Results at a glance
1 in 3+
Customer contacts coming through the app within three months of launch.
About 4 months
From the start of planning (December) to the web app and app launching (March and April 2020), with no significant obstacles or delays.
Half a day back
Headquarters time that no longer goes on handling pricing queries, now that updates reach the right people automatically.
Expansion
Luxembourg, other enquiries, Q8 Electric and a refreshed Help Center, all added after launch.
Before and after
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Seeing where problems start | Hard to spot, with costs creeping up | Call handling is transparent and professional |
| New scripts for agents | Emailed to everyone | Macros Q8 programmes itself |
| Price updates | Half a day lost at headquarters handling queries | Sent automatically to the right people |
| Complaints | Handled in a loyalty system not designed for support | Routed straight to the right shop |
What did Q8 gain?
Customers reach Q8 where they already are. “It’s usually when you’re on the move that you’re faced with an issue,” says Piet Van der Aa, Fuel Performance Supervisor at Q8. After only three months, more than a third of contacts were already made through the app.
A fast launch, without drama. Planning began in December. The web app was live in March and the app features followed in April. The implementation ran with no significant obstacles or delays.
Hours back for the team. Hans De Bruyn, Sales Assistant Fuel Belgium, describes the day-to-day difference:
“Efficiency has increased immensely, even just because we now use macros that we programme ourselves to give the call agents new scripts without having to e-mail everything to everyone.”
Pricing information now goes out automatically instead of costing headquarters half a day, and complaints go straight to the right shop.
Spending only where it counts. Support after launch has exceeded expectations. “If we’re struggling with something, they will first look for a creative solution based on what we already have,” says Hans. “It’s only if they don’t find anything that they suggest adding a new paying plug-in.”
Confidence to grow. Q8 kept building on the setup after launch, and Hans explains why.
“It’s given us a taste for more.”
Hans De Bruyn, Sales Assistant Fuel Belgium, Q8
Where did Q8 start?
Q8’s customer service relied on a call centre that had to handle every kind of query, from faulty pumps to a sandwich with too acidic mayonnaise. Lynn van Ballaer, Digital Platform Coordinator, says costs kept rising and it was hard to see where problems started. The loyalty system carried most of the load, but it wasn’t built for the job. Q8 wanted a platform that was affordable, transparent, easy to use, and ready for future tools such as chatbots.
How did Premium Plus deliver it?
Premium Plus started with a requirements session with the Q8 team and kept the plan modular.
“I was astonished at the simplicity of the solution and Premium Plus’ pragmatic approach. The sales process was atypical too: we didn’t get any sales spiel, they just listened to what we needed and came up with the goods.”
Lynn van Ballaer, Digital Platform Coordinator, Q8
The first phase covered what customers see and use:
- A Help Center in Dutch and French, in the Q8 look and feel
- A contact form that asks for the loyalty card number up front, so agents can help faster
- A web widget and email channel
- The Mobile SDK, so customers can contact support from inside the Q8 app
Later phases connected Zendesk to Q8’s own systems, then extended it to Luxembourg, Q8 Electric, and a refreshed Help Center.