New Self-Service Voice Portal Makes Life Better for IKEA Customers
IKEA Germany leverages Excelsis solution delivery and Voxeo VoiceObjects technology to significantly improve customer satisfaction while also reducing service costs
Stuttgart/Bergisch Gladbach, February 16th, 2009 - Swedish furniture retailer IKEA recently launched a new self-service phone portal designed, developed, and integrated by Excelsis utilizing the Voxeo VoiceObjects phone application server and development tools. The new phone portal provides IKEA customers with innovative self service options, including information about the in-stock availability of more than 10,000 articles, a store locator, information on delivery costs and payment details, and SMS notification services.
IKEA’s primary goal in deploying a new phone portal was to assure a high level of customer satisfaction. IKEA focused on automating common yet simple customer requests. More complex or unique customer requests are transferred quickly to IKEA service agents after the phone portal collects basic account information. This information is passed automatically to the customer service agent. In combination, IKEA’s focus on automating basic calls and quickly transferring other calls significantly reduces customer hold time and improves customer satisfaction. Finally, the new voice portal needed to provide a flexible and future-proof platform, allowing IKEA to quickly respond to ever-changing market needs while maintaining high call quality.
Excelsis was selected by IKEA to oversee the project. Excelsis used the Voxeo VoiceObjects platform to build the new voice portal. VoiceObjects offered IKEA and Excelsis a high degree of design flexibility and the ability to quickly implement a highly comfortable and intelligent, speech-driven voice user interface for IKEA callers. The resulting solution can be quickly modified or enhanced by IKEA or Excelsis to address seasonal questions, product promotions, or other special events. IKEA also benefits from the extensive computer telephony integration (CTI) and VoiceXML platform options available from Excelsis and VoiceObjects.
“IKEA is one of the companies that recognized the importance of high-quality self service over the phone,” said Christian Sauter, CEO of Excelsis. “IKEA was looking for answers on how to improve services, increase customer satisfaction, expand its customer base and increase revenue– at the lowest total cost of ownership possible. The new voice portal gives IKEA exactly the right answers, closing the gap between improved customer experience on the one hand and cost efficiency on the other.”
“We are very pleased that VoiceObjects has been chosen as the preferred technology provider for IKEA’s next-generation phone portal,” said Michael Codini, CTO and Managing Director, VoiceObjects Germany. “With the new voice portal IKEA strikes an ideal balance between improving customer service while also reducing service costs. This balance is particularly important with the economic and budget challenges most companies are experiencing today.”
Hans Schauer, Manager Service Center IKEA Germany agrees: “This innovative solution is a perfect match for IKEA’s philosophy of making everyday life better for people. The new voice portal focuses on the customer’s needs, with our customers having access to information on how to shape their personal space– seven days a week, 24 hours a day.”
To achieve these challenging objectives, Excelsis and VoiceObjects partnered to provide the best solution possible. Overall Project Leader and independent consultant Dr. Ingo Bors adds: “The combination of high-level talent provided by Excelsis and VoiceObjects’ outstanding technology were critical factors in successfully implementing a project of this magnitude.”
About Excelsis
Excelsis is internationally one of the leading suppliers of solutions for self services based on voice and web portals. With software by Excelsis companies from numerous branches automate their contact center processes. Excelsis offers products and solutions for companies from the sectors of banking, telecommunications, media, industry and trade, traffic and logistic as well as intersectoral software for voice operated information systems, customer management and help desk automation.Customers include Cablecom, Deutsche Telekom, IKEA, Medion, Orange, Siemens, Swisscom, UBS or Vattenfall, just to name a few. Excelsis has partnerships with global technology suppliers and serves numerous customers in currently more than 20 countries.
About VoiceObjects – A Voxeo Subsidiary
VoiceObjects is the leading provider of unified self-service solutions. By using VoiceObjects technology, organizations are able to enhance each user’s experience, integrate phone self-service into comprehensive customer service strategies and manage self-service applications residing on VoiceXML-based IVR platforms.
VoiceObjects technology is used by global 500 enterprises and mobile carriers, including Adobe, Hershey’s, Postbank, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Volkswagen Financial Services and other leading companies worldwide. VoiceObjects is a wholly owned subsidiary of Voxeo Corporation, the world’s leading provider of standards-based voice application platforms and hosted services.
For more information, please visit www.VoiceObjects.com or www.voxeo.com.
