Dutch Luxury department store de Bijenkorf goes for new service solution

De Bijenkorf has been a strong brand for over 140 years. The Netherlands’ best-known department store has 3000 employees and flagship stores in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. There are also branches in Utrecht, Amstelveen, Eindhoven and Maastricht. Together, the stores, advertising , range and employees communicate the Bijenkorf identity: customer-oriented, inspiring, stylish and premium. The mission: De Bijenkorf is the most inspiring, surprising and creative department store, where everyone feels special.

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Inspiring and customer-focused

In order to pursue this mission, three pillars have been identified in the area of customer service: Increasing customer satisfaction, increasing efficiency and minimising risks.

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Increasing customer satisfaction

How do you make sure the service is in line with the mission 'where everyone feels special’ and how can you really help and pleasantly surprise customers? “This can be achieved by, for example, making sure all the systems are correctly linked and that the service agent is fully aware of the customer's situation, so that the customer does not have to explain everything,” says Odile De Vito, Senior Business Consultant at de Bijenkorf. “The target group is becoming increasingly digital, so Bijenkorf has to respond to that, for example by offering more self-service options. We also see this reflected in the channels used to contact the customer service department; WhatsApp and web chat are increasing strongly, whereas other social channels are decreasing”.

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Increasing efficiency

“If you want to help your customers as quickly and as effectively as possible, first time and through the customer’s preferred channel, you have to increase efficiency. Because the customer shouldn’t have to wait. By automating more and requiring them to perform fewer actions, service agents can concentrate more on customers and spend less time where it isn’t needed.”

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