Currys rolls out NiCE software to unify customer service

Currys has rolled out NiCE software across its customer service operation, giving the retailer a single view of customer interactions across channels.

The deployment covers voice, email and social channels. It supports customers buying products, arranging delivery and installation, using mobile services, booking repairs and seeking after-sales support. Currys worked with Concentrix on the programme, moving its customer service set-up to a cloud-based platform used by internal and outsourced teams.

Figures released by the companies show the project lifted customer satisfaction scores and reduced complaints in parts of the business. Net promoter score rose by six points across Currys' core operation during the initial migration period, with gains of more than 20 points in one area over 18 months.

Complaint volumes in that same area fell by about half, while first-contact resolution reached nearly 80%. The contact-to-order ratio fell to 0.18 per sales order, indicating that fewer customers needed to get in touch for each order placed.

Wider reach

The platform now supports hundreds of advisers across Currys operations in the UK, South Africa and India, handling nearly 6 million customer interactions a year. It records, transcribes and analyses each interaction, allowing managers to identify where service breaks down and where processes can be improved.

That matters for a retailer with a customer journey that extends well beyond a single sale. Currys sells electrical goods through stores and online, but also manages delivery, installation, repairs, mobile contracts and ongoing support, all of which can generate separate service contacts.

Bringing those exchanges together in one place is intended to reduce the fragmented experience customers often face when moving between channels or between sales and support teams. It also gives staff more context when a customer gets in touch again, which can help cut repeat calls and shorten resolution times.

The new system has also changed how quickly Currys can introduce new channels. Engagement channels that once took longer to put in place can now be deployed within weeks while maintaining the same operating model across the business.

Operational changes

Alongside customer contact handling, Currys is using NiCE workforce management tools for forecasting and staffing. This helps the retailer align resources more closely with seasonal patterns in demand, a key issue in consumer electronics, where trading peaks can place heavy strain on contact centres and delivery support functions.

Concentrix helped implement the platform across what the companies described as a complex multichannel environment. Its work included helping teams embed the system in daily use and applying data from customer interactions to frontline service changes.

For NiCE, the Currys contract adds a high-profile retail customer in the UK market at a time when vendors of contact centre and customer service software are under pressure to show measurable results rather than broad claims around artificial intelligence. Here, the companies pointed to improvements in net promoter score, first-contact resolution, complaints and contact volumes per order.

Retailers are under pressure to improve service efficiency as they contend with higher labour costs, margin pressure and customer expectations shaped by online shopping and fast fulfilment. In sectors such as electricals, after-sales support can be a major part of brand perception because products often involve delivery windows, installations, technical faults or warranty issues.

Currys operates 702 stores in six countries and employs more than 25,000 people. In the UK and Ireland it trades as Currys, while in the Nordics it trades under the Elkjøp brand, giving it a large service footprint and multiple points where customer issues can arise.

Chris Stroud, Director of Customer Management Centre at Currys, said the main benefit has been the ability to connect information that was previously spread across different channels and service stages.

"With this new tool, we now have a unified view of customer interactions across channels, allowing us to resolve issues faster, personalize services and continuously improve the experience we deliver," Stroud said. "The platform is also creating a foundation that will help us further simplify and make it easier for customers to shop with us than ever before."

Darren Rushworth, President of NiCE International, linked the work at Currys to broader changes in retail customer service.

"Currys is demonstrating how leading retailers can use customer service automation and orchestration to transform retail customer journeys," Rushworth said. "By unifying customer interactions on CXone, Currys is gaining loyalty and deeper insight into customer needs, driving measurable improvements in satisfaction and loyalty, and creating a strong foundation for the next generation of retail experiences."