Online retailer bucks global trend and enjoys a 46% increase in online sales during the 2008 holiday season, thanks in large part to LivePerson Contact Center
About Canvas on Demand
Canvas on Demand is an award-winning company that transforms its customers’ prized photographs into canvas works of art. Customers upload treasured photographs to canvasondemand.com and select their desired rendering (PhotoRealistic or PixelPainting) and finishing (stretched or Gallery Wrapped). Within days the customer receives a finished product. Serving individual consumers as well as professional photographers, Canvas on Demand has enjoyed stellar growth, and currently ranks 283 on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 500 fastest growing private companies in the United States. Television promotions on “The View,” QVC, Home Shopping Network, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and “The Today Show” have helped propel the company’s success.
The Challenge
One of the company’s biggest challenges was to provide a customer service experience that matched the emotional level of its customers. “People have a strong, emotional connection to this moment of time,” explained Joe Schmidt, co-owner of Canvas on Demand. “We’re taking our customers favorite images; images they have strong emotional attachments to, and turning them into spectacular works of art. As a result, twenty percent of our customers cry upon receiving their canvases. In such cases, calling into a customer service center and navigating an IVR won’t cut it. We needed to provide them with the ability to connect with a live representative of our company ASAP.”
Another challenge: Knowing who – if anyone – was in their store. “As an online retailer, it was all a big mystery and we found that to be very scary. How many people are on our site? Ten? Five hundred? We had no idea,” Mr. Schmidt explained. Moreover, they had no way of knowing whether customers were having problems using their website. “Our product requires visitors to upload a photo and choose a format. We couldn’t help visitors who were confused or needed help selecting an option unless they located our 800 number and gave us a call.” Mr. Schmidt and his co-founder and partner, Tom Lotrecchiano, needed a way to monitor their online store in real time, and to provide hands-own support to visitors who needed help.
Finally, the partners wanted a better way to manage incoming email. With 150 messages arriving each day, responding in a timely manner was a challenge. The company needed a solution that enabled them to respond to their customer emails quickly and accurately.
“Nearly all of our chat interactions involve helping a customer complete a purchase. Without LivePerson, our sales wouldn’t be as good as they are. ”
Joe Schmidt, co-owner
Canvas on Demand