Crate & Barrel accepts payments from new channel

A home furnishings retailer is turning its customer service center into a revenue-generator.

Crate & Barrel is deploying the Gladly Payments solution to enable online customer service agents to securely accept credit card information from customers digitally. Customers are not transferred to voice to complete the process.

Agents receive context, history, and details, such as past purchases and preferences, in a single view, enabling them to create personalized product recommendations. Customer service personnel can also proactively send messages to customers at specific times. For example, if customers spend time on the Crate & Barrel site, agents can help guide them to their cart and complete their purchase.

In addition, Crate & Barrel will have the ability to assign high-value customers to dedicated agents to help drive deeper, long-lasting relationships that go beyond the transaction.

According to data from Gladly, 84% of consumers will go out of their way to spend more money for great experiences. Payments is built into Gladly’s customer service platform.

“We engage with over 125 million customers each year through our stores, websites, and app, so our contact centers are an important touchpoint with customers,” said Kate Showalter, Crate and Barrel senior director of customer service. “We’re known for delivering an exceptional customer experience and challenge ourselves to provide seamless service at every turn, enabling agents to find the merchandise and solutions that meet customers’ needs. With Gladly, we’re elevating solution-based interactions in the call center – but we’re also undergoing a mindset shift to think of our agents as sales drivers. By meeting customers on their preferred channels, and simplifying transactions across channels, Gladly’s Payments helps us improve the shopping experience, drive sales, and deliver customer service that people love and we’re known for.”