John Lewis bags Transversal for improved online search

Department store John Lewis has chosen web self-service solution provider Transversal to help improve its customers' online experience.

The Transversal solution will allow customers to type questions about, for example, delivery times and costs into the search engine without having to worry about keywords.

The solution uses algorithms that interpret the context of words, using its in-built data dictionary. It then gives a range of possible answers to the user from a so-called knowledge base, which is continually updated with relevant information on products and services.

Transversal's solution went live at the end of September and took eight weeks to implement.

Mark White, business development director at Transversal, said that John Lewis previously had a basic FAQ section.

"The previous system was a FAQ section, which someone within John Lewis may have thought answered all of the customers' queries. However, this system can answer a range of queries, as it is determined by the user as opposed to the system," he said.

White continued by listing three major business benefits that the solutions affords John Lewis.

"First, it will enable users to stay on the site for longer as they will not need to call a helpline to ask a question. This, in turn, could increase revenues.

"Second, as customers do not need to call or email John Lewis for further assistance, the retailer will have fewer queries to deal with, meaning staff can use their time more efficiently," he said.

"Finally, every question a customer asks is logged by Transversal. This information is provided to John Lewis for potential analysis. It would help the company gauge what customers are asking about and use this to their advantage."

Sean O'Connor, website manager at John Lewis, said the department store needs to adapt to the way consumers shop, as this is constantly changing.

"People want the ease that the internet can provide, and when they shop online, they expect convenience – the Transversal solution will help us achieve that. By allowing people to search for relevant information easily and quickly, it helps ensure the website is as usable as possible," he said in a statement.