Business Platform
Multicenter
Delivering faster, more personalized customer service to increase sales and engage shoppers
Brand
WhatsApp Business Solution Provider
Home goods company Multicenter develops a highly secure, standardized communications channel on WhatsApp Business Platform to accelerate response times and better serve customers with more personalized, consultative services that increase sales.
25%
of ecommerce attributable to WhatsApp
3x
sales conversions over WhatsApp compared to phone
6
conversations handled in WhatsApp at once
85%
average monthly customer satisfaction score
*Results are unique and are provided by the featured business. Success story results will vary, as they depend on a variety of factors.
Their Story
Bringing quality home
Over 30 years ago, Multicenter began offering quality, affordable home goods at brick-and-mortar stores. Wanting to make shopping easier and more convenient, the company has since become one of the first major retailers in Bolivia to establish a dynamic ecommerce channel.
Their Goal
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Building relationships with every chat
At the height of the global pandemic, Multicenter experienced a surge of customer demand and increased call volumes that were difficult to manage. The retailer needed a highly secure, standardized communications channel that could provide faster, more efficient service while retaining the personal approach that encourages sales, especially of big-ticket items.
Their Solution
WhatsApp allows live agents to easily share product photos and specifications.
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Personal approach at a large scale
Whether they’re looking for a new bedroom set, a living room entertainment center, or the latest kitchen appliances, customers across Bolivia turn to leading retailer Multicenter.
During the height of pandemic-related lockdowns, Multicenter experienced a surge in demand among shoppers wanting to update their homes. Many customers used to the consultative approach of in-person shopping drove increasingly high call volumes to the company’s customer care center. The company found that customers preferred having an agent answer questions and share product details – with customers sometimes dropping off when encouraged to shop directly on the website. To reach as many customers as possible, agents even started sharing their personal numbers.
Multicenter needed a more secure, standardized communications channel that could scale quickly while retaining a personal approach. When the company observed that WhatsApp was widely popular among customers across different age groups, Multicenter partnered with communications platform as a service company Aldeamo to create a communications channel powered by WhatsApp Business Platform.
As a customer connects with Multicenter through WhatsApp, they’re initially greeted by a brief welcome message and an option to review answers to frequently asked questions. Within one minute, a live agent enters the chat to address inquiries and make product recommendations based on a customer’s needs. If a customer needs a washing machine that can fit inside a small space, an agent can use multimedia capabilities in WhatsApp to share photos and dimensions of suggested brands.
“Through WhatsApp, we can provide personal attention that gives customers the confidence to move forward with big ticket purchases at a broader scale. One agent using WhatsApp can balance upwards of six conversations at once, ensuring faster service while allowing us to meet increased customer demand,” says Wilson Salomón Rojas Jimenez, Customer Service Operations Coordinator. “Since adopting WhatsApp, our response times have gone from five minutes to one minute.”
“Through WhatsApp, we can provide personal attention that gives customers the confidence to move forward with big ticket purchases at a broader scale. One agent using WhatsApp can balance upwards of six conversations at once, ensuring faster service while allowing us to meet increased customer demand. Since adopting WhatsApp, our response times have gone from five minutes to one minute.”
Wilson Salomón Rojas Jimenez
Customer Service Operations Coordinator
As agents engage with customers in real-time, they can guide them toward additional items – like suggesting that a customer with cookware in their cart add an electric mixer or portable stovetop. With certain products now only available online, Multicenter is encouraging sales directly through WhatsApp. Every month, the company rewards agents who close the most deals over WhatsApp with special prizes.
“The WhatsApp Business Platform enables Multicenter to send customized marketing messages, to help ensure that Multicenter has rich, relevant data about customer’s interests. With this data, agents can make better suggestions in the moment,” says Ana Cadillo Hasbun, Marketing Manager, Aldeamo.
Shoppers can also opt-in to receive marketing messages delivered through WhatsApp. With the broadcast templates available in WhatsApp, Multicenter has developed campaigns centered around holidays like Black Friday, Oktoberfest, and special sales called “Open House” days. Each message comes with a call to action inviting recipients to “say yes” to talk further with an agent.
Now, Multicenter is combining its segmentation capabilities with the scalability of WhatsApp to target customers based on their previous purchases. Customers who recently purchased a flatscreen TV might receive customized messages about blu-ray players, complete with a link to start chatting with an agent.
“Through the versatility of WhatsApp, we can reach customers with offers that feel more relevant to their interests. Currently, we can attribute 25 percent of our ecommerce sales to WhatsApp, with customers three times more likely to complete a purchase over WhatsApp than our conventional hotline,” says Rojas Jimenez. “Customers appreciate the speed and convenience of engaging with us through WhatsApp, with monthly satisfaction scores consistently over 85 percent.”
Inspired by their success in driving final sales, Multicenter is looking to automate the process of applying for installment payments through WhatsApp. There are also plans to enable QR codes in WhatsApp to access product catalogs and make payments.
“Using WhatsApp has transformed our online business, as we build relationships with our customers, one chat at a time,” says Rojas Jimenez.
Multicenter’s live agents provide customers with a personalized shopping experience.
Their Success
When Multicenter adopts a communications channel through WhatsApp Business Platform, the company decreases its response times while providing personalized service that builds customer relationships while driving increased sales.
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Faster responses, more sales
- 25% of ecommerce attributable to WhatsApp
- 3x sales conversions over WhatsApp compared to phone
- Six conversations handled in WhatsApp at once
- 85% average monthly customer satisfaction score
*Results are unique and are provided by the featured business. Success story results will vary, as they depend on a variety of factors.
Transform your business
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