EasyRoommate and Vivastreet – Case study
The world’s leading flat sharing website, EasyRoommate and free classified ads site, Vivastreet, attract over 15 million global web visits every month. Part of Web DMUK Limited and with a huge international presence, EasyRoommate and Vivastreet needed a system in place that would allow them to quickly and efficiently interact with their customer base.
The Problem: Connecting a Worldwide Customer Base
Before moving to 8×8 Solutions, the customer service agents at EasyRoommate and Vivastreet were experiencing major challenges with customer service, reporting and creating a localised service.
1 Customer Service
Customer service was always a priority, but the companies were finding poor call quality a challenge, together with calls not reaching the right agents. This was preventing them delivering the world class quality of service they wish to provide.
2 Reporting
The incumbent system in place was very rudimentary and the length of time that EasyRoommate and Vivastreet could retain data was limited. In addition, there was no way of tracking if a customer had called in before or to link caller information to the customer database.
3 Localised Service with a Global Reach
Global reach was also an issue. EasyRoommate and Vivastreet’s previous systems wouldn’t always work in all of the countries they operated in. Even when some of the calls did connect to call agents, the quality of phone calls was poor. In addition, the phone system didn’t operate across all the countries where they had a marketing presence and were advertising local numbers. This was a major issue as they had to pay to receive inbound calls from customers, which was an unnecessary expense.
The solution: Taking the contact centre to the cloud
The transition to 8×8 Solutions’ platform was quick and easy. The entire integration took only three weeks, and the move caused no disruption of service. This seamless switching of providers meant there was no adverse effect on the business and no customer calls were missed. For customers, it was business as usual.
The benefits: Strengthening global customer experience through cost effective localised numbers
Using 8×8 Solutions’ Virtual Contact Centre has helped to improve customer service in many ways. The software ensures that calls are routed to the right agent by skill set and language, wherever they are in the world. This drastically reduces the number of times a customer would need to be transferred or have to repeat information, improving the customer experience. It is also now possible to measure call resolution times, which wasn’t the case before. A win for both the customer and for EasyRoommate and Vivastreet.
8×8 gives them the ability to offer customers local numbers around the globe. This wasn’t possible previously, often resulting in poor quality calls. They now appear more local with the service they provide, together with achieving a higher call quality and a more cost-effective service to all involved.
As 8×8’s solutions are cloud-based, EasyRoommate and Vivastreet’s employees can work remotely around the world. Their customer service agents are therefore available in all the different time zones where they have a presence – which means a call is always answered.
Reporting had previously been an issue, as it was difficult to store and make sense of customer call data on their old system. Now, 8×8 Solutions’ Virtual Contact Centre will be integrated with EasyRoommate and Vivastreet’s customer databases allowing them to track repeat calls, link the volume of calls with the type of inquiry and also use feedback to improve customer experience. They’ve been able to analyse wider customer service trends and pinpoint the kind of customers that need to call back and better prepare their agents for these instances.
Talking about the move, Karine Teixera, Head of Customer Service at Web DMUK, says: “8×8 Solutions’ global coverage and flexible system was a no brainer for us. As a global company, it’s paramount that we are able to give our customers the best experience possible and Virtual Contact Centre is the ideal solution to helps us do this across the world. With the right technology in place, we can make sure every customer interaction with us is world-class.”
Interesting links:
- Student accommodation: your home away from home
- €3m French fort for sale on classified ads site
- 8×8 Expands Asia Pacific Presence and Signs Reseller Agreement with CSG
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