AJE Customer Service — Practical, Professional Guide
Contents
- 1 AJE Customer Service — Practical, Professional Guide
- 1.1 Overview and Purpose
- 1.2 Channels, Volumes and Channel Mix
- 1.3 Staffing & Cost Model (with example calculation)
- 1.4 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- 1.5 Technology & Knowledge Management
- 1.6 Escalation, Complaints Handling and Regulatory Compliance
- 1.7 Training, Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement
- 1.8 Practical Templates and Contact Protocols
Overview and Purpose
AJE customer service is the operational backbone that converts product availability into customer loyalty. In modern consumer goods companies, an effective customer service (CS) organization blends fast responses, reliable order and complaint handling, and proactive outreach to reduce churn. As of 2024, best-in-class CS teams in FMCG aim for a customer satisfaction (CSAT) of 85–92% and first-contact resolution (FCR) rates of 75–85%.
This guide outlines a pragmatic, measurable approach to running AJE customer service: channel mix, staffing math, technology stack, KPIs, escalation paths, training, and sample operational targets you can use immediately. All recommendations are expressed with implementation-ready numbers and examples so you can translate strategy into staffing, SLAs, and budgets.
Channels, Volumes and Channel Mix
Design your channel mix around where customers request help. Typical FMCG distributions (adjust to your data) are: phone 35–45%, email 20–30%, web chat 15–25%, social media 8–12%, and self-service/FAQs 5–10%. Track monthly inbound contacts by channel; a mid-size AJE market might see 1,500–5,000 contacts/month across channels.
Channel-specific SLA targets (practical starting points): phone answer within 60 seconds (service level 80/60), web chat response within 30 seconds, email initial response within 12 business hours, social message acknowledgment within 4 hours. Set different resolution windows by complexity: simple inquiries resolved <24 hours, escalations 48–72 hours, product claims 7–14 days depending on investigation.
Staffing & Cost Model (with example calculation)
Staff to demand using Erlang or the simplified FTE formula: FTEs required = (contacts/day × AHT minutes) / (60 × agent hours per day × occupancy). Example: 1,000 phone calls/day, AHT 5 minutes → 5,000 minutes/day → 83.3 agent-hours/day. Assuming 8 productive hours per agent and 85% occupancy, required FTEs = 83.3 / (8 × 0.85) ≈ 12.3 → round to 13 agents. Repeat by channel and add multi-skill overhead (typically +15%).
Cost per contact benchmarks (industry ranges): inbound voice $1.50–$6.00/contact, chat $0.80–$3.00, email $0.40–$1.50. For annual budgeting, multiply expected contact volumes by channel unit cost and add fixed costs (platform licensing, office rent). Example: 50,000 contacts/year at blended $1.75/contact → $87,500 variable cost + platform fees.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Use a focused KPI set to drive performance: CSAT (target 85–92%), FCR (target 75–85%), Average Handle Time (AHT) by channel (phone 4–7 minutes; chat 6–12 minutes), service level (80% calls answered in 60s), abandonment rate <5–8%, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) target 30–50 depending on market maturity. Monitor weekly and trend monthly with rolling 12-week averages.
Include quality metrics: QA scorecards with 12–18 checklist items, coaching rate (number of coaching sessions per agent per month target 1–2), and resolution backlog (open cases older than SLA). Set operational thresholds that trigger immediate corrective actions — for example, if FCR drops below 70% for two consecutive weeks, institute an escalation and root-cause review within 48 hours.
Technology & Knowledge Management
Essential systems: CRM with case management (ticket lifecycle, tags, SLAs), omnichannel routing, workforce management (WFM), quality management and recorded interactions, and knowledge base (KB) with versioning. Integrations required: ERP for orders/claims, logistics tracking API, and product database. Prioritize cloud SaaS solutions for scalability and faster time-to-value.
- Minimum tech stack: omnichannel contact center, CRM/ticketing, KB/Help Center, WFM, analytics/dashboarding. Ensure single-source-of-truth customer profiles and automated case creation for order exceptions and claims.
Best practice: update KB weekly during promotions or new product launches; maintain an “investigation” playbook for product claims with documented steps, contacts in quality control, and expected timelines (e.g., sample request within 48 hours, lab analysis 5–10 business days).
Escalation, Complaints Handling and Regulatory Compliance
Define a 3-tier escalation model: Tier 1 (frontline agents) handle routine inquiries and refunds up to a predefined value; Tier 2 (specialists) manage complex returns, promotions, and logistics exceptions; Tier 3 includes legal/regulatory and senior operations for food-safety incidents. Map escalation SLA: Tier 1 response immediate, Tier 2 response within 24 hours, Tier 3 response within 72 hours and a formal incident report within 5 business days.
For product claims, collect standardized evidence: purchase proof (invoice/lot), photos, batch/lot number, and consumer statement. Maintain traceability: link claim tickets to batch codes in ERP and flag batches with >0.5% claim rate for product quality review. Comply with local consumer protection laws and maintain retention of complaints records for the legally required period (often 3–5 years depending on jurisdiction).
Training, Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement
Initial onboarding should be 40–80 hours covering product knowledge, systems training, soft skills, and compliance. Follow up with monthly refresher modules (1–2 hours) and targeted coaching based on QA results. Use role-play and recorded-call reviews; aim for QA pass rates >90% for customer-facing scripts and behavior standards.
Continuous improvement cycles: weekly ops huddles, monthly root-cause analyses on top 5 ticket types, quarterly VOC analysis feeding product and supply-chain teams. Measure the impact of improvements (e.g., a KB refresh that reduces average handling time by 10% and increases FCR by 4 percentage points) and report ROI to stakeholders.
Practical Templates and Contact Protocols
Standardize customer messages and SLAs. Example templates: acknowledgement message for claims (“We received your claim — your ticket #AJE-2024-12345. Initial review within 48 hours; full investigation expected within up to 10 business days”). For refunds, define thresholds (e.g., refunds ≤$15 processed at Tier 1 within 72 hours; >$15 require manager approval within 5 business days).
- Example operational contact points (placeholders you should replace with verified corporate details): central CS email: [email protected] | 24/7 hotline (local): +51 1 800 123 456 (example). Publish one canonical help site/FAQ and update it with product recalls, promotions, and shipping advisories.
Implement a single SLA document (public-facing and internal) that lists channel SLAs, escalation steps, and expected timelines. Keep the external SLA consumer-friendly and the internal SLA prescriptive. Update both annually or when product lines or distribution partners change materially.
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What does the Aje stand for?
Adrian joins Edwina
Video Transcript. In case you ever wondered… ‘Aje’ originated as an acronym for ‘Adrian joins Edwina‘, adopted shortly after the co-founders met, but insiders know that the pronunciation is a little different.
Who is the owner of Aje?
Adrian Norris
Founded in 2008 by best friends Adrian Norris and Edwina Forest, Aje is a contemporary Australian fashion brand dedicated to raw beauty, tough femininity and effortless cool.
What country brand is Aje?
Australian
Aje is an Australian fashion house dedicated to raw beauty, tough femininity and effortless cool.
Can you return Aje?
The Aje Collective (Aje, Aje STUDIO & AJE ATHLETICA) accepts returns on items in exchange for a store credit note within 14 days of purchase upon presentation of your receipt. Please note refunds will only be issued when a product is deemed faulty. Please note that refunds are not offered for change of mind.
How do I contact Aje customer service?
- Customer Care. Our Customer Care Team operates between. Monday – Friday | 9am – 5pm AEDST. +61 480 022 160. Seek support from our stylists during our operating hours. [email protected]. Live chat.
- Press. [email protected].
- Wholesale. [email protected].