The power of online support

Hurst’s Head of Marketing Hayley Barker MCIM Chartered explains how online tools can help their customers grow with confidence.

We have a mantra at Hurst, which is that we must keep things simple so that our customers can concentrate on what’s important to them – the smooth running of their business.

This was key when we launched our Hurst Live online service for customers, which was initially developed to provide them with a composite door ordering tool. This means that while today Hurst Live is a comprehensive feature-rich tool, it is not overblown and complicated.

Hurst Live is essential because it provides 24/7 account access, real-time updates, and instant quoting and ordering, allowing customers to manage their orders independently and efficiently. It saves customers time by giving them full control over tracking their orders, while still benefiting from the comprehensive support we offer through our customer facing team.

On message

But two things really make Hurst Live stand out. The first is that we haven’t shoe-horned in lots of unnecessary features that over-complicate the user experience. It was designed for a specific purpose, and we haven’t strayed from the brief.

The second is that Hurst Live is a complementary tool, it sits alongside our face-to-face, phone and email support by offering a self-service solution that’s convenient and user-friendly. It also sits comfortably alongside a comprehensive marketing support package that integrates print, video, and digital tools.

One element of this marketing package is a new augmented reality sales tool, which allows homeowners to superimpose a selection of Hurst’s most popular composite door styles against their property using their mobile phone or tablet.

Opened in their browser, homeowners can choose from the 12 popular composite door styles, which are featured in lifestyle images throughout the You’re Home With Hurst brochure, viewing them as a fully rotatable and zoomable 360° 3D rendered image which they can then superimpose against their property on the screen of their device.

Door performance is also explained in simple and easy-to-understand terms, with additional explanation of performance delivered in short professionally created videos, accessed via a QR code. These demonstrate the features and benefits of choosing a new Hurst composite door before the homeowner uses the AR tool to see how different door styles look on their home.

Full transparency

On the practical side, one of our customers’ favourite features of Hurst Live is the order tracking. Our customers can place an order, and then have full transparency and visibility of where that order is in the manufacturing process, right through to delivery.

And they can see that information in real-time, reducing the need for a follow up call to check on their orders. This enables them to plan their days accordingly and provides peace of mind.

As soon as a product has been delivered, it will appear in their order history, where they're able to see all related paperwork including proof of delivery and invoice. And if something isn’t quite right, they can easily report it through the system with a click of a button and the query will be picked up by our customer care team.?

We are in the process of developing new features. I can’t give too much away, but they will be concerned with enhancing existing tools and the customer experience.

We are also looking at new technologies and how we can potentially integrate those into Hurst Live to provide a more personalised journey for our customers.

At its heart, Hurst Live is a time-saving tool, however our customers still know that they have the full support of our customer care team. Having this proactive relationship allows us to grow, innovate and develop new products. ?

Hurst Live is central to our business, but it's also central to our customers' businesses as well, helping them to manage everything online and grow with confidence.

For more information please visit www.hurstdoors.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 01482 790790.