Overview

Hillarys operates a complex supply chain that involves manufacturing 32,000 bespoke products weekly and delivering them to customers through a network of field-based advisors. To ensure seamless communication with customers and advisors, Hillarys sought to enhance its contact centre capabilities.

Challenge

Hillarys recognised the need to adapt its communication channels to meet the evolving preferences of its customers. While their existing Avaya Contact Centre Select solution effectively managed traditional communication channels, it lacked the ability to leverage the increasing popularity of WhatsApp. This limitation hindered Hillarys' ability to provide timely and efficient customer support, particularly in situations where order delays or other unforeseen circumstances required immediate communication.

To address this challenge, Hillarys needed a solution that would enable them to seamlessly integrate WhatsApp into their existing contact centre infrastructure. The ideal solution would allow them to send timely notifications to customers about order status updates, as well as provide a two-way communication channel for addressing inquiries and resolving issues.  

By adopting WhatsApp, Hillarys aimed to enhance customer satisfaction, improve response times, and streamline their overall communication processes.

“The use of WhatsApp has become significantly more prevalent amongst our customer base since the pandemic.” Helen Dodds Head of Contact Centre at Hillarys

Solution

Hillarys partnered with Zing to implement a WhatsApp communication solution that seamlessly integrated with their existing Avaya system. This innovative solution enabled Hillarys to automate the sending of WhatsApp notifications to customers and advisors in the event of order delays, such as those caused by global supply chain disruptions.  

By integrating Twilio Conversations with Avaya's Web Chat API, Hillarys empowered customers and advisors to engage in two-way communication via WhatsApp, facilitating efficient resolution of inquiries and issues. To optimise the delivery of notifications and avoid overwhelming the contact centre, a phased delivery approach was implemented, ensuring a steady flow of messages and preventing any potential disruptions.

Result

The successful implementation of WhatsApp communication has significantly benefited Hillarys by improving customer experience, reducing call volume and future-proofing operations.  

By providing timely and personalised notifications via WhatsApp, Hillarys has effectively reduced customer frustration caused by unexpected delays, leading to increased satisfaction.  

"Most contact centre solutions follow a predictable lifecycle, which can make it disruptive and expensive to add the capability of new communication channels. Zing’s expertise has allowed us to add the facility to communicate with customers and advisors via WhatsApp, which has recently become so much more widely used." Julian Bond Head of ICT at Hillarys

Additionally, the ability to communicate with customers directly through WhatsApp has reduced the number of inbound calls to the contact centre, allowing agents to focus on more complex issues and improve overall efficiency. The seamless integration of WhatsApp into the existing contact centre platform has streamlined communication processes and positioned Hillarys for future growth and innovation.  

By embracing emerging technologies and strategic partnerships, Hillarys continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing exceptional customer service and meeting the evolving needs of its customers.