Levi’s Introduces 24/7 Customer Service With Google

The company is launching a new chat tool as off-hours online shopping spikes by 30%.

Need to Know

  • Levi Strauss & Co. is integrating Google Business Messages into its customer experience strategy, in response to a 30% increase in off-hours online shoppers.
  • Google Business Messages combines app- and call-based queries from Google Maps, Search, and brand websites.
  • The tool is part of a 2020 partnership between automation provider Linc Global and Levi’s.

Analysis

As customer shopping habits shift towards always-on e-comm, Levi’s has introduced 24/7 digital customer service with Google.

Levi’s has integrated Google Business Messages into its customer experience strategy, after the company saw a 30% increase in off-hours online shopping, in addition to the fact that, during the pandemic, more customers were spending time researching products before buying them. With Google Business Messages, customers can reach customer service any time of day via Google Maps, Search, and directly from Levi’s website.

“Rolling out customer experience automation on webchat provided a new way for customers to find answers to their pre-purchase and other questions that regularly resulted in a call to customer service,” said Anisa Kumar, VP global direct-to-consumer, Levi Strauss & Co. “Launching with Google’s Business Messages was the logical next step in providing our customers with a best-in-class customer experience.” 

Using the tool, which is synchronized with Levi’s onsite chat, customers can message assistants after Levi’s stores have closed. Entire conversations can be conducted within Google Business Messages before customers visit Levi’s website to shop and complete a purchase.

The integration is the result of a June 2020 partnership between Levi’s and automation provider Linc Global. Levi’s has worked with Linc to set up Google Business Messages for 200 Levi’s stores to date. So far, Google Business Messages have resulted in customer satisfaction scores of more than 85%, and saw 30 times more store-related questions than Levi’s onsite web chat, while 31% of conversations were product-related.

Levi’s significantly enhanced its direct-to-consumer operations in 2020, rejigging its physical stores to operate as micro-fulfillment centers and launching a virtual concierge that gave consumers the ability to have one-on-one consultations with in-store employees. The company also experimented with livestream shopping in October 2020.