“We’ve been working with OpenContact since 2011 and have always been really pleased with the quality of their service.  Their team handle calls in exactly the same way as our own team, meaning our brand is protected.  It is of real value to us during our peak trading period knowing that OpenContact are available to handle sales calls we might miss, meaning we don’t have to increase our own overhead or employ seasonal staff.”

Duncan Harrod, Office & IT Systems Manager

Industry Sector

B2B Retail

Client Objectives

To answer as many customer calls as possible with the intention of increasing sales, in the context of seasonal variances in call volumes. 

Harrod Horticultural

Harrod Horticultural is an online retailer of quality garden supplies, with over 4,000 products in their range and more than 60 years of UK manufacturing experience.

In addition to their extensive product range, Harrod Horticultural offer ‘made to measure’ and ‘bespoke design’ services to customers who are looking for uniquely designed products. The Harrod name is synonymous with quality; their reputation for sophistication and expertise is crucial to their brand and a vital component of their success.

The Challenge

Harrod Horticultural’s in-house team were getting overwhelmed with the number of orders they were taking by phone, particularly between the months of February and June, which constitutes their peak trading season. Every year they recruited additional seasonal staff which incurred additional training and overhead costs.

Harrod needed a partner who could provide assistance with these high call volumes, along with a flexible charging structure. As a company that relies on its reputation for quality, they also needed experienced customer service agents who were capable of advising their callers in a confident yet friendly manner.

The Solution

In 2011, Harrod Horticultural partnered with OpenContact to provide customer contact support to compliment Harrod’s in-house team.

All OpenContact agents are trained on Harrod Horticultural’s best sellers and utilise their website in order to optimise their upsell opportunities with all other products.

OpenContact are responsible for every one of Harrod’s overflow and out of hours calls, all year round.

During peak season, OpenContact handle around 90% of Harrod Horticultural’s orderline calls meaning their in-house team are able to focus on more complex customer service calls.

The Result

From the very beginning, OpenContact’s assistance increased the number of calls that Harrod Horticultural were able to handle resulting in increased sales and a higher quality customer service operation. Harrod Horticultural’s in-house team are now more focused and more compact – they no longer need to employ additional seasonal staff, and this has reduced overhead expenses and freed up management time.