This department store, originally from El Salvador, has been operating for over 100 years and has expanded regionally with 15 branches across Central America. The retailer offers a wide range of merchandise including clothing, cosmetics, housewares, electronics, and sporting goods.
The department store operated a customer service area responsible for handling complaints, queries, credits, card openings, and other services. Previously, service was delivered on a first-come, first-served basis using a ticket system that issued two tickets: first arrival and first departure. The process did not segment customers by service type.
Customer service representatives were generalists responsible for all service types, which meant that staff did not specialize in specific services. As a result, service efficiency suffered and customer wait times increased.
The organization aimed to improve service times, customer experience, and the number of people waiting in service areas. Management wanted the ability to analyze service demand by category in order to identify the most requested services and enable staff specialization. Measuring staff productivity was also a priority, requiring accurate tracking of the time agents spent serving customers.
Without controls over wait times or service durations, even simple requests could take up to an hour to complete. This created long wait times for customers with quick service needs, such as five-minute inquiries, significantly affecting the overall customer experience.
In addition, the store needed to manage a second service area where customers collected purchases made online. The entire order pickup process was handled by a single staff member responsible for locating the purchase record, retrieving the item from the warehouse, and delivering it to the customer.
This frequently led to congestion, large groups waiting for service, and disruptions to operations because no system was in place to manage queues effectively.
In February 2021, Q-Flow was implemented in two store locations, covering both the customer service departments and their waiting areas, as well as the online purchase pickup service area.
Cloud-Based Q-Flow Platform
Customers check in through an interactive self-service kiosk and select the reason for their visit. The queue management platform operates entirely in the cloud, eliminating the need for a physical server infrastructure.
Self-Service Kiosks
Kiosks segment customers by service type, including customer service inquiries, specialized service requests, and credit-related services. This segmentation allows staff to specialize and improves operational efficiency.
SMS Notifications
After completing kiosk registration, customers receive an SMS notification containing their queue number and estimated wait time. This paperless process allows customers to continue shopping and return shortly before their service begins.
Reports and Operational Insights
Managers gain access to performance dashboards including sales activity, total services delivered, average service times, service level agreement comparisons, and service demand by location.
CRM Integration
Integration with the retailer’s CRM platform eliminates duplicate data entry. Advisors enter service details once in the CRM, and the information automatically synchronizes with the Q-Flow platform.
Digital Signage
Screens installed in waiting areas display queue status updates, service information, and promotional messaging.
Account Management and Support
ACF Technologies provides ongoing system support and operational guidance through regular collaboration meetings to ensure the platform continues to evolve alongside the retailer’s needs.
Following the successful pilot, the solution was deployed across additional stores and service areas throughout the region, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
Following the success of the customer service implementation, the solution expanded into product collection areas throughout the region.
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