During Black Friday weekend, a shopper at the Fort Gordon PX came to the customer service desk with a question. The desk didn’t have an immediate answer, but instead of having to page or track down a manager who could help on a busy day, the team found help fast via Theatro, a headset communication device that Fort Gordon started using in early November.
“The team quickly asked for a manager to come up,” said Page Clark, the Fort Gordon main store manager. “When a manager responded, we knew that somebody was headed there, because we heard it over Theatro and knew, ‘Hey, a manager’s got it, so I don’t need to go put out that fire.’”
Fort Gordon is one of about two dozen stores using Theatro, which looks like something pop stars use on stage so they can keep their hands free instead of holding a mic. The headset comes with a small rectangular box that associates can attach to their belt or another part of their clothing. When associates need to talk to someone, they press a button on the box and call for assistance.
“If you have an associate that’s a cashier at checkout, they can simply press a button and say, ‘register backup’,” said Exchange Program Specialist Melissa Moring, “and Theatro sends a message to specific associates to let them know there’s a need for cashiers.”
The device tracks where requests originate, so it will send backup assistance where it’s needed. And there’s more to Theatro than register backup.
“If an associate needs manager assistance, which happens a lot, the associate doesn’t need to go all over the store to find help,” Moring said. “You can simply say, ‘Manager assistance,’ and whichever manager picks up first will say, ‘copy that’ and speak directly with the associate.”
Managers can also record morning meetings so associates who work later shifts can play back the meeting using Theatro. Floor associates can communicate with those in the stockroom so that they don’t have to leave the store to see whether something is in stock.
“Managers can also record kudos,” Moring said. “Theatro allows real-time feedback, so they can congratulate someone on a job well done.”
So far, Theatro is only in use in CONUS and at the Schofield Barracks main store in Hawaii. Eleven stores have been using it since 2019, and an additional 13 stores began in 2021.
Further expansion is planned in 2022, including at stores in Europe, Japan and Korea, pending availability.
“We think it’s fabulous,” said Jacqueline Polk, the operations manager at Fort Leonard Wood, which also recently began using Theatro. “Whenever we need somebody, we can get a hold of them right away.”
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