Q&A: Andrew Hall – Chief Commercial Officer at Quantanite

INTERVIEWS

Andrew Hall is a strategic thought leader and customer evangelist, passionate about driving customer expectations and digital outsourcing for today’s brands.

Can you give us an overview of your position at the company?

I’m almost six months into my exciting role of leading customer engagement for Quantanite, primarily dealing with fast-growing companies and analyzing the CX solutions that are best for them. It’s been fantastic, in that time we’ve onboarded several new clients, seen clients expand with us and developed our UK growth office to focus on clients who really want to scale their business effectively together with a partner. like Quantanite.

I am absolutely passionate about the customer experience, and it’s great to be able to work with clients who are engaged and focused on making a real difference for their customers today.

Can you tell us about the common challenges UK retailers face in their CE/CX strategy?

We’ve seen several challenges that really stand out and these were addressed by UK retailers speaking at the recent Retail Showcase. Consumer behavior is changing dramatically in the current cost of living crisis and if we do enter a recession it will be more frequent than ever. Consumers who once wanted quality now want a better price, and this will make customers less loyal to a brand. We’ve seen Made.com go out of business, so there’s a huge challenge for retailers to look after their profit margins as they try to meet these demands and provide comfort and ease in their CX strategies. Brexit, of course, has caused a lot of problems in the supply chain, which is a constant challenge that causes price increases as materials become more expensive.

How does Quantanite help provide a solution to these problems?

There are two key solutions that Quantanite can help retail brands “be agile” and “be resilient”.

Made.com could only remain viable while the global logistics industry was operating as normal. Throw in a global pandemic, higher costs, and endless delays, then the business model no longer works. The company could have been saved, but only if it had changed its focus to be more like a regular retailer. The key is not to get too complicated with endless options, make it easy for the customer to complete their shopping journey, implement a streamlined returns procedure to make it easy for the customer. Convenience is key, and we have a number of solutions that can help, such as data and analytics to quickly understand and resolve pain points, resource planning, and the ability to maximize customer value and deliver operational efficiencies. We have a great location in South Africa that is doing exactly this.

What is different about the Quantanite approach?

We are a trusted partner at every step of the customer journey. We turn outsourcing into a competitive advantage at an unbeatable price. We successfully deliver exceptional customer experience and digital outsourcing solutions for clients in a wide range of industry verticals, helping to solve challenging problems such as; Demand management, customer journey optimization, customer shift towards self-service, technological innovation and operational scalability.

What advantage does it add?

The BPO industry has recently seen a lot of consolidation with the rise of some large organizations. Everyone knows the story of David and Goliath with the underdog beating someone stronger, maybe because they are more agile or have more weaponry and that is exactly why Quantanite is special. We are multinational, but we only have bases in a few select locations, not in a hundred countries. We have a team with all the tools they need to provide great service, but we don’t have hundreds of thousands of them. We have focus and agility, the opposite of the BPO Goliaths.

Who are the other companies you are partnering with and why?

We recently joined forces with ChatLingual, provider of the world’s most understandable multilingual messaging platform. ChatLingual will complement Quantanite’s digital outsourcing and CX offerings with its multilingual customer service operations, delivering simpler and more enjoyable experiences for customers and agents in all languages. Offering unique and in-depth perspectives in an area of ​​customer service that is often overlooked, the language, strategic alliance, and blended offerings will demonstrate how multilingual technology can offer companies a competitive advantage in today’s rapidly changing digital world. quickly.

With the speed, flexibility, and affordability we already provide to our customers, this enhanced offering will enable fast-growing businesses to speak the language of their own customers.

What challenges and opportunities do you see in UK retail for 2023? How can retailers best prepare?

Digital brands were presented with the opportunity during the pandemic to engage consumers and convert them to online purchases, but many are now facing declining sales and the impact of the cost of living crisis.

Brands must prioritize customer service and provide a seamless shopping experience. Today’s retailers have a wealth of digital CX tools and services at their disposal that will allow them to be dynamic, providing personalized experiences through multiple customer service options and flexible return processes. For retailers to survive and thrive, they must be able to adapt, and quickly.

What is on the horizon for you as a company?

With a UK headquarters and nearly 2,000 employees operating across four continents, we will continue to grow and offer brands a high-tech, personalized approach to delivering exceptional customer engagement across the entire lifecycle and supporting digital services from back office faster, better and in a more profitable participation.