Shop Direct announces customer service innovation initiative
Shop Direct has launched a ‘customer closeness’ centre at its Liverpool head office.
A team of 20 advisors work in four-week cycles, the first two of which are spent dealing directly with customer queries via the phone and web chat. The insight and data gathered are used to re-write processes and test new technology in the second two weeks. Monthly external open days, meanwhile, will bring in retailers and other consumer brands.
In 2018, almost 30% of customer contact came via digital channels, including the AI-powered Very Assistant chatbot, webchat and social media. New technology shaped by the team includes an online tool to help specific issues be resolved within a single call by following a ‘decision tree’ and allowing instant news alerts to be shared with all 1,500 customer service colleagues. It has also redesigned the process behind the likes of offline sales and lost goods.
Phil Hackney, Group Operations Director at Shop Direct, says: “This new head office team and facility underlines our mission to create a frictionless and increasingly digital customer service experience to complement the seamless online journey customers already have when shopping on Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.com. Who better to identify opportunities for customer service improvement than our existing frontline advisors?”