Crisis Management and Transforming Customer Service for a Luxury Bathroom Retailer

Client Overview

Our client, a London-based omnichannel retailer known for delivering high-end, fully designed luxury bathrooms, was facing a critical challenge. The marketing and sales efforts enhanced by the proprietary design software that provided unmatched speed and quality with Virtual Reality previews were delivering increased revenue, but operational bottlenecks and supply chain disruptions were eroding the customer experience. Negative reviews were mounting, threatening to tarnish their brand and impede growth.

The Challenge

Industrywide issues were causing delays in manufacturing capabilities and product deliveries, leading to a surge in customer dissatisfaction. This heightened workload exposed weaknesses in the Customer Service team. As customers reached out for support, overwhelmed Customer Service teams struggled to manage communication effectively. The situation spiralled as mismanaged expectations and poor internal coordination drove a rise in negative reviews, which drove a further surge in contact from worried customers awaiting their orders. Even Sales team members were pulled into the chaos, distracted by queries that should have been handled elsewhere.

The leadership team initially believed that training gaps were the sole problem. However, our analysis revealed a far deeper issue requiring a comprehensive strategy, not just surface-level solutions.

At Belucidity, we understand that rebuilding trust goes beyond damage control. It’s about establishing transparency, resolving root causes, and creating a proactive strategy to counterbalance the impact of negative feedback. Here’s how we did it.

Our Solution

We proposed a holistic, action-oriented approach beyond temporary fixes, instead addressing immediate crises and long-term operational health.

• Leadership & Immediate Intervention  

  We led by example, providing hands-on support to the Customer Service team. By actively resolving complex customer issues ourselves, we quickly reduced response times, gained team trust, and set a precedent for customer-centric service. This immediate relief also enabled us to identify deeper coaching needs and pinpoint systemic inefficiencies.

  
  

• Empowerment Through Clear Guidelines  

  We found that Customer Service staff lacked assertiveness due to an ambiguous understanding of their jurisdiction, the rules around authorising the spend required to resolve the customer issues. Working closely with the client leadership team we established a clear framework outlining decision-making boundaries, introduced an escalation pathway, and implemented performance metrics and targets focused on resolution speed, cost reduction and efficiency.

  
  

• Transparent Supply Chain Communication  

  Unreliable internal communication about supply chain delays was a major issue. We collaborated with procurement and logistics teams to provide a dashboard of accurate capacity and lead-time data into the CRM/ERP system, enabling proactive communication with customers and reducing last-minute escalations.

  
  

• Resilience & Training  

  Whilst the team identified as being stressed we quickly recognized that the stress often stemmed from a lack of the skills needed to handle complex scenarios. Our tailored training program focused on equipping team members with practical tools and confidence to resolve issues effectively and reduce customer anger levels without direct confrontation. By demonstrating the approach in live coaching alongside staff, we demonstrated best practices and reduced resistance to change.

  
  

• Comprehensive Issue Tracking  

  To drive continuous improvement, we enhanced the existing CRM system with a detailed issue-tracking log. Due to the spiralling workload of the team and lack of discipline, issue tracking and note logging had suffered. We trained staff on proper usage and created monthly performance reports. As well as encouraging a consistent approach in line with the Customer Service goals and ensuring that any team member could hand-off or pick-up any customer at any point. By ensuring that there was a consistent approach to issue logging it meant that we were easily able to scale the team and also put a plan in place to utilise short-term support from the Sales Team in any future 'crisis' situation. We also mapped the customer issue to provide a structure within the CRM system for objectively logging calls. The insights from this logging helped identify trends, allocate resources effectively, and identify product issues and drive reliability improvements.

  
  

• Cross-Department Cohesion  

  Despite having sophisticated technology, internal communication remained disjointed. We introduced Customer Service training for all staff, emphasizing ownership of issues and the importance of accurate information transfer. Weekly cross-departmental planning meetings were established to align priorities and share key performance data.

  
  

• Call Flow Optimization  

  Leveraging the client's PBX system, we redesigned call flows and automated routing to reduce customer frustration and streamline service. Updated recorded messages helped set realistic expectations, improve overall call-handling efficiency as well as highlight the self-service options that were available on the website to reduce the team workload.

  
  

• Enhanced Post-Sale Email Communication

  We conducted a thorough review of the entire post-sale communication process, revamping all automated emails to provide clearer, more personalised and informative updates. This also included detailing and emphasising customer responsibilities within the delivery process and adding personalised elements tailored to individual situations. By doing so, we offered customers a more relevant experience, set-out a clear understanding of how they could receive a smooth journey, while encouraging them to use the client’s customer portal to proactively verify information, reducing the burden on Customer Service teams.

  
  

  In the second phase of this enhancement, we optimized each customer touchpoint to not only improve service but also create marketing opportunities. This included strategically embedding calls to action for customer advocacy and encouraging positive engagement on social media channels, to further bolster brand visibility and support.

  
  

• Enhanced Sales Handover  

  We improved customer expectation management at the point of sale by training the Sales Team on assertive communication. A refined handover checklist and a “What Happens Next” guide were developed to ensure a seamless transition to Aftersales support.

Key Outcomes

Our approach delivered significant and lasting results:

• 93% of negative reviews were successfully removed within the first two months.

• 63% increase in 5-star reviews on key platforms, achieved in just two months.

• Zero new negative reviews for over a year following the intervention.

• 43% business growth over 12 months, with a restored customer trust contributing to this achievement.

• Complete elimination of non-sales calls to the Sales Team.

• 0% turnover in the Customer Service team, reflecting a revitalized and resilient workforce.

  
  

Conclusion

This case exemplifies Belucidity's expertise in transforming customer service operations through a blend of immediate crisis management and sustainable process improvements. By empowering teams, enhancing communication, and leveraging existing technology, we not only resolved the crisis but set the stage for long-term growth and customer loyalty.