Today’s Topic: 5 Next Steps for Retailers

Hello Oklahoma Appliance Retailers. Today’s email covers several of the next steps coming up to help you prepare for Consumer purchases to begin on Saturday, May 8.

Step 1 — Register!  If you haven’t already!
Don’t forget the deadline for retailers to register to participate is 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 5. You must be registered to participate. So if you haven’t done so already, go to okcommerce.gov/appliances and click on the button for retailer registration. Many of the next steps below will only be available to registered retailers.

Step 2 – Let Your Customers Know You’re Registered
We have created a sign you can use at your location to let your customers know you are a Registered Retailer in the Oklahoma Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. The artwork for the sign is available for Registered Retailers on the retailer website. Just go to retail.okappliancerebate.com, log in with the credentials supplied when you registered, and you can download the art to use on signage in your store or in advertisements.

Step 3 — Training Video
We are happy to provide you this link to a You Tube video that walks you through the Oklahoma rebate reservation process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzLbUqe6Up4. Every sales clerk who will be reserving rebates for customers starting May 8 should review the video and start to become familiar with the process. We suggest downloading the retailer manual from retail.okappliancerebate.com, and use it to take notes and follow along when viewing the video.

One thing we noticed that was not emphasized in the video is that once the Retailer logs into the system with the log-in information received during registration, the bottom of the screen will show a real-time balance of funds remaining in the program. That will ensure the sales clerk that there are enough funds for the Consumer to receive a rebate. If at any time that balance shows $250 or less, you’ll know funds are almost depleted.

Step 4 – Practice Day
Tuesday, May 4 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Registered Retailers will have access to the rebate reservation system. All of your sales clerks who will be entering customer data starting May 8 will have the opportunity to get into the system and play. Create fake customers, reserve a reservation. Practice looking up a customer whose rebate you’ve already reserved. At the end of the day after practice day, we will wipe the database clean so all your fake data will be gone when we go live on May 8. Keep track of any questions that come up during the practice. Remember, this practice is the ONLY practice session that will be available and will be available ONLY to registered retailers. So be sure to register before Tuesday if you haven’t already.

Step 5 — Conference Calls
On Wednesday, May 5, we will host 2 conference calls at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. And on Thursday, May 6 we will host 1 call at 10 a.m. for those who register late or who couldn’t make one of the calls on Wednesday. The purpose is to ask any questions you may have after having spent time with the system and watched the video. It’s not required to participate in the call. It’s just in case you want to ask questions. The calls will last 1 hour or less if we run out of questions. Mark your calendar if you want to participate. We’ll send out the call-in information to registered retailers in a couple days.

Thank you. And as always, visit www.okcommerce.gov/appliances for more program details.