Behind the scenes

Busy times in customer service too

8.4.2020

Translation: machine translated

So far, we have reported a lot about logistics. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis, however, customer service has also been in full swing. In this interview, Mike Smith (Head of Customer Service) explains what is happening on the front line and why delivery date enquiries are difficult to answer.

The situation in logistics is comparable to the Christmas business. How are things looking for you in Customer Service?**Michael Smith, Head of Customer Service: **It's no different for us. Enquiries in the form of calls or emails have always increased slightly in recent weeks, but since the shop closure, enquiries have increased significantly from week to week. Even Black Friday can pack its bags. Compared to a "normal" week, we are currently seeing a more than doubling of enquiries.

What are the most frequent questions that you receive?
Almost half of the enquiries relate to the delivery date. Even if the information on the homepage can generally be adhered to, there are longer delays in a single-digit percentage of cases. Unfortunately, we can hardly help with this problem. Once the order is in the system, the goods cannot be cancelled and it is not possible to speed up the process. Our customer service staff can also only view the information that is already visible in the online customer account.

Many parcels are waiting to be collected every day.

**How are customers reacting to the delivery delays? **
In my spot checks, I see a lot of understanding on the part of customers. Some even wait in the call centre queue for over 20 minutes just to thank us and wish us all the best. It's important to me that we provide information about possible delays as clearly and transparently as possible. We sometimes feel the downside and emotions run high. Fortunately, this is rarely the case.

What impact did the lockdown of our 11 shops have on you?
We had to take over communication with 7,000 customers who had an order or a warranty claim ready for collection in the shop. This led to a number of queries and coordination difficulties, which we dealt with as quickly as possible. Customer support, which previously took place daily in the shops, now also has to be handled by customer service. However, we can also count on the support of up to 50 shop employees.

Are you all still in the office or does customer service also work from home?
Over 95% of Customer Service staff are working from home. Very few still go to the office. This is at their own request, as various circumstances make working from home difficult.

A picture from the old days. Almost all customer service employees currently work from home.

In logistics, we're recruiting for all we're worth. Have you also expanded your team?
We are also recruiting new employees, but not to the same extent as Logistics. In addition to activating all of our students, we get support from the digitec shops and from the product data collectors.

**How do the job interviews take place? And how do you familiarise the new employees with the current situation? **
We conduct all interviews with MS Teams via video calls. We have the advantage that we were able to adapt our processes quickly and easily with a dedicated induction team. Only the first working day has to take place physically due to the handover of materials. However, the social distancing rules are of course observed. The hardest part is getting close to the team, as all interactions are only possible via chat and video.

What is important to you personally in the current situation?
Firstly, serving our customers despite the enormous increase in orders: We are analysing developments on a daily basis so that we can react quickly and adapt our customer service accordingly. Secondly, the safety of our employees and the social cohesion of our teams is my top priority. It makes me proud to see that all employees come together and tackle unexpected challenges. This gives me the strength and energy I need every day.

By the way: Before picking up the phone or keyboard, it's worth taking a look at our help centre. We answer the most frequently asked questions there.

23 people like this article

Norina Brun

Senior Communications Manager

norina.brun@digitecgalaxus.ch

News aren’t enough for me – it’s the stories behind the news that capture my interest. Curiosity is my constant companion and the reason why I spend Saturday afternoons in my favourite café, eavesdropping on city stories while planning my next travel adventure and creating new event ideas. Zen meditation can wait.

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