For the final chapter of our Discover YNAP sequel, we sit down with Giuseppe Tamola, YOOX Global Brand & Marketing Director, to discuss what service means in the online realm and how YOOX are catering to the desires of its customer.
Tell us about YOOX’s service approach? How does YOOX make sure it provides the most impeccable level of service to its customers?
While YOOX operates in more than 180 countries, taking a tailored approach to respond to the needs and desires of today’s customer is key. For example, in Japan, packaging is seen as an art form and is extremely important to the Japanese shopper. This is why YOOX products are consciously kept in Tokyo in order for the items to be beautifully packaged on location and are delivered by appointment, making sure that nothing gets damaged.
YOOX’s Superstar Programme is another initiative through which YOOX ensures it provides the most impeccable level of service to its customers. Through this programme, YOOX ensures that its most loyal customers get access to exclusive product selections and first look at new arrivals, as well as benefit from a private-line service for customer-care related matters and free shipping on orders placed from the APP.
What do you see as the big trends for the wants & desires of the global online customer when it comes to service?
The online customer wants a personalised level of the service – customers expect be constantly inspired in their own language and to receive content based on their own terms and choices. To provide the best level of service, we have to truly understand each and every one of our customers’ individual preferences – when, how and why they like to shop – and act on those signals to deliver a totally unique experience to each of our customers. For instance, YOOX’s homepage features a large degree of personalisation, taking into account open data sources such as the weather and suggesting brands and products based on the customer’s history and current situation.
How does communication play a part in YOOX’s service approach?
Today’s customer is always on-the-go and hence always on mobile and this is a key facet that we need to take into account when thinking about innovative ways to communicate with our customers. At YOOX, we are focused on making mobile a personalised conversational channel. Realising that consumers increasingly prefer to receive information via personal messaging services rather than email, in 2017, we became one of the official first partners of WhatsApp for Business and YOOX has been carrying out market testing in Belgium and Germany using the platform to deliver customers notifications on their order and wishlist status. The success has led us to exploring further avenues with WhatsApp which will bring customers a better level of service.
