With the rapid spread of online shopping, the D2C model—where products are delivered directly to customers—is becoming a standard business strategy. However, amid intensifying competition, it is increasingly important not only to acquire new customers, but also to provide ongoing support to existing customers and build long-term relationships.
What deserves particular attention here is the approach that promotes sustained customer loyalty, known as a “continuity promotion service.”
In this article, we spoke about the challenges prior to introducing the chat service “BOTCHAN Keeper,” which supports the promotion of continued use, as well as the results achieved after its implementation. Kyofukudo Co., Ltd. Mr. Tomoharu Sakurai The interviewer is Yoshinori Akimoto, manager of “BOTCHAN Keeper.”
━━ To begin with, please tell us what initially prompted Keifukudo to start considering the introduction of a chat form.
We are marketing a men’s shampoo product called Barony. (Barony product page)
Because the age range for this product is higher than for our other offerings, and past initiatives have not progressed successfully, we have begun considering new initiatives in adjacent areas.
Mr. Tomoharu Sakurai, Kyofukudo Co., Ltd.
Specifically, we were considering implementing a comprehensive set of measures, including changing shipping dates, handling inquiries, and encouraging customers to continue their subscriptions. In addition, since cancellation requests by phone can only be accepted during limited hours, we also wanted to test whether we could accept them through other channels.
━━ I see.
We were also considering introducing a chat form to increase our points of contact with customers. From a numerical standpoint, we could see that if the number of new customers increased, we might no longer be able to keep up with handling phone calls. If we became unable to answer the phone, there was also a risk that customers wishing to cancel would automatically be routed to the contract termination center.
━━ Thank you very much. What kind of image or impression did you have of “BOTCHAN” before implementing it?
I’ve known about wevnal itself since around 7–8 years ago, back in the days before they launched “BOTCHAN,” when they were still mainly an advertising agency, and I’ve also known about “BOTCHAN” since it first started!
We didn’t end up implementing it at the beginning, but based on its recent reputation among other companies and the stability of its quality, we decided to introduce it. We were also aware that “BOTCHAN” is seen as the clear market leader. (laughs)
━━ Thank you very much! Please tell us your honest impression when you first received a concrete proposal regarding “BOTCHAN.”
Yes. To begin with, we received a proposal from Mr. Baba in Sales, and it was very good that he conducted a thorough interview regarding Keifukudo’s business. He also took into account the fact that our business situation had been changing and reflected that in his understanding as we moved forward, which made things extremely easy for us.
Even as we actually implemented the measures, the quality of the proposals and the accuracy of the interviews were high, so we were able to proceed smoothly.
The reason we chose it is that, at the time, only BOTCHAN offered features specifically focused on preventing cancellations. We considered other companies’ products as well, but learned that they would require a significant amount of work on our side. We selected BOTCHAN because we could entrust everything to their CS team.
━━ Could you tell us about any particular challenges you faced on the way to implementation?
Because there are multiple scenario branches, creating the flowchart was a significant undertaking.
First, the CS team created the initial base, and after that our company handled the rest.
We also spent a lot of time considering how to handle the various types of information obtained through chat, and to be honest, we are still grappling with that aspect even now.
━━ Was there any part of the scenario that you found particularly good?
Being able to log in directly within the chat is a very strong point.
I got the impression that “BOTCHAN” is a flexible system into which you can integrate almost anything.
I also appreciate that you built it out in detail right from the initial proposal stage. Since various branches can be configured, I felt it could be used not only to promote continued use, but also for tasks such as changing shipping dates.
━━ Thank you very much. Could you share how you designed the initial A/B tests and what the results were?
In designing the A/B test, we considered not only CVR but also LTV. However, we also realized that if the number of incoming users is small, the benefits are not very noticeable. We feel the numbers are trending upward, and we have also seen an increase in users who change their scheduled shipping dates or adjust their delivery cycles.
In terms of being able to handle customers through both chat and phone in a two-step process, we believe this is also effective from an LTV perspective. Because customers feel a certain sense of security in knowing they can cancel at any time via chat, that psychological factor may be one reason they do not cancel immediately. By handling interactions through “BOTCHAN Keeper,” we can stay in contact with customers without losing our list.
━━ I’m glad to see we’re actually getting results. Are there any specific factors you believe contributed to these outcomes?
I feel that the support structure for “BOTCHAN” is extremely good. The regular reviews, the next-step proposals, and the way they support us while looking at the numbers are all very much appreciated.
In the case of Barony in particular, there was an environment in which we could communicate directly with the person in charge and receive clear, easy-to-understand explanations. In addition, we have been able to implement initiatives by drawing on other companies’ know-how, and our figures have been improving.
In addition, its broad range of features is very appealing. It has also become easier to test initiatives within the chat. Conversely, because there is very little it cannot do, team members on the ground have been able to make active use of it.
━━ Thank you very much! Keifukudo is using BOTCHAN across multiple products, but what kind of internal evaluation process did it go through at your company before reaching that point?
Within the company, we can clearly feel the positive impact of introducing “BOTCHAN,” and it has also been well received by our external partners.
I am also interested in accumulating expertise through telephone-based communication and reflecting that knowledge in our chat operations, and I would like to take on that challenge.
━━ Do you have any memorable episodes involving our company’s CS team?
What made me happiest was hearing that our main contact, Mr. Yamada, gave Barony’s shampoo as a gift to his husband. Since you cannot build an effective scenario without knowing the product, I was very pleased with his proactive attitude toward engaging with it.
In addition, whenever any behavior different from usual occurred, I was informed immediately, which also gave me a strong sense of reassurance.
━━ What kind of role do “BOTCHAN” and customer support play within your company?
It has become an infrastructure-like presence across our entire service. While we do not rely on BOTCHAN for all communication, it is clearly functioning as a means of communication with our customers. We are not aiming to reduce customer support to zero; rather, we feel we have struck an appropriate balance with the areas where people are still involved.
━━ We’re delighted. Thank you as always as well. Please let us know if there is anything you expect from our company going forward.
It would be great to have an update to the management dashboard that allows us to instantly check the figures on an hourly basis. On the marketing side, we sometimes review data by the hour, so we would like to be able to quickly adjust any initiatives that are not performing well.
In addition, if it becomes possible to integrate data with other companies’ tools, we should be able to manage everything in a centralized way. We are also looking to enable integration with BOTCHAN AI and our FAQ in the future.
━━ Finally, could you share any message you may have for companies that are considering implementing BOTCHAN?
First of all, I would like you to give it a try. It is difficult to understand what it can do without actually implementing it.
Based on our experience, we can say that the results are far more impressive than we had imagined. The more channels we have to communicate with customers, the better. I believe the breadth of functionality is something that cannot be achieved with anything other than wevnal. It is a service that combines various benefits to deliver maximum impact, not only in promoting continued use. And the support is truly outstanding.
━━ Thank you very much. I look forward to your continued support.
Barony Product Page
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