John Lewis has appointed Sitel to provide aftersales service to its electricals customers across the UK.
Working from its Exeter contact centre, Sitel will provide a technical support centre answering telephone and email queries from people who have bought electrical and technology goods from John Lewis.
A bespoke CRM system means that customers will be recognised across Sitel and John Lewis systems whether they contact the new technical support centre or visit a shop for advice. Shop staff will be able to access progress on any product and inform customers.
Sitel was chosen for the role after a competitive pitch. It has also worked on John Lewis’ free 90-day software support service over the last eight years.
Lesley Ballantyne, director of operational development, retail operations at John Lewis, said: “It was our highest priority that there be no change to the perception of customer service or brand experience despite moving the operation off-site. We’re confident this partnership will give greater flexibility for our customers whilst retaining our high customer service standards.”
Tim Schuh, general manager, Northern EMEA at Sitel, said: “In today’s competitive retail landscape, customer care is paramount to maintaining customer loyalty. John Lewis has the highest standard of customer care and we understand the decision to outsource any part of the customer experience is not taken lightly. We feel strongly that we can not only deliver the best possible aftercare experience to John Lewis electricals customers, but we can do so in a way that is cost productive for the company.”