More than 350 customer service representatives also are available around the clock at the firm s three phone service centers. Bass wouldn t say how much Lands End has invested in customer service for its Web operations. But as more customers move online, the company expects savings to come from reduced printing and postage costs as it mails out fewer catalogs. With the competition just a click away, excellent customer service is a key differentiator, according to CEO David Lord. One of the first things the company did was tap Sandra Charest an executive at L. L. Bean Inc. in Freeport, Maine, which is renowned for excellent customer service to be director of customer care.
Some observers expect a big turnaround in online customer service over the next year.
Retailers are starting to figure it out. . . . They re in the business to win the customer s loyalty for the long haul, said Robert Folaron, executive director of Internet media practices at Electronic Data Systems Corp. in Plano, Texas. Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Computerworld, Inc. is prohibited.