The challenge

A coffee retailer wanted to maintain its high customer support standards as it expanded but needed expert help. The company was growing quickly, in the early stages of starting to franchise, and on the cusp of becoming publicly traded.

In-house expertise centred around coffee and retail, not customer experience, and leaders wanted to ensure the brand retained its well-respected voice as it grew.

A deepening partnership

TTEC provided skilled associates to handle a range of customer support needs, including technical support, returns, and order support — via phone, email, and chat. We began by providing 10 full-time-equivalent associates and grew that number to 43 within five years.

A we got to know the brand better and explored the customer journey, we proactively identified areas where we could deepen our partnership with the company:

• We saw that customers who called the contact centre were put into a queue, with no self-service options available. Long wait times led to many dropped calls. We implemented an IVR system that provided answers to frequently asked questions and introduced self-service options. As a result of redirecting some customers to self-service, call volume dropped 33% whilst CSAT remained around 90%.
• We noticed the company struggled to provide good customer experience when selling its products at live events. Inconsistent volume spikes at the events caught the company unprepared. We created processes that incorporated live updates and real-time customer sentiment to help the company prepare for any surges that came its way.
• We saw that accounts were being taken over by hackers, which led to some customers being erroneously charged. The company had no in-house loss prevention team, so we worked to identify compromised accounts and make things right for those customers.
• We discovered nutritional information about products, including potential allergens, was unclear on the company’s website, exposing the brand to unnecessary risk. Once we identified this problem, the brand was able to rectify it.

We’ve become a trusted partner of the brand, and our strategic work continues to evolve. We remain committed to helping the company retain its voice and elevate its customer service as it grows.