Read about how the leading Telecommunications company in Austria, A1, which wanted to explore new ways of connecting with online customers and increasing online sales, implemented a live shop solution that achieved great results.
A1, with its products and services, plays a vital role in digitizing Austria and supporting both private individuals and businesses.
Despite the widespread adoption of digitalization and online shopping, many customers still seek assistance or expert advice before making a purchase.
Their customer base consists of a wide range of generations – from Gen Z to baby boomers – nearly the entire demographics of Austria’s population. To cater to the diverse needs of its customers in terms of sales and service, A1 offers a selection of different contact channels.
In order to better communicate the value propositions of their various products and services as well as increase online sales A1 wanted to explore new ways of connecting with online customers.
The leading Austrian Telecommunications brand took a big step forward in digitally transforming its business. They saw a big potential in the Virtual Shop project, which enables their customers to get free advice online; just like in the store – but from the comfort of their own home.
A Virtual Shop is just like your other physical store with real sales agents. Except that, it’s not. It’s much more powerful as it enables A1 sales agents to attend to numerous online customers in real time, using conversational tools like real-time video, voice, and chat. It’s the latest innovation in digital customer experience.
Omnichannel is a major trend in customers’ current contact needs.
So in collaboration with giosg, A1 Austria introduced the A1 Live Shop, a unique and innovative point of experience that combined the strengths of different channels.
It offered customers the convenience of accessing a service centre directly through the online shop, while also providing the opportunity for a physical shopping experience. This integration of online and in-person elements created a seamless and enhanced customer journey.
In fact, 80% of A1 customers research necessary information online before contacting the brand. Now, online shoppers and people who are just searching for information on their website can get support from the A1 Liveshop Team in a very personal way without having to hop between channels.
The success seen from this in terms of sales and customer satisfaction proves that investing in this new project was a good business decision.
“We digitize Austria – that’s our aim and that’s why we wanted to create a new and innovative channel to support our customers while shopping online with competent personal sales consulting nearly anytime or anywhere.”
Timo Zöller, Head of Customer Interaction, A1 Telekom Austria Group
The Live Shop project proved especially essential for business continuity during the COVID-19 crisis when all the physical shops & contact centres had to close down. The A1 Live Shop became an innovative digital alternative to their physical A1 stores during local lockdowns.
A1 Austria saw great results with the Live Shop project. Their NPS ratings were incredibly high compared to other online sales channels, and equivalent to those during a face-to-face shop experience.
A1 Austria also reported a 30% increase in the average shopping cart basket size per sales contact, when compared to their eCommerce channel. What's more, they recorded a +30% conversion rate from online leads to closed sales.
Original story in Whisbi.com.
In April 2023, giosg, the Finnish leading SaaS business, announced the acquisition of Whisbi and its subsidiaries in the US. The initiative marks a big step towards continued growth and expansion. Read our press release about the acquisition here.