TOLL FREE +1-855-526-7953
POOLCENTER.com is a Virginia-based online retailer of swimming pool equipment and home to an enthusiastic online community. The fast-growing company attracts customers with quality products at competitive prices, superior customer service, expert technical support, comprehensive information on pool topics and an online forum for pool owners to share their pictures and experiences.
POOLCENTER.com is a seasonal business. Its e-commerce sales are highest during the summer months during the heart of pool season. POOLCENTER.com began as an information and community website for do-it-yourself (DIY) pool enthusiasts. Community conversations and content covered pool maintenance, safety, accessories and more. While working in a seasonal industry, POOLCENTER.com shines 365 days a year.
When POOLCENTER.com began selling its products online, President Rob Cox wanted to extend the community feel of the site. POOLCENTER.com uses social media, videos, wikis and its blog to converse with customers online and to help them as much as possible. Cox wanted to include a survey option for the website, but he found initial implementations limiting because he had to guess to which questions visitors and customers might respond and what else they might say if they weren't constrained by company-driven questions.
Cox said, "You have to listen. Shopping online is a lot different from being in the store. People are on our website, and they'll bounce, and we won't know why." Quite often, customers would not take the extra step to contact sales or customer service. POOLCENTER.com needed a convenient and user-friendly method to engage and retain these users.
POOLCENTER.com noticed that other online retailers were adding feedback mechanisms to their websites. After some online research, the company discovered Kampyle and was impressed with the software's accessible and instinctive design. In 2008, POOLCENTER.com deployed Feedback Analytics to complement its call center and live support.
Kampyle was easy to use and had clear, step-by-step guidance that helped the company create, personalize and implement a feedback form. The software made it convenient for customers to provide instant praise or criticism without the hassle of Q&A phone calls or e-mails. The feedback generated from this form flows throughout the company and allows relevant departments to take proper and immediate action.
POOLCENTER.com is a community, and since it gains awareness as an accurate and reliable informational site, it is important to ensure that all of the pool content provided is of the highest caliber. The Kampyle feedback form helps POOLCENTER.com continually improve these informational resources and increase conversions based on feedback.
The feedback also serves as an accurate assessment of the company's operations. According to Cox, "If I see something once, then I know that there are 70 other people thinking the same thing. If I see something twice, then I know that there are probably 300 other people." Even when customers do not leave concrete comments and simply rate the site, they contribute to an overall evaluation that can pinpoint strengths and shortcomings.
Kampyle feedback helps POOLCENTER.com recognize staff members and identify supply chain bottlenecks. It recently enabled the company to detect a glitch in the online shopping cart, which faltered with increased traffic and multiplied order quantities. Because several dissatisfied customers complained through the Kampyle form, the company was able to isolate the Java script problem and contact the vendor before too many customers were lost.
POOLCENTER.com receives more than 50 comments daily during peak season and an average of 12 comments daily off-season. About half of the customers who leave feedback provide their contact information. This allows for the company president to contact customers directly and discuss their concerns. The approach is always well received and stimulates positive feelings towards the website.
Cox said, "I know that Kampyle more than pays for itself by way of engaged customers, happy interactions and overall satisfaction."
