The Sun attributes paywall success to customer service ‘innovation’
The Sun newspaper has said that customer service ‘innovation’ was a key factor in the success of its online version Sun Plus, when it moved behind a paywall in August last year.
The newspaper overhauled its contact centre operation ahead of the paywall by creating two new customer service channels, live chat and social media, alongside traditional phone and email support. It brought GFM on board as its service partner.
“It was key from day one we were able to give our customers the best possible experience when interacting with the site, which included asking for help or advice. The ability to engage with our member services advisors instantly was paramount”, explained Beverley McIntyre, director of member services and support at The Sun.
“LivePerson’s live chat technology was key to this instant response, as it enabled the advisors to help visitors – in real time - understand the new subscription packages and navigate the exclusive member products and services, such as Perks, Lotto and Goals”.
The Sun reports that they handled approximately 250,000 inquiries via live chat in the seven months since launch and customer satisfaction scores have risen to between 85 and 90 per cent.
Beverly continued: “There’s no doubt that switching to a multi-channel, live chat led customer service model was crucial to the successful launch of Sun Plus and the delivery of a great customer experience”.