Shop Direct, the UK’s largest multi-brand digital retailer, has announced a new partnership with customer experience outsourcer Webhelp as part of the company’s drive to become a world class digital retailer.
The partnership, valued at £209-million (R4-billion), will see Webhelp deliver multi-channel customer experience on behalf Shop Direct. This will include customer service support through traditional voice contact alongside inbound support through Web chat, e-mail and social media channels.
With 75 customer relationship centres and 28 500 employees globally, Webhelp now forecasts 2015 revenues of €650 million (almost R14-billion). The company established a presence in South Africa in 2013 and now employs over 1 500 people in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
The move is a positive step forward in Shop Direct’s pursuit to transform its digital customer service offering and Webhelp has been appointed on the strength of its transformational capabilities.
Shop Direct is the UK’s second largest pure play retailer, with annual sales of more than £1.7-billion. The company’s digital department store brands include Very.co.uk, which currently receives over a million visits each day.
As part of the agreement, around 1 000 people based in the UK and 500 people in South Africa have transferred to Webhelp.
Craig Gibson, CEO of Webhelp SA, comments: “Shop Direct’s customers want to shop when, where and how it suits them – online, via mobile and tablet and seamless omnichannel customer contact must underpin their experience.
“At Webhelp we aim to work with our clients to deliver exceptional customer journeys. That means not just offering highly responsive service but also highly personalised service across all channels.
“We’re excited to be working with one of the largest digital retailers in the UK, in what is a significant partnership for our business, as we continue to challenge digital customer service standards.”