In-paper and online promotional offers were a key element of the brand’s core proposition and new reader acquisition efforts. However, unclear messaging and customer journeys generated unwanted ‘failure demand’ which the outsourced contact centre struggled to manage. This led to unscheduled cost increases, lost sales conversion opportunities, and a degraded customer experience.
Our Approach
- We identified inadequate communications and briefing between marketing and service as the root cause of poor preparedness and resourcing for promotional offers. This resulted in subpar service and missed sales opportunities.
- We also recognized that poorly designed promotions and customer journeys caused confusion, reduced response levels, and led to unwanted query contacts.
- To address these issues, we calculated and shared the commercial impact of both customer failure demand and missed sales opportunities with the commercial and marketing teams.
- Additionally, we created a model to forecast customer contacts based on offer type, medium, and fulfilment profile.
- We established a process for structured and informal communications about planned and reactive promotional offers, emphasizing the customer service ‘voice’ in print and online design to anticipate and reduce failure demand and deflect non-sales opportunity contacts.
Results
- A six-figure reduction in contact centre costs due to reduced failure demand and improved forecasting.
- Increased customer satisfaction and a reduction in complaints related to promotional offers.
