part of your dispensary family.

We’ve previously covered the importance of branding your dispensary in a way that creates an environment that is welcoming for each customer; now let’s touch upon a few other important aspects.

Your overall branding starts with the logo that you create and the relationship between your logo and the core values of your company. With that being said, having a logo is more important than just creating something that looks good and has little-to-no thought process behind the meaning. From the logo to the aesthetic appeal of your location with color palette, furniture, and apparel, creating an environment that is easy to understand has a significant impact.

Music that fits the “vibe” of your location is one way to work on the subconscious level of the consumer, allowing for the energy in the room to stay high and positive. Your location’s vibe is everything and little factors add up to provide big value.

Be sure to keep branding consistent and take the time to think about the meaning behind selected colors, music, and furniture.

Follow up with your customers

Suggested cannabis products are a collective effort. Consumer feedback is key to a successful operation.

Understanding what customers are looking for starts with engaging your customer in a way that creates an open line of communication. Following up with customers and potential clients isn’t just an effective sales method, but shows that as a fellow community member in the cannabis space, your staff is paying attention to the important aspects of providing alternative medical and recreational choices to the general public.

Use patient data and purchase history to your advantage from a point-of-sale that provides you with accurate sales reports on-the-fly. Following up to make sure that what your customer purchased the last time they were in was satisfactory, will make your customers understand that you care about their overall satisfaction.

Personal relationships and connections to your customer base raises the bar for competitors in your area while maintaining and improving customer relationships.

Keep your menu up-to-date.

Moxie 710’s eCommerce provides real-time information on available products.

There is a multitude of ways to disappoint customers that come into your dispensary. One of the top ways to disappoint a customer is to lack the item they are looking for. This means that updated online menus are an absolute must while giving your customer the ability to order directly from your website.

Unconverted sales due to low stock are not only easily avoidable but are one way to deter your customers from returning to your location. Retail locations that are able to get what a customer wants, time and time again, provide a seamless experience while capitalizing on consistent revenue. Maintain an eye on the level of your menu items and convert sales by being able to fulfill requested orders.

The facts are simple: you disappoint customers when they visit your store & you can’t provide what they want—stop this problem in its tracks and be sure to keep an accurate menu of items in stock.

Customer loyalty matters.

Creating customer loyalty for your dispensary comes down to curating an experience for your customers each time they visit. In a world where cannabis brands are getting set to take over the entirety of marketshare, standing out as a location that provides an unforgettable experience for the customer is pertinent to the success of your dispensary!

What’s your take on providing the ultimate customer service in a dispensary?

Comment below!

Related: A Definitive Guide to Compliance — California Cannabis Dispensaries

6 Ways a Website Can Increase Sales for Your Cannabis Delivery Service

Winning with your website –

Having a delivery service automatically gives you an upper hand in being able to convert sales as you can provide a quick and efficient way for consumers to get their favorite cannabis products. Having a website is critical to the success of your delivery service. Websites are the bread and butter of raising awareness around your brand and you know what they say, “nothing escapes the internet.”

As a delivery service, your primary goal is not only to make money, but to streamline the way that a customer places orders. Think about it—it’s incredibly rare for someone not to have a mobile device that they use to buy things on. Whether that is clothing, food, or cannabis. On average, delivery services with a website are capable of producing a 20% increase in sales. Why?

Online Ordering Creates Increased Sales

WebJoint’s clients have the ability to take orders directly from their .com website.

Online ordering is hands-down the easiest way of getting the goods that you are looking for. The digital age has centered online ordering as the go-to method for making sales. The reason Amazon seems to have “taken over the world” is because of how quick and painless it is to use their website.

Cannabis is no different and as a delivery service, being able to take orders online increases the amount of sales that you can process which means that you are bringing in more money than you previously were capable of. E-commerce helps give customers more access to cannabis goods while streamlining the purchasing process.

Related: 7 Questions to Ask When Purchasing Software for Your Cannabis Delivery Service

Purchasing Habits Can Be Tracked

 

WebJoint’s POS works to give you cannabis analytics that are accurate and easy to use.

What you do with sales data matters. Setting up a website for your delivery service comes with positives that extend beyond increasing the amount of orders that you can process. E-commerce allows you to track data points such as the average amount that your customers spend, how frequently they are purchasing products, and what they are purchasing.

Using this data to improve your day-to-day operations gives you the ability to analyze what changes need to be made to your inventory and more importantly, give you a fool-proof way of adjusting your marketing tactics. It’s a fact that retaining a customer is easier than finds getting a new one so be sure to use your sales data to re-market to specific customer groups.

Related: Using Data to Maximize Cannabis Delivery Service Efficiency

Customers Know How to Contact You

Why make your customers guess about business hours, product details, and general questions?

A big problem with the majority of delivery services is the inability to be contacted by consumers that have questions about products, setting up delivery, and overall general communication. By having a website, clients no longer have to wonder about how to communicate with your business. This means that customers can experience a heightened level of customer service and choose your delivery service over a competitor’s.

If customers can’t contact you with questions, chances are they are moving onto the next delivery service that carries the same products that you do—make sure that you retain these customers by providing them with the necessary ways of contacting you. Common methods include a hotline, text messaging, and having a chat widget directly on the website.

Related: Growing Your Manufacturing Business by Aviva Spectrum

Your Delivery Service Can Be Found on Google

Cannabis delivery services found on Google are capable of servicing consumers in a consistent way.

It’s safe to say that the majority of the population knows how to use google for internet searches. By having a website, you can be sure to show up in these searches and work on the SEO of your business. SEO relates directly to your website’s ranking in google searches and believe it or not, this is an incredibly useful tool that a website provides you with.

Raising brand awareness starts with your website and funnels into social media that can then be used to link to your website and begin taking orders. Having a loyal following is sure-fire way of rising to the top!

The Internet Has a Global Reach

Cannabis is a global topic of discussion – don’t miss out on becoming a top-notch delivery service.

The internet is an international database of information. Take advantage of the fact that websites can be seen from anywhere around the world by establishing a website that highlights your core values, best practices, and tells your company’s story. Control the narrative of your company and show the world that your delivery service is a top-notch choice that everyone should strive to be like.

Free Websites Eliminate the Barrier to Entry

Your website is the key to cannabis delivery service success!

If cost is prohibiting you from creating a website, rest assured in knowing that free website builders are available to use! Although there may not be a severe level of customization offered with free services, having a basic website is better than not having one at all. The barrier to entry with free sites is quite literally only relevant to whether or not you want to make the effort to create a website.

No website? You’re losing!

Falling short of the annual revenue that you want to generate due to not having a website in the digital age is unacceptable. Websites can provide you with insightful analytics, boost awareness of your brand, and give customers the tools they need to effectively communicate with you. E-commerce today is by far one of the most essential tools that you need to have in order to succeed in this industry.

Create a website and watch your business grow!

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