Quiz time! Can you guess what "x-hoppers" refers to?

A) A shrewd squad of anthropomorphic frogs, here to rescue our high streets from the wily Dr Web.

B) Cyborg shop assistants who can contact each another instantly thanks to clever microchips.

C) A cutting-edge retail headset system that can save time and boost sales.

If you answered "C"… ding ding! That's correct. Well done.

If you answered "A" or "B", well you're not exactly wrong. (Except for the part about anthropomorphic frogs. We made that up.)

x-hoppers is a retail headset system, and a very clever one at that. It does allow for instant communication between staff, too, along with a whole bunch of other futuristic features.

As for saving the high streets… well, that remains to be seen. But we think it has a chance.

See, x-hoppers was built from the ground up to help bricks-and-mortar stores compete in a world where eCommerce rules the day.

We'll get to the hows and whys in a moment. But suffice to say, it aims to combine the agility and accessibility of the internet with the good-old-fashioned, face-to-face service you can only get in proper shops.

If you operate a retail location, listen up. Your knight in shining armour is here. And would you believe it… he's hopping!

What is it and how does it work?

x-hoppers is a retail headset system created by Wildix. You know, the same team who dreamt up one of our favourite VoIP phone systems?

Imagine all your floor staff have headsets. If they need to report a spillage, say, or check a customer query, they can simply press a button, and – bingo – they're chatting to their colleagues.

"Pfft", we hear you say, "I've heard of walkie talkies. Had some when I was a kid. Big deal."

Yeah, we did too. They're cool. But x-hoppers is way, way cooler.

See, while x-hoppers headsets might, on the surface, look like your common-or-garden call-centre kit, they're underpinned by some mindbogglingly clever tech.

We could simply list all the features here, but – honestly – that wouldn't do the system justice. Instead, let's imagine a few scenarios where x-hoppers could, err… hop to the rescue.

Scenario one: I'm interested in this product but nobody's around so frig it I'll buy it from Amazon

Ah yes, the perennial problem – the fickle, web-savvy shopper.

They pop into your store to have a browse. They might make a purchase, if you can close the sale, but they know full well they can get it cheaper on the internet. If nobody's around to help them, they'll check Amazon and – ping! – with a quick tap, it's in their online basket.

No disrespect. From a consumer's point of view, this is just smart shopping. Heck, we've done it a few times ourselves.

To reach these customers, you have to rely on the high street's trump card – great customer service. But this means having staff positioned like ninjas, ready to strike with a big, helpful smile.

Here's where x-hoppers can help. All you have to do is print out a QR code and display it next to the product – we recommend making it part of the price tag.

Customers can scan this QR code with their smartphones. This takes them to an online info sheet where they can "hmm" and "aah" over the details, safely away from the clutches of Amazon.

And – here's the really clever bit – the x-hoppers system will alert any staff in the vicinity, who can swoop in to proffer their charming customer service skills.

It's a win-win. Shoppers can access the in-depth product details they expect, and you can enjoy more in-store conversions because staff always know where the interested customers are.

Scenario two: Simon is twiddling his thumbs on aisle four

It's not Simon's fault. When footfall is slow, there's often nothing for him to do. You can only straighten the shelves so many times, after all.

Armed with an x-hoppers headset, however, he'll never have a dull moment in his day.

Remember we said x-hoppers was created by Wildix, the telephony specialists? Well, the company has made sure that its headsets integrate seamlessly with its VoIP phone system.

This means, if you use Wildix in your stores, any member of staff can pick up incoming calls. They don't need to be near a phone handset. They can just press a button and – bingo! - they're talking to Eric from Southend-on-Sea.

The benefits are clear. Simon will feel useful and engaged, even if he hasn't seen another person for three hours. You, meanwhile, will reap the fruits of improved staff efficiency and improve your customer service offering across the board.

Scenario three: we just can't get the staff…

OK, so we've helped Simon make use of his downtime. But what about the opposite problem – when you just don't have enough staff to get stuff done.

As we write this, the world is reeling from an unprecedented labour shortage. We no longer say "we can't get the staff" in jest. For many businesses, it's a painful reality.

Again, x-hoppers could offer a ray of hope.

As we've seen, x-hoppers can empower your existing workforce to work more productively. It can allow for agile responses to customer interest, easier multitasking, and better communication all around. No longer do you have to have employees on hand just in case. As long as they're wearing their headsets, staff will always know where the action is.

But it has another trick up its sleeve. With x-hoppers, shop assistants don't even need to be in the same store to offer their services.

Remember those nifty QR codes? Well, you can set those up to connect customers to off-site call-centre staff. Clever, eh?

With a quick scan, customers can be chatting to a representative in a matter of seconds – via audio or video. And thanks to ingenious WebRTC technology, they don't even need to install any software.

Imagine the possibilities. Suddenly, workers who are miles away – even countries away – can work together seamlessly. You could even dedicate a whole contact-centre team to in-store queries, and let your floor staff concentrate entirely on restocking and handling cash.

Is it going to save the high street?

Well, that remains to be seen. But by combining the best of online and retail shopping, we think it's a boon for consumers and business owners alike.

As more shops adopt the technology, there'll be a period of uncertainty, for sure. Customers and staff will need time to adapt to the new system.

But we've done it before (remember when self-service checkouts were introduced?) and we can do it again.

Potential teething troubles aside, we can very much imagine x-hoppers being the future of bricks-and-mortar shopping.

Want to get ahead of the competition? Book a free, no-obligation chat to discuss how x-hoppers can revitalise your retail operation. [link: contact pop-up]

Need more info? You can learn more about x-hoppers here.

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