Review: Optoro Increases Customer Loyalty with Simplr
Review: “One of the things we saw in working with Simplr was a reduction in our email first response time all the way down to 30 minutes. Customers no longer have to wait very long to hear back from someone who can help them. By enabling speedier responses to their questions, customers are much more likely to purchase from us again.”
BACKGROUND:
We sat down with Bridget Allen, Manager of Customer Care at Optoro, to learn how her team uses Simplr to reduce time to first response and wow their marketplace customers by providing support on nights, weekends and holidays.
Optoro’s mission is to make retail more sustainable by eliminating all waste from returns.
Every year, more than 15% of retail goods are returned or simple never sell. This creates tons of unnecessary waste and costs retailers billions of dollars.
Optoro’s technology platform connects those goods to their next best home, whether its a business, individual, or charity. Optoro routes every single item to its highest value channel, including Optoro’s own Blinq.com, its direct-to-consumer site, and Bulq.com, it’s business-to-business site.
THE CHALLENGE:
Customer Experience is Paramount
In the customer support space, outsourcing can be seen as taboo. Teams do not want lose any quality control over such an important, customer-facing capability for fear of getting it wrong. Especially in the e-commerce space, the way in which support partners interact with customers and potential customers can have a direct impact on their decision to buy. Choosing a team to support that integral part of your business is not one to be taken lightly.
Optoro knew that if they wanted to continue to quickly scale their business and deliver outstanding service for Blinq and Bulq, enabling scale by outsourcing customer support was a good idea. Bridget said that at first, “it was a challenging thought to consider, but as we thought about what needed to to happen in order to scale our business and allow Optoro to grow, we knew we needed to find a partner that could help us get there faster without sacrificing the terrific experience we have created with our internal team”.
Time to First Response
E-commerce customers make decisions in minutes rather than hours. Online shopping gives customers the option to scan multiple websites for the product they are looking for. If a question arises regarding any detail of the product, the ability for the support team to respond quickly is immediately related to whether or not that customer is going to purchase. This is why the role of customer support is so critical.
THE SOLUTION:
Expanded Coverage
With the changes in the way consumers shop, commerce has become an “always on” business. Before Simplr, Optoro had to make big asks of their Blinq and Bulq teams to work nights, weekends and holidays. Bridget noted that “one of the great things about working with Simplr is that we can offer our customers after-hours coverage without impacting our internal staff. We know that Simplr is going to be there for extended hours into the evenings and on holidays responding to our customers.” This “has improved the quality of life for our agents. Now, both our customers and our agents are happy.”
By offering extended support hours, you are putting the customer first. Bridget said, “it’s really great for (the customers) to get an immediate response on nights, weekends and holidays. Not every retailer does this. It shows our customers that we value their time and want to help them at any time.”
Optoro Review – Hit the Ground Running with Simplr
Growing and scaling a successful customer support team could take months or even years. By integrating Simplr, Optoro was able to grow the team in a matter of weeks, seeing results quickly. Optoro worked on macros, or frequently asked responses to questions, to get the Simplr team up to speed. Bridget said that at first, “folks were worried”, but by studying the macros ahead of time Simplr was able to quickly pick up on the tone and voice of the Optoro brand. Bridget said, “what’s great (about the) Simplr team is (that they are) willing learn really quickly”. She was impressed by how the Simplr team always lead with the “yes.”
“It says that you are our partner and you want to work with us.”
When asked if she would recommend Simplr to others, Bridget said, “Yes, I would. I’d encourage them to not think about it as outsourcing. We (Optoro) think of Simplr as our external partner. We think of Simplr as an extension of the Blinq.com and Bulq.com teams. Everything has been seamless. You have been quick to learn and quick to teach. We look forward to continuing to grow in partnership together.”
