Customer service for retail and ecommerce

Click with more consumers with a well-crafted CX


Access experts on demand for all channels and phases of the retail customer lifecycle

  • Consistent, on-brand customer experiences (CX)
  • Cloud-integrated channels, systems, and locations
  • Secure, sustainable, cost-effective CX solutions

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Differentiate with ease

Provide frictionless, fluid customer support across channels

For connected consumers, the lines between physical and virtual storefronts are blurred. Shoppers now expect fluidity access across websites, apps, contact centers, and stores.


All customer interactions – both positive and negative! – can have company-wide ripple effects. Brand consistency across storefronts and channels requires increasingly clever integrations, trained associates, customer and market data insights, cloud technologies, and a unified response.

That’s where HGS comes in.

HGS equips your retail contact center with industry-leading talent and technology. We convert your storefronts and channels into full access and digitally-enabled transaction, brand, and engagement hubs. We equip, coordinate, and galvanize your contact center agents and instore associates to deliver consistently.

With many consumers choosing to shop online AND instore, HGS can craft a brand-differentiated yet consistent shopping experience for your current and potential customers.

Get help when and where you need it

Provide a seamless retail CX at every phase of the consumer lifecycle

Retail staffing challenges arise when seasonality, customer service, product knowledge, and technical needs intersect.

HGS’s digital CX experts on demand can quickly provide reliable and affordable retail outsourcing and transformation support.

A retail customer lifecycle powered by HGS

a graphic of retail customer life-cycle

Deliver prompt, personal, and positive retail customer service with HGS’s experts on demand.

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Sales and order management

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Holiday and seasonal staffing

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Loyalty program management

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EPIC® social media management

Supercharge with agent-assist

Give retail associates all they need to win loyalty and sales

HGS Agent X Overview Dashboard

More and more, retail associates are involved in consultative and suggestive selling, creating customer value, and cultivating loyalty.

To make a sale, they require deep product knowledge, inventory and order details, offer reminders, and customer and market insights to personalize.

The cross-channel desktop, customer-360 view, and knowledgebase that HGS Agent X provides all work to deliver critical, dynamic product and customer details.

And, unlike some systems, HGS Agent X insights are continually refined with real-time input and AI so associates can connect with customers faster.

Learn more about HGS Agent X

Embrace an autonomous future

Move from an agent-provided CX to an AI-powered CX

The need to interact with a human to purchase, use, or return a product is now often considered a CX design flaw. A fully digital, autonomous CX is the goal, and HGS can create a digital CX roadmap that builds your business for the future.

Sample autonomous CX roadmap

Traditional customer service

  • Human-first interactions
  • Siloed stores, contact centers, and websites
  • Customer and product data in separate systems; humans must extrapolate
  • Sporadic or no use of AI, with agents fully responsible for personalization

Modern customer service

  • Mix of human and digital interactions
  • Partially integrated stores, contact centers, and websites
  • Data viewed as needed in unified, 360-degree dashboards
  • AI-supported, attended CX, with agents prompted while interacting

Autonomous customer service

  • Tech-first, self-serve, AI interactions
  • Fully connected and cloud-enabled stores, contact centers, and websites
  • System-initiated predictions, personalization, and recommendations
  • Chatbots and virtual assistants handle most unattended interactions

Build secure, customer-first solutions with speed and scale

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E-commerce and digital transformation

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Multi-cloud migrations and managed services

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Data and speech analytics for retailers

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Automated responses, returns, and reminders

Acquire new customers inexpensively

Expand your social media and digital marketing reach

Fast and effective digital marketing is more important than ever – before, during, and after a purchase. Uninspired, unanswered social posts detract from your brand. Working with your in-house and agency teams, HGS ensures a constant, compelling flow of campaigns and content.

  • Full spectrum of content, design, and social media services
  • Experienced, marketing resources on demand, 24/7
  • Fresh and repurposed content, both development and delivery
  • Contact center supplement or independent solution
  • White-label options for agencies
  • Limited and long-term partnerships

Learn more about HGS digital marketing services

Champion every moment

Drive real results, like the world’s most successful brands

Retail, e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer companies in North America, the UK, and beyond have long put their trust in HGS.

Audio equipment

Audio equipment

A billion dollar, US, home speaker system manufacturer/retailer works to boost CSAT with HGS

Read the case study

Dumbbells

Fitness

A worldwide leader in fitness, nutrition, and weight loss programs improves speed with HGS

Read the case study

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Grocery

Fortune 500 retailer of hypermarkets and grocery stores contains costs and expands reach with HGS

Read the case study

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Dining

The world’s largest, most well-known quick-serve restaurant chain improves speed with HGS

Read the case study

Clothing

Ethical, organic, UK activewear retailer and yoga studio increases sales with HGS

Read the case study

Kitchen appliance

Kitchen appliances

International, high-end retailer of coffee machines and supplies garners sales and cost savings with HGS

Read the case study

Riding lawnmower

Outdoor

A global leader in agriculture, lawn, and garden products saves money and increases CSAT with HGS

Read the case study

Evolve environmentally and socially

Capitalize on a more mindful, sustainable approach to retail

Communicating your ethical sourcing, sustainable production, and waste reduction efforts requires associates who can explain products at a deeper level and flexible technologies that permit customization.

Through millions of interactions, HGS has gained an understanding of the impact we can have when helping customers choose thoughtfully. HGS delivers on your brand and environmental/social promises.

Differentiate with HGS’s Environmental and Social Governance Program

Transform, optimize, and grow

Champion every moment that customers interact with your brand.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

HGS offers a spectrum of bespoke outsourcing solutions, including the following.

  • Shopper lead generation
  • In-store or online purchase
  • Increase average order values
  • Decrease shopping cart abandonment
  • Personalizing offers
  • Loyalty program membership enrolment and support
  • Store credit card enrolment, service, collections
  • Receipt or invoice generation and dispatch
  • Customer service inquiries and feedback management
  • Online, pick-up, same-day, and subscription order management
  • Order status updates
  • Holiday and seasonality support
  • Business continuity solutions
  • Giftcards and mobile giftcards
  • Account management
  • Social media customer care
  • Returns, exchanges, and cancellation management
  • Lost or damaged item processing and reporting
  • Mobile app development and support
  • Technical support
  • Complaints management
  • Field dispatch management
  • Warranty and recalls
  • Retention campaign management
  • Voice of the customer (VOC) and store insights
  • Online reputation management
  • CX consulting

Yes! In addition to providing retail digital CX consultants, HGS offers on-site, hybrid, and work-at-home contact center solutions to address long-term or seasonal staffing needs. We have proven strategies to recruit and retain experienced agents to ensure business continuity.

At a minimum, we support the following channels:

  • Phone
  • Self-serve
  • Webchat
  • Text/SMS
  • Direct messaging
  • In-app messaging
  • Social
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Post / snail mail

Yes! Where required, we provide PCI DSS-compliant and ISO-certified contact centers and ecommerce solutions. We deliver secure credit card processing services for many clients!

HGS